Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs E from Northumber

"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."