Which place is cheaper, Luang Prabang 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.
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Should you visit Masai Mara or Luang Prabang?
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 Luang Prabang. 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 Luang Prabang?
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.
Luang Prabang
Southeast Asia is a region full of mystical wonders and cultural charm, but nowhere is as charming as the city of Luang Prabang. As the former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang was reopened to tourism in 1989. With that move the city experienced an upswing in revenue and was able to restore and rebuild the beautiful colonial mansions to serve as guesthouses and hotels for the new swarm of tourists.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Laos, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Laos.
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Masai Mara Prices
Kenya PricesLuang Prabang Prices
Laos Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMasai Mara $132Luang Prabang $17
The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Luang Prabang is $17. 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 Luang Prabang in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMasai Mara $37Luang Prabang $5.42
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMasai Mara $74Luang Prabang $11
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Luang Prabang
Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Luang Prabang? 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.
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: Luang Prabang Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Masai Mara $47Luang Prabang $2.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:
- Nairobi National Park Game Drive Tour With Transfer: $95
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Luang Prabang
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Luang Prabang are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$2.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Luang Prabang
Also for Luang Prabang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Luang Prabang Private Airport transfers: $9.00
- Luang Prabang Private Transfers: Hotel -Railway Station - Airport: $9.60
- LPQ Airport: Private Transfer to/from Luang Prabang City: $20
- 2D Transfer to Huay Xai by Slow Boat: $60
- Luang Prabang 2 Days Private Tour with Airport Transfers: $165
- 2-Day Private Tour with Airport Transfers: $165
- From 3-Day Oudomxay Town Trip with Transfers: $580
Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Luang Prabang?
Prices for flights to both Luang Prabang 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
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Food Meals for one dayMasai Mara $57Luang Prabang $8.95
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Luang Prabang
For Luang Prabang, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- The Namkhan - Kids Cooking Class: $40
- Bamboo Weaving Workshop & Cooking Class: $44
- Day-time Bamboo weaving & Cooking Classes join-in: $44
- Cooking Class at the Former Royal Palace: $45
- Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $45
- Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $45
- Luangprabang: Dinner with Lao Traditional Dance Performance: $45
- Mekong Meals Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $46
- Laos: Prabang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $46
- Mekong Sunset Cruise & Lao Tasting Dinner: $49
- Evening Cooking Class & Local Baci Ceremony: $51
- Home-cooked dinner & Baci ceremony with Villagers in Ban Nasang: $52
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Masai Mara $60Luang Prabang $2.58
Tours and Activities in Masai Mara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:
- Amboseli N Park Day tour with optional Maasai village visit: $200
- Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
- Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
- Carnivore Restaurant Nairobi Eating Experience with Transport: $145
- Cultural Day Tour to Bomas of Kenya Nairobi: $51
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Center Guided Day Tour: $95
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage Half-Day Tour in Nairobi: $75
- Day Tour Nairobi National Park Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen: $275
- Day Tour to Maasai Mara Reserve From Nairobi: $225
- Day tour to Giraffe Center and Karen Blixen Museum: $95
- Day tour to Giraffe center and Karen Blixen Nairobi: $135
- Full-Day Kiambethu Tea Farm Tour From Nairobi with Lunch: $90
Tours and Activities in Luang Prabang
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Luang Prabang.
- Luang Prabang to Train Station Shared Minivan Ticket Or Private: $5.00
- Shuttle Bus ticket to Kuang Si Waterfalls: $8.00
- Luang Prabang to Kuang Si Waterfalls Shared Minivan Ticket: $8.00
- Farm Tour and Buffalo Buffet Adventure: $9.00
- Laos–China Railway: Easy Train Tickets, No Queues, No Worries: $12
- Laos Buffalo Dairy Tours Interact, Learn and Taste Fresh Flavors: $14
- Audio-Guided City Tour in Electric Car: $14
- Luang Prabang Half Day Tour with Mekong River Sunset Cruise: $29
- Laos Railway: Train Tickets Easily - Skip the Lines - No worries: $30
- Small Group Half Day Luang Prabang city tour: $30
- Morning Alms Giving Ceremony and Local Market Experience: $31
- Unwind with a Sunset Cruise on the Mekong River: $35
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMasai Mara $26Luang Prabang $1.72
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Luang Prabang, we can see that Masai Mara is more expensive. And not only is Luang Prabang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Luang Prabang is in Asia, 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 Luang Prabang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Luang Prabang 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 Masai Mara would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Masai Mara than you might in Luang Prabang.
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 Luang Prabang Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.