Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs E from Northumber
Review Distribution
Total number of trips
5
Countries visited
1
Lodges stayed in
14
Excursions taken
0
My Jan 2023 trip to Kenya
Kenya between 20 Jan 2023 and 30 Jan 2023
As always we very much appreciate the support of Richard Trillo at all stages of the planning.
He is able to provide expert knowledge and advice and this sometimes appears to be well outside normal office hours."
Arranged By Richard Trillo

Four Points Nairobi Airport
"Four Points Nairobi Airport review"

Elephant Bedroom
"Elephant Bedroom review"
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."

Cheetah
3 sightings

Elephant
8 sightings

Gerenuk
8 sightings

Giraffe
8 sightings

Lion
4 sightings

Oryx
6 sightings

Zebra
6 sightings

Little Governors' Camp
"Little Governors' Camp review"
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."

Black Rhino
1 sighting

Buffalo
8 sightings

Cheetah
2 sightings

Eland
3 sightings

Elephant
8 sightings

Giraffe
8 sightings

Hippo
5 sightings

Leopard
3 sightings

Lion
8 sightings

Spotted Hyena
6 sightings

Wildebeest
3 sightings

Zebra
8 sightings
My Feb 2022 trip
Kenya between 12 Feb 2022 and 21 Feb 2022
We must mention the support offered by Richard Trillo. Richard is always helpful and on this occasion he was put to the test due to the documentation requirements for travel. He always offered timely and accurate advice and did so with a high degree of patience which was probably necessary at times. We have total confidence in Richard organising these trips for us.
We must point out that Heathrow airport was extremely well organised in terms of documentation etc. Nairobi airport was the opposite.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Not really."
Arranged By Richard Trillo

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

Elephant
10+ sightings

Gerenuk
10+ sightings

Giraffe
10+ sightings

Hippo
1 sighting

Leopard
1 sighting

Lion
1 sighting

Oryx
10+ sightings

Zebra
10+ sightings

Little Governors' Camp
"Little Governors' Camp review"
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."

Black Rhino
1 sighting

Buffalo
10+ sightings

Cheetah
2 sightings

Eland
3 sightings

Elephant
10+ sightings

Giraffe
10+ sightings

Hippo
10+ sightings

Lion
10+ sightings

Spotted Hyena
10+ sightings

Zebra
10+ sightings
Very good.
Kenya between 23 Jan 2020 and 3 Feb 2020
We maximised our drives at both camps though at Little Governors we were severely restricted and at no point after the initial arrival were we able to cross the river."
Feedback response
These travellers arrived in Kenya in early 2019 after weeks of unprecedented, unseasonable weather, and intermittent heavy rains continued during their stay in the Maasai Mara. The Mara River, where it flows through the northern part of the ecosystem, could not be crossed at all, and many culverts in the reserve were damaged, putting access roads out of commission.
Arranged By Richard Trillo

Four Points Nairobi Airport
"Four Points by Sheraton review"
Close to the airport.
Very comfortable rooms and a good variety of food for breakfast."

Elephant Bedroom
"Very good."
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."

Elephant
10+ sightings

Gerenuk
10+ sightings

Giraffe
10+ sightings

Hippo
1 sighting

Leopard
3 sightings

Oryx
10+ sightings

Striped Hyena
1 sighting

Little Governors' Camp
"Superb. Treated extremely well."
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.."

Black Rhino
4 sightings

Buffalo
10+ sightings

Cheetah
1 sighting

Eland
2 sightings

Elephant
10+ sightings

Giraffe
10+ sightings

Hippo
10+ sightings

Leopard
1 sighting

Lion
9 sightings

Spotted Hyena
6 sightings

Wildebeest
3 sightings

Zebra
10+ sightings
Excellent
Kenya between 20 Jan 2018 and 31 Jan 2018
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No. It is first class and we wouldn't use any other company to travel to Africa."
Arranged By Richard Trillo

Eka Hotel
"Excellent, very comfortable"
Warm welcome. Quiet room and good breakfast."

Elephant Bedroom
"Excellent camp"
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."

Little Governors' Camp
"Wonderful camp."
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."

Governors' Il Moran Camp
"Excellent camp but with minor reservations."
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."
Excellent trip to Kenya
Kenya between 14 Jan 2016 and 24 Jan 2016
Richard Trillo was excellent in planning and arranging this trip. He was thoughtful and proactive."
Arranged By Richard Trillo

Elephant Bedroom
"Great Samburu Experience"
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."

Little Governors' Camp
"Little Governors - heaven!"
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."
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."