Reviews of Little Governors'

"This was the stand out camp on our trip. I could not fault it in any way. As with our previous two camps our guide, Collins, was fantastic.

The abundance of wildlife in the Masai Mara is jaw droppingly spectacular. We spent four days here and enjoyed wonderfully diverse game drives.
The camp itself is beautifully laid out overlooking a watering hole which offers an abundance of wildlife at all times. I actually looked out of my tent at night to see a hippo walking past!

The staff were wonderful and Nicholas, the manager arranged for a doctor to supply medication from an insect bite that had become problematic.
Rooms/tents were spacious, clean and comfortable. Hot water always available.

The food here is absolutely stunning, I would highly recommend a stay." See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya

"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." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"Absolutely loved every part of this camp, from the boat ride across to the camp, to the wake up call at 6am with tea and coffee delivered to our room, to our expert safari guide, and the beautiful camp as a location. The rooms, and public areas were perfect, and really looked after well. The staff on camp looking after us, including the staff patrolling during the night so that we were safe from any wildlife, were really brilliant - so friendly, attentive and efficient.

The lunches were brilliant, and dinners also really nice. We loved our safari guide too, who found us all the animals we wanted to see and showed a huge amount of expertise and experience at spotting animals.

Couldn't recommend the Little Governors any more!!" See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya

"This is our 3rd visit to Little Governors. We first came with the family in 1995 - very little has changed, we loved it then and we love it now. It is a real tented camp in an amazing location right in the heart of the Mara. This position makes for a fantastic safari experience.

The marsh outside the tents is teaming with game. No fences mean the animals frequently come into the camp. Usually warthog and zebra but elephant are never far away and hippo are frequent night visitors.

The tents are well equipped with large comfy beds and excellent hot showers. The electric light is an addition since we first came!

Tables are placed outside in the shade of trees for breakfast and lunch. There is no formality but the food is good and the staff very attentive. The tables are moved under cover for dinner but the sides of the dining tent are open so that you can hear the night sounds. We were well looked after in camp by 2 Stanleys, one was our waiter, the other took care of our tent.

We were collected from the plane by our guide Robert who stayed with us throughout our stay. Initially a little quiet, it soon became obvious that he was a warm and friendly guy and an excellent guide.

Our morning game drive began at 6.30, being in the heart of the Reserve we were seeing game from the moment we left camp. The time of year means an abundance of wildlife. Large numbers of Elephant, Hippo, Giraffe and Buffalo. Vast herds of Wildebeest, Zebra and Antelope providing ample food for Lion, Cheetah and Leopard.

Just a fantastic safari experience and being able to start early meant we had some special moments to ourselves. On our last day Robert took us into the Mara Triangle in search of Rhino. Astonishingly we were lucky enough to see one. A great end to our safari!

In this camp you are seriously close to wild animals. It can get very noisy at night, lion and hyena sound closer than they are but you do have to expect the snuffling of hippo eating just the other side of your tent wall! It is a fantastic experience as long as you are comfortable with it.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will be back!" See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"Little Governors Camp was very nice, and had an amazing setting. The drives were good and the service was also very good. The evening meals were a bit hit and miss, and somehow they have not created the welcoming vibe that we got at all the other hotels. It felt like we were staying in a great hotel, while the other venues, largely because of the managers running it, created an atmosphere that made you feel very welcome and looked after. Could really use a swimming pool as well." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya

"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." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya

"We had previously enjoyed a stay at Little Governors about 6 years ago and this 2nd visit was just as good. We were even given a complimentary bottle of wine because we were returning guests. The camp was much as we remembered it but the tents had been refurbished and it was nice to have 24 hour electricity. (On our previous visit there hadn't been electricity in the tents and the source of light then was kerosene lamps. We were given our requested tent no. 17 which is at the very end. It was a nice quiet situation but not the best place to be when it was raining heavily and it was time to go and eat! The manager, George, who had not been in residence on our previous visit, was very welcoming and spent quite a lot of time chatting with us. We were very well looked after by all of the staff at Little Governors and we thought that the food was very good.

