Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs E from Northumber

"Excellent camp. Very friendly staff who looked after us well.

Seems to continue to be well managed with Carmen having left and Bernard in charge.

We had a new guide who was good though talked a little much, though nothing to complain about.

Tent very good and food very good.

Wildlife perhaps slightly fewer animals than normal but still plenty to see."

"Absolutely first class.

The camp is superbly managed by Minnie. The food and ambience is as good, or better, than anywhere else we have been.

Our driver was excellent, very personable, empathetic and knowledgeable. The wildlife was good.

Attention to detail and actions to create an enjoyable stay are excellent, and as good as anywhere we have been (which includes a lot of places in Africa and South America).

As you are aware we definitely want to return."

"The camp is as lovely as ever. We have been many times and it is usually our first thought when we plan our trips.

Our driver, Isaac, and those that served us including Kennedy and Duncan we have known for many years and remain great. There were a number of issues with this trip that, whilst not in any way worthy of complaint, detracted from our stay. To such an extent that we will not return next year.

1. The management of the camp is not creating any positive atmosphere at all. The manager rarely spoke to us, and from what we saw any other guests. Never asked us how our game drives were, seemed to avoid contact as much as possible and did not even say goodbye as we left. He was less than 10m from us.

2. Getting from Little Governors towards Main Governors was dreadful. The road was impassable and we had to follow forest tracks which were deeply rutted and muddy. Isaac drove extremely well but it was very difficult. We have been told the 'road' is going to be improved in the very near future.

3. Wildlife sightings in the National Park were extraordinarily low. There was virtually nothing to see except along the riverine forest on the western side and the Masaii Lands on the northern side. The grasses were very long and I am not sure how this can be managed.

The picnic breakfasts were not as good as they have been in the past.

On the other hand the Mara Triangle was relatively good so we spent most of our time there."

"Convenient.

Breakfast good though little outside space. Quiet.

Upgraded to a suite."

"Staff very helpful. Carmen appears to run the camp well and we like the staff. Our guide (Popoya) was very good and picked up quickly what we wanted from a game drive. The food was good and the tent clean, comfortable and spacious.

Due to weather conditions Kalama was closed as a plane had got stuck on the runway a day or two earlier so we had to land at Sasaab a couple of hours away (could not be helped) still closed when we left but took off from Buffalo Springs (considerably nearer)! During our visit, however, the weather was perfect."

"We love Little Governors and the tent, food, service, guide and all staff were and continue to be excellent. Any negative comments are around the ability to access the Triangle and the Mara itself.

Due to previous rains there was only one access point to the triangle and we could not cross the Mara river at all. On the penultimate morning all access to the camp from the triangle was impassable. The only culvert operations collapsed just before we got there. We had to travel through Kichwe Tembo camp after asking the camp whether they would allow this (other vans did the same). We had to cross a swollen stream, perhaps 10-12 m across and it proved quite scary, especially the 3rd crossing).

We were very disappointed that after the problems in 2020 those managing access to the triangle had not taken the camps advice and had neither raised the culverts to allow passage during very wet weather nor fixed them in a more permanent way. Camps have said that they requested this.

On the final morning we had paid $200 to be allowed a game drive. The camp told us that the tickets had not come through, tried to call Expert Africa and had not had a reply. We stayed in camp which we did enjoy. It was a waste of $200 however.

We also find it unbelievable that from $70 per person per day previously the fees will cost $500 per couple per day from July. This is an increase over 4 days from $560 to $2000 - somewhat excessive and is likely to put us off further visits after some 16 visits over the last 20 years."

"The hotel as very noisy overnight so for the second year in a row we had little sleep. We think that noise travels easily through the building.

In the morning we went for breakfast. We left our bag and two back packs in the bedroom. Only our main bag was zipped closed the others were not. On our return after breakfast the room was open and the bags gone. We went to reception where they were behind a pillar which could not be seen from the reception desk. The two backpacks, one containing camera equipment and the other our money and passports were both still unzipped and our belongings clearly not safe.

Reception apologised, a received a generic email and then three phone calls. We were on safari so I did not take the calls and felt it would achieve nothing if I rang them back. We felt this was taking too little care over our belongings."

"Excellent location.

Our guide was very good and was empathetic to our needs.

The camp staff were excellent and helped create a good ambience.

The food was very good and the accommodation excellent."

"Location and accommodation excellent. Food also excellent as was our guide.

The camp manager, George, as well as all other staff we encountered were extremely helpful and courteous.

It is the ambience of the camp, as well as the location, which have not been surpassed in any other camps we have stayed in and we have stayed in many in Africa and South America."

"Looked after very well. Tents excellent, clean and comfortable.

Our guide Solomon, who we had not had before, was first class. He was very empathetic to our group's needs.

Location first class."

"An excellent camp that we have stayed in several times. All of the staff took care of us well and anticipated any needs we may have had. They were friendly and professional.

Our guide, Isaac, who we have had several times was excellent. He was very empathetic to our requirement as we had our daughter and two granddaughters with us.

The manager, George, made sure that everything was in order for us asking regularly how our stay was going.

A really excellent location and first class camp which is run extremely well."

"Very welcoming.
Close to the airport.
Very comfortable rooms and a good variety of food for breakfast."

"Our guide / driver, Anthony, was excellent. We have had him before and he is very knowledgeable and empathetic with clients.

The woman serving us throughout, in the restaurant, was Jennifer. We have had her before and she is quite excellent with clients. Efficient and personable.

We felt that the camp itself, under new management, was not quite up to previous visits. For example tents were not wholly cleaned (eg under beds). There wasn't a clear chain of command apparent to us and we had very little interaction with those in charge."

"George, the manager, did everything possible to ensure our stay was a success.

Our guide, Isaac, who we have known for some time, was excellent and was very empathetic with what we wanted.

Henry who looked after out tent etc. was excellent. He anticipated what we needed often before we knew them ourselves and was always there to help.

Stanley, in charge of our table, was also excellent and was wholly attentive and helpful throughout.

We were extremely limited in our safaris (perhaps 4 miles by 1 mile maximum in terms of area) but the camp maximised our experience.

It was a great team effort.."

"Arrived late.

Warm welcome. Quiet room and good breakfast."

"Very comfortable tent. Very clean and the plunge pool is a bonus.

Joseph is very good and makes you feel welcome and Anthony (who we had for a second year in a row) is an excellent guide. He tunes in quickly to what the group wants.

Highly recommended."

"We love Little Governors. It has an excellent ambience and is in a great position. The provision of drinking water is excellent.

George is an extremely helpful manager and delivered on everything we asked. Perhaps the real strength of the camp are the staff. We like them all but would single out Moses as an excellent ambassador for Governors. He is excellent.

Isaac was our guide and we had him in 2004. He is an excellent guide and we got on really well with him. He tuned into the group's needs very quickly and we would very highly recommend him.

We really like all of the staff at the camp and they are a real 'selling' point."

"Patrick is great and takes time with all of the guests, He is extremely knowledgeable and spends time with all of the guests,

The tents are excellent and extremely comfortable. As with Little Governors the provision of running drinking water is a significant improvement. The food is very good and the camp is in a good location for getting straight out onto the plains.

We find staff at the camp variable. Jackson as our tent attendant and Elisha in the bar were both excellent ambassadors for the camp but some other staff could be somewhat 'offhand' and distanced from the guests."

"Really lovely camp in a good situation within Samburu Reserve. Tented accommodation was excellent, very comfortable and clean. The public areas were large and well furnished, although if the camp was full they might feel less spacious. Food was always plentiful, with a reasonable choice including vegetarian options. On occasion the cooked breakfast could have been hotter. (Served outside from heated containers.)

We were allocated an experienced guide who was knowledgeable about animals and birds. He was flexible and accommodating but sometimes seemed a little distant. The staff in the camp were generally friendly and helpful. Some of the waiting staff seemed to have less English and therefore it was difficult to make a connection.

Elephants came to the camp every evening of our stay. One morning we were unable to leave our tent until staff arrived as we had an elephant next to the deck.

Overall our experience of this camp was a good one and we are already planning a return visit."

"Our first visit to Little Governors Camp after many visits to main Governors. The camp is beautifully situated overlooking a marshy area (no noticeable effect on insect levels) with hippo, elephants, buffalo and game all visiting. There are also many birds on the area. The tents are standard Governors issue, comfortable and clean but not as luxurious as some camps. Public areas include a small lounge area, bar and dining tent. The camp has a really good ambience.

The staff were, without exception, wonderful: friendly, efficient, empathetic and charming.

Food is excellent. We had picnic breakfast which is plentiful and delicious especially breakfast muffins! Lunch is served outdoors overlooking the marsh if weather permits and consists of 3 courses, all difficult to resist.. Dinner is served under cover but the tent has removable sides if the weather is good.

Access to the Masai Mara reserve from Little Governors is by small boat across the Mara River. Unfortunately, our visit coincided with a prolonged rainy spell of weather and the raised river level made crossing difficult and eventually the crossing closed. We spent some time in the Mara Conservancy which was good; we saw lions and rhino with a calf amongst other things. However it could not offer a realistic chance to see leopard or cheetah. Without our prompting the manager arranged for us and our guide to transfer to Il Moran on the other side of the river without extra cost to us. This demonstrated the sensitivity to our needs of the camp manager and we are very grateful to him. Our time spent at Il Moran was equally superb.

Our guide was excellent, amongst the best we have had over many visits to Kenya. He had a thorough knowledge of the wildlife to be seen and understood our needs well. He was also a safe and considerate driver in the difficult conditions.

We loved our time in Little Governors and were sorry to leave such a fantastic camp. We are returning next year."