Stick to 15kg Packing for a flight to the Masai Mara is a bit of an art – because the planes are teeny tiny (generally a Cessna Caravan which takes a maximum of 13 passengers) the baggage allowances are strict. You're allowed 15kg each – and that includes your hand baggage (ouch!).

On domestic flights from Nairobi (Wilson Airport) to the Masai Mara, the baggage allowance is strictly limited to 15 kg (33 lbs) per person, including your hand luggage. This strict limit is due to the small size of the aircraft used for bush strips, typically a Cessna Grand Caravan or a De Havilland Twin Otter, which have limited cargo space and strict weight-and-balance requirements for takeoff. Furthermore, you are generally required to use soft-sided bags (duffels or holdalls) rather than hard-shell suitcases, as soft bags can be squeezed into the oddly shaped cargo pods of the plane. Most airlines, such as Safarilink and AirKenya, offer a small leeway of about 2 kg at the captain's discretion, but anything beyond that is charged at an excess rate of approximately $2.50 to $3.50 per kg, subject to space availability. If you have significant excess luggage, you can book a "freight seat" in advance, which grants you an additional 75 kg of allowance. Many travelers choose to store their heavy international suitcases at their hotel in Nairobi and only pack their "safari essentials" into a smaller soft bag for the flight to the Mara.