A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Masai Mara vs. Bonaire for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Masai Mara or Bonaire?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Masai Mara and Bonaire. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Masai Mara or Bonaire?

Masai Mara

Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.

Bonaire

An island municipality of the Netherlands, Bonaire resides in the Caribbean, east of Central America and north of Venezuela. It is a part of the ABC Islands together with Aruba and Curaçao, and is best known as a tropical vacation destination with many great dive spots, beaches, lagoons, and wildlife.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, and The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya.


Which place is cheaper, Bonaire or Masai Mara?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $133, while the average daily cost in Bonaire is $299. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Masai Mara and Bonaire in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    Bonaire $155
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    Bonaire $310
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Bonaire

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Bonaire? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Masai Mara


Hotels in Bonaire


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Masai Mara Hotel Prices and Bonaire Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    Bonaire $65

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:

  • Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bonaire

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bonaire:

  • Private Transfers between Bonaire airport and any local address: $40
  • Airport Transfer Return Included: $80

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Bonaire?

Prices for flights to both Bonaire and Masai Mara change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Masai Mara $57
    Bonaire $101

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.

  • Nairobi Private Carnivore Dinner Experience: $125
  • Chiyo Japanese and Korean Restaurant Dinner with Cat Dance Show: $155
  • Nairobi National Museum and Carnivore Restaurant Food Tour: $275

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bonaire

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bonaire.

  • Dinner at Sea: $95

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    Bonaire $40

Tours and Activities in Masai Mara

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:

  • Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
  • David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $55
  • Guided "Matatu" Experience Half Day Tour Within Nairobi.: $60
  • Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
  • Giraffe Center Guided Tour from Nairobi: $65
  • Giraffe Center and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Tour: $72
  • Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
  • Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
  • Day tour to Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen Museum: $95
  • Nairobi Souvenir Shopping and Historical Half day Tour: $95
  • Nairobi National Park Guided Day Tour From Nairobi: $95
  • Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $95

Tours and Activities in Bonaire

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bonaire are as follows:

  • Semi Submarine Boat Experience to Klein Bonaire: $33
  • Walking Tours & Private Tours on Bonaire: $36
  • 4 Hours Open Air Party Bus Tour with Beach Stop in Caribbean: $39
  • Half-Day Bonaire Island Tour with Hotel Pickup and Drop-off: $46
  • Bonaire Essentials Island Tour: $49
  • Walking Tour with Lunch & Ice Cream: $55
  • Yacht tour with local guide & snorkeling activities: $57
  • Highlights of Bonaire & Cultural Experience: $59
  • Clearbottom Mangrove Kayak & Snorkel tour: $59
  • Tour in North and South Bonaire Guided: $63
  • Explore North & South Tour: $65
  • Small-Group Guided North & South Tour of Bonaire with Pick Up: $65

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    Bonaire $33


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Bonaire, we can see that Bonaire is more expensive. And not only is Masai Mara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Bonaire is in Caribbean Islands, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Masai Mara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Masai Mara and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bonaire would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bonaire than you might in Masai Mara.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Bonaire Expensive?.