The Complete Guide to Governors’ Camp Collection: All Seven Kenya and Rwanda Properties

If one safari camp can define a country’s entire wildlife tourism story, Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara comes closest. Since 1972, the Governors’ Camp Collection has shaped what a Kenya safari means. 🌍 Today, the collection spans seven award-winning properties across four distinct regions in Kenya and Rwanda.

You can watch wildebeest cross the Mara River from one address, then track mountain gorillas in Rwanda from another, all under the same brand umbrella. This guide from Trunktrails Safaris breaks down each of the seven properties in the governors camp collection kenya portfolio, who they suit, and how to weave them into one itinerary.

What Makes Governors’ Camp Collection Different

The Governors’ Camp Collection started as a single tented camp on the banks of the Mara River. Over five decades, it grew into a portfolio spanning two countries and four distinct ecosystems. Each property carries the same core philosophy: position guests as close to the wildlife as possible.

The collection is also notable for community ownership. Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge in Rwanda was the first community-owned luxury lodge in that country when it opened in 2008. That ethos of conservation and community benefit-sharing runs through every address in the group.

For travelers planning tours and safaris in East Africa, the Governors’ Camp Collection offers a rare chance to move between multiple habitats without switching brands or compromising on service standards.

The Seven Properties at a Glance

All rates indicative, full-board, per person in high season. Masai Mara NR non-resident park fee of $200/day (July to December) is charged separately. Rwanda gorilla permit costs $1,500 per person, also separate from the lodge rate.

Governors’ Camp: The Original Masai Mara Legend

The original Governors’ Camp sits on the banks of the Mara River inside the Masai Mara National Reserve (1,510 km²). It opened in 1972 and was the first permanent tented camp in the Mara. With 37 classic tents spread through the riverine forest, it combines reach with intimacy. 🦁

The Mara River runs just beyond the camp’s boundary. During the Great Migration (July to October), wildebeest crossings happen