We had the first couple of game drives on our own and then shared the vehicle and guide with another couple. We had some very good sightings of lion and cheetah and lots of other game and birds. This included; rhino, giraffe and some big herds of both buffalo and elephant.

It had bee very wet in the Mara and the tracks were very muddy and boggy but the driver and vehicle coped very well. While we were there more rain, (which only affected us on one game drive), caused the river to rise dramatically. Consequently we had to do some of our game drives in the Mara Triangle, rather than the Musiara Sector because of concerns about the safety of using the boat to cross the river when it was so high and fast flowing. We still had good bird and animal sightings on the 'Triangle' side but the disadvantage is that there is no 'off road' driving, so in some instances we couldn't get as close as we would have liked.

Little Governors was very quiet and we really enjoyed this return visit." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"We had a marvelous time at Little Governors. The location is incredible with excellent game viewing from the property itself.

During our four days we saw buffalo, wildebeest, warthogs, hippos and baboons from camp. On our last night a herd of elephants and a hippo made way into camp which was so exciting. The LG staff did an excellent job ensuring our safety as the elephants enjoyed the marsh near our tent. We also loved watching the resident warthogs graze throughout camp.

In keeping with our overall experience in Kenya, everything at Little Governors—the service, food, game drives, tent accommodation and facilities—was outstanding. We were greeted with smiles from George, camp manager, and staff at all times. Ngei, our guide, took us on extraordinary drives. The hot air balloon safari was a highlight, especially being able to see the hordes of wildebeest from above.

We highly recommend Little Governors Camp and look forward to an opportunity to return." See all these reviews: 6n in Kenya

