Governors' Camp

Scroll Down

Governors' Camp, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Governors’ Camp nestles in the forest along the winding banks of the Mara River, it’s waters teeming with bird-life, hippo and crocodile, in the heart of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve.

Governors’ Camp was the first permanent tented camp in the Masai Mara and it occupies the best wildlife viewing location in the National Park. The location of the camp was considered so good that during colonial times it was reserved for the Colonial Governor hence the name Governors’ Camp. Today the camp enjoys the same prime location and is perfect for couples, families and friends wanting to experience the best of what a safari in the Masai Mara has to offer.

Some of the 37 tents line the riverbank, tucked into the forest they enjoy uninterrupted views over the Mara River, others have views across the sweeping plains of the Masai Mara. Created in 1972 Governors’ Camp set new standards in luxury for a tented camp. Today it’s still Africa’s best.

The entire camp is under canvas with all of the comforts of a luxury hotel. The tents are big, bright and allow in lots of natural light. All tents are classic safari style each with en-suite bathrooms and a private verandah. There is a bar tent with deck overlooking the Mara River and dinning tent with views over the plains.

Governors’ Camp has been awarded a Silver Eco Rating from Eco – Tourism Kenya due to our sustainable tourism practices in place in camp.

Game Drives

Three game drives per full day, these depart from camp at sunrise, late morning and in the afternoon. Game drives are inside the Masai Mara National Park.

Hot Air Balloons

The adventure begins just before dawn. Departure is from a perfect natural launch site behind Little Governors’ Camp, and flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. The first pink tongues of sunlight flicker across the skies as the hot air balloon fills, then rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy, you’re off for a wildlife viewing adventure with an entirely different perspective. What amazes most first-time balloonists is the absolute stillness: the silence as you float above the plains, the forest and the rivers of the Masai Mara.

Even if you’ve flown elsewhere, this is a unique experience. The flight lasts an hour or so, drifting wherever the air currents take you, and with ample opportunities for photography and video filming. Then your Governors Balloon Safari finishes with a flourish. In the time honoured tradition of balloon flights the world over, you toast your return to earth with a delicious breakfast (complete with sparkling wine), cooked wherever you land. The Balloon Safari ends with a game drive on your way back to Little Governors Camp. We also offer Hot Air Balloon Safaris for those staying at other select Masai Mara camps.

Walking Safaris

Governors’ Camp Collection offers guided walking safaris in a private concession area adjacent to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. Our guided walking safaris enable you to leave your vehicle behind and take a walking safari with one of our experienced and qualified naturalists for the true thrill of the bush.

Down on the same level as the animals you will experience the untamed beauty of the Mara. Here the scenery differs from inside the Reserve and picturesque acacia trees dot the hilly landscape. You will also be accompanied by one of our Masai Scouts, who provide a wealth of information on the traditional medicinal uses of plants and Masai folklore. You will track game, unsure what waits round the next corner: giraffe, buffalo, hyena, zebra or even lion.

Whilst out on a walking safari, you can catch the scents and sounds of the wild Africa and uncover a hidden, fascinating and interconnected world of plants, tracks and insects. At the end of it all waits a sumptuous bush barbecue breakfast complete with champagne. You can enjoy some game viewing as you are driven back to the camp through the Masai Mara. Walks take around 1½ to 2 hours and can either be booked in advance or at camp reception.

Visit Manyatta

Just outside the Masai Mara National Reserve is a Masai community called Mara Rianda. There is a traditional Masai homestead or Manyatta which consists of 48 traditional houses surrounding a cattle enclosure. The Masai community welcomes guests who would like to visit the manyatta and see a tribal way of life that has remained unchanged for centuries. Visitors are always struck by the grace and beauty of the Masai people, and the colourful lifestyle they lead. There is also a bustling curio market where guests can buy traditional Masai beadwork.

In order to visit the Manyatta guests must pay for an entrance ticket. This money is extremely important to the community and they have used it to build a nursery school for 120 children aged between 3 – 5 years. They have built two classrooms, accommodation for 3 teachers and a toilet facility. They have also paid for desks for the school.

The money from the ticket entry also helps the community members to buy food, pay for secondary school for their children, and pay for cows the mainstay of the Masai economy. During times of drought when Masai cattle suffer the money earnt from ticket sales helps the community enormously to stay on their feet. Overall this revenue supports 98 different families comprising of 300 individuals.

If you would like to visit the manyatta, this can be arranged with the camp manager.

Governors’ Camps, set in some of the most beautiful parts of Africa, provide the old-fashioned pace of life accompanied by the best of 21st century support in the heart of some of East Africa’s Prime Wildlife Areas. Air services bring you to your camp effortlessly, and ingredients for gourmet meals are flown in daily. Accommodation is in huge tents in the Masai Mara, in traditionally designed luxury rooms constructed in the local Luo style at Mfangano, in the old settler farmhouse at Loldia, and cottages on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge. Service is personal, attentive and friendly. Security and safety are ensured with constant communications and medical back up.

Governors’ Camp Collection is proud to have consistently been recognized with many travel awards and accolades. A Governors’ Safari will introduce you to the thrilling pleasures of some of the world’s most magnificent wildlife spectacles, pampered in luxury, but in tune with the simple rhythms of life.

Other Camps in Kenya