Mount Suswa Conservancy Entrance Fees

In this article, we cover Mount Suswa Conservancy Entrance Fees. Located in both Kajiado and Narok counties and only about 50 km from Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley, Mount Suswa is a stunning location for you to do both hiking and caving. This extinct volcano is made up of a unique double crater system, featuring a spectacular sunken ‘crater within a crater.’ The summit of the inner volcano, Ol Doinyo Nyokie (the red mountain), rises to 2,356m (7,730 ft), affording an awe-inspiring view.

Dotted with Masai manyattas, the outer crater (around 10km in diameter) provides the Maasai with grazing for their livestock and freshwater through spouting steam from deep underground.

The inner crater (5km across) is covered by pristine tropical forest and home to leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, antelopes, baboons and other wildlife. Mt Suswa also has a vast network of obsidian caves which are ideal for exploring. Made famous by a BBC documentary, these caves are home to the ‘baboon parliament’ and thousands of bats. This unique cave system is considered the world’s most complex braided system of lava tubes.

The Conservancy is entirely run by the Masai community that lives inside Mount Suswa. This means that all camping fees go towards preserving, not just the park, but the lifestyle of those who live in it.

Mount Suswa Conservancy Location

Suswa is easily accessible from Nairobi – it is only 50km away – making it ideal for a day trip or longer. It takes approximately 2 hours to travel from Nairobi. You can drive yourself or come by public transport. Suswa is really off the beaten track, and the last short leg of the trip (about 30 minutes) ideally requires a 4X4. The head guide can easily arrange for a vehicle (at a small fee) to pick you and your luggage up from the tarmac road and drop you back at the end of your trip.

If driving:

Take the old lower escarpment Naivasha road from Nairobi. When you reach Mai Mahiu after 58km, turn left onto the road leading to Narok. After 10km you will pass a satellite station on the left; after another 6.5km, a signboard for Suswa Conservancy signals the dirt track towards Mount Suswa (turn left here; do not drive as far as Suswa Town). Drive for 6km across the plains; a right-hand turn will lead to a 5km steep and rocky climb up the outer slopes of Suswa (most hikers drive across the outer crater and park their vehicles here, on the edge of the inner crater). The head guide can arrange for someone to meet you at the turn-off from the main road to Narok and guide you up the slopes.

If coming by public transport:

Take a Narok matatu from Nyamakima (approximately 2 hours) and ask the driver to drop you at Maragateway Hotel in Suswa town centre. The walk from Suswa town to the crater will take about 2 hours. But, as mentioned above, the head guide can also arrange for a motorbike to pick you up from the hotel.

Mount Suswa Conservancy History

In recent years, population increase and drought have made life increasingly difficult for the Maasai population who call the plateau of Mount Suswa home. Increased demand for firewood and land for livestock and agriculture, essential for their survival, resulted in deforestation and high pres¬sure on the Mount Suswa ecosystem.

Mount Suswa Conservation Trust was established to bring a halt to this and to promote the sustainable use of resources in Mount Suswa. The Trust is developing tourism activities in Suswa to encourage community participation in biodiversity conservation and to enhance income generation. The Trust has 9 Board Members. All park and camping fees go to the Conservancy, which uses them to improve roads and schools in the area.

Activities at Mount Suswa Conservancy

Mount Suswa is a popular destination for camping and hiking. It is one of the few places where you will get authentic raw adventures. There is no wifi and the mobile network is not that great making it a good place for isolation..

1. Stunning Hikes

Enjoy the spectacular views as you hike around the crater’s rim. Chose from our many options:

• Hiking to several peaks around the crater
• Hiking inside the crater
• Visit the natural steam jets
• Options for all fitness levels

2. Explore the lava caves

Explore the vast network of lava tube caves and learn about their history and inhabitants:

• Visit the “Baboon Parliament”
• Discover our huge bat colonies
• Watch rare wildlife like hyrax
• Learn about the Masai’s sacred cave rituals

3. Experience the Masai Life

Suswa is home to a very welcoming Masai community. Explore Maasai culture:

• Over-night stays in a traditional homestead
• Traditional activities: Cow milking, Maasai songs, Beadwork, making of traditional fire
• Learn about Massai marriages, lion killings etc.

4. Wild Camping

Camping is permitted on Mount Suswa and is truly ‘wild’. Whether you sleep beside the caves hosting the ‘Baboon Parliament’, or up on the volcano overlooking the inner crater, you will feel total isolation. In the absence of any lights on the entire horizon, you will see a spectacular night sky, as well as beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Visitors have often woken at dawn to the sounds of leopards fighting with wild dogs in the distance.

A campsite is being constructed at a spectacular point among tall acacias, overlooking the inner crater. It has wooden huts for cooking and sitting in the shade as well as toilets and showers, and will be finished in the coming months. Campfires in designated areas are permitted, and cooking equipment can be provided upon request. Currently, there is no running water. However, water tapped from the local hot steam jets can be arranged upon request.

5. Photography 

The golden hours of Sunrise and Sunset provide the most beautiful and dramatic lighting for capturing photos at Mount Suswa. Some of Kenya’s most iconic and beautiful photographs were taken with Mount Suswa as its Background. In case you want to capture unique and captivating breathtaking landscapes aside from Kerio Valley, we suggest you pack your bags and go for a trip to Mount Suswa. 

6. Wildlife Watching

Mount Suswa Conservancy is home to several wildlife species including Giraffes, Gazelles, Hyenas, and Leopards. Some of these animals are very easy to spot, especially during the evening and night hours. Wildlife watching can be incredibly fun and rewarding because it offers a unique opportunity to connect with the natural world and observe animals in their habitats.

Mount Suswa Conservancy Charges

Park Entrance Fees for:

• Citizen: Ksh 500
• Resident: Ksh 1000
• Citizen/Resident Child: Ksh 300
• Non-Resident: 30 USD
• Non-Resident Child: 10 USD

Camping Fees:

• Adult: Ksh 1000 per night
• ​ Child: Ksh 500 per night​

Vehicle Fees:

• Ksh 500 (car)
• Ksh300 (bike)

Motorbike Fees: 

• Ksh 300 per bike

Guide Fees (Suswa town to the campsite): 

• Ksh 1,500

Firewood Cost: 

• Ksh 1000 per night

Guide Fees:

• Ksh 1000 per person per day

Overnight stay at a Masai home: 

• Ksh 1000 per person

Accommodation in a Masai Manyatta including super, lunch and breakfast:

• Ksh 4500 per person per night

NOTE: Guiding can be done for any of the following activities: Cave and baboon parliament visit, hiking around and inside the crater, going to natural steam jets, experiencing “Masai culture”

Mount Suswa Conservancy Contacts

All bookings must be arranged by calling, Whatsapp, texting or e-mailing the Mt Suswa Conservancy’s head guide:

Name: Kiano Sempui
Phone: +254 0711434391
Email: kianosempui2018@gmail.com

NOTE: Kindly give the head guide at least one week’s notice before your arrival.