"Little Governors is in a truly idyllic location with a sort of marshy swamp in the oxbow of the river in front of it. It really looks like a lake with a lot of vegetation in it. Lot of birdlife around a small "island" in the middle.
The day we arrived, there were lots of elephants in there chomping whatever elephants like to chomp and it was really lovely to watch them while sitting on the edge of the water having our lunch. I felt like I was in heaven .
There are some resident warthogs who are very sweet and don't charge off with their tails in the air like the ones you see on a game drive will do. They are happy to keep the grass short and mooch about the place.
There are 17 tents - numbers 1-6 are nearest the entrance and the boat. Then you have the main camp buildings - dining, reception , bar, shop. Then tent numbers 7-17 stretch away on the other side from the central camp.
When you arrive - there is a river separating the camp from the Mara. The vehicles stay on the Mara side - so you have to cross the river ( very short crossing) in a little boat that the boat man sort of pulls across on a chain with your bags.
There are approximately 52 steps down to the boat and 52 steps back up the other side. Note " approximately"
So you might be glad to have tents 1-6 so you can flop in as soon as you return from a game drive ?
However I think tents 6 and 7 are a bit too near the main camp and could be noisy. The balloons are inflated near tent 6 in the morning at 6am too. Personally I preferred the tents at the end - tent 17 would be best as it is not overlooked at all.
There is a formal path behind the tents to give people privacy, but most people walk in front of the tents, on the grass
( accompanied by a guard to protect you) - so you might feel the lack of privacy in lower numbered tents.
The tents are quite nice - the bathroom is quite big but only has one sink ( most lodges seem to have two ) and there is no separate loo and the shower has no screen around it. Only mentioning this in case you are thinking of sharing with someone you don't know all that well.
There is electricity in the tents so you can charge camera batteries etrc.. but cannot use a hairdryer there.
They do have a hairdryer in a dimly -lit room next to reception . The first time I used it was fine - but the next day, the socket by the mirror did not work so had to scramble under a table to find a socket that worked ( nowhere near a mirror unfortunately)
There are two sockets near the mirror but only one hairdryer.
The bar was nice and cool as it had a tiled floor and the shop was very good.
There is a small seating area near reception but you wouldn't really relax there I don't think.More like a place you wait for a taxi .
Wi-fi is available but only seemed OK for emails and social media . Don't expect to download any podcasts or anything.
The camp is well situated for wildlife too - you will get some good sightings within a short distance from the camp.
Having said all that, I have tosay that Little Governors needs to up its act a bit to keep up with other camps in the area.
The food was adequate but nowhere near as good as other places I stayed in the Mara
Actually quite disappointing .
Lunch time salad was tomatoes with some cheese, mange tout with apple, no lettuce.
Evening meal was a very small portion of spaghetti with a plain tomato sauce.
Fresh fruit for dessert was half an apple, half an orange and a slice of melon .
The game drives were shorter than elsewhere - start at 6:30 am , bush breakfast dragged out for an hour , return 11:30
Lunch 1 pm - pm game drive 3:30 til 7 pm . Dinner at 7:30-8pm.
Having come from other camps where the managers and/or guides join you for meals - it was a bit odd to have all guests sitting at separate tables and no input from managers . I thought I would like that, but in fact it felt odd to sit down for an evening meal and not have any other people or guides or managers to discuss it with.
We did briefly meet the manager , but it was very perfunctory . I did see him in the bar but he did not interract with his guests - only one guest who obviously intersted him.
I also felt there was an atmosphere of meanness at Little Governors
It sounds petty and I know that all the freebies at other camps are paid for somewhere along the way.
I'll just say how things are at Little Governors
So in the morning, you get tea/coffee in your tent but only one biscuit each.
All other camps give a tin of biscuits - I don't even want biscuits in the morning but it seemed mean.
There were no sundowners - no tea and cake in the afternoon, only four ( non-cold) bottles of water in the jeep , no coke or beer like other places. ( and not encouraged to drink them as most places do)
No complimentary drinks around the fire in the evening.
At dinner - had to,pay for water ($3)
Tea and coffee was included in the menu but it was never offered - we always had to ask for it.
Might sound petty - but it all added to a general feeling of meanness somehow
I think Little Governors has a great product but they are going to be upstaged by other lodges in the area if they don't up their game soon. I had expected to love it as various people I know had recommended it,. I found it initially impressive, but overall disappointing. Which is quite a shame as it is in such a lovely place.
This was the only place to ask yo see our passports and accomodation voucher.
They were also meant to transfer us by vehicle to our next camp - but they arranged to drop us at Musiara gate and the next camp came to pick us up from there." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Little Governors’ is a very slick, well-oiled operation and much more obviously luxurious than Satao Elerai. It doesn’t have the views, but it does have a marshy area directly in front of the tents, which attracts elephant, hippo, buffalo, warthogs and giraffe to wander around the camp day and night. To sit outside your tent and watch them amble very close by is a true experience; as is being woken up by a hippo munching directly outside the tent at 1:30am, with an adult giraffe & youngster sauntering by and again by elephants & buffalo (rubbing up against the tent) at 4:30am...

The food was slightly more elegant than at Satao Elerai, and we did have to pay for all drinks apart from water and the (very welcome) morning wake-up coffee and hot chocolate delivered to the tent. Unlike Satao Elerai we had only 1 hot water bottle between 2 (and no knitted cover!). Again, the efficiency of the waiting staff was to be admired but again no time was ever given to study a food menu / wine list; a decision was required immediately upon presentation.

The number of guards and other staff on duty at all times was very reassuring, and again we had a very good driver/guide in Bernard. In one day we saw all "The Big 5" (which was not actually on our list of things to do, it was an accident!), lion cubs, a cheetah up-close and the wildebeest migration... crossing a river (with crocodiles playing an active role!?!); a big success.

Tents were a little too close together so you could hear things you didn’t really want to hear… honeymooners beware!

We spent 50% of our time in the Masaai Mara (vast open plains) and 50% in the Mara Conservancy. This was on the other side of the camp; much more intimate, with a higher density and cross-section of animals, including Rhino... just not as many big cats (saying that, the Serval was really sweet). This worked very well, I strongly recommend spending time in this other part of the park for the contrast and variety.

It is an intense experience: to be woken up at 5:30am, in the 4x4 by 6:30am... have a picnic breakfast at say 9:30am then continue until lunchtime (approx. 1pm) then back out again 3:30pm until dusk (around 6:30pm). A long day, but the mission was to maximise the chances of seeing game and so a price worth paying." See all these reviews: 4n in Kenya