Just came back from our 5 day trip to Mara and it was absolutely phenomenal. Some take aways for those that might find them helpful-

1. Life in Africa tends to move at a "slower" pace, from those assisting you at the airport and anywhere else you might be asking for help. Not a big issue, but just something to keep in mind. Along that note, our SafariLink flight back to Wilson was delayed roughly by an hour, so we had to wait at the Keekarok airstrip during that time. Wasn't a big issue for us since our flight out of NBO wasn't until evening, but something to keep in mind if your on a time crunch. If you get an uber in NBO, you can ask your driver to take the expressways, and tell them you'll pay for it (usually it's $2). This helped us avoid a lot of the city traffic we saw.

2. The peak temp during our time there was 85, but you could REALLY feel it during the afternoons if you're trying to nap inside the tent, which was kind of a bummer since that's the only free time you have from the game drives. We had to ask for two additional fans in our room, but it was still pretty warm.

3. The customer service and hospitality here are absolutely fantastic. This was probably the main thing that we found most enjoyable. In fact, we were sad to say goodbye to some of them when it was time to go. Our dining attendant was Patrick, and if you get him as your server, consider yourself extremely lucky. He's the best.

4. We tipped around $10 USD per meal, and then tipped our dining attendant $200 at the end in cash. We tipped our guide $200, and our housekeeping attendant $100.

5. Be prepared to have $400 in cash for the first day game fees when you arrive, as there credit card machine wasn't working when we tried it. Also, I would just pay per day in case one of the days you just want to rest at the lodge. At the end of your stay, you'll pay for it along with another other lodge fees.

6. My wife and I went on the hot air balloon safari, and it was enjoyable, as it was our first time. The ride is approximately 45-1 hour at sunrise, and then they have a breakfast buffet waiting for you, which was pleasant.

7. If you're going to be buying souvenirs in Nairobi, be prepared to haggle hard. They have brokers that swarm you and pester you and it might make for kind of an uncomfortable experience. They'll upsell you extremely high, but just bargain back down. We went to Kariokor market and didn't see really many tourists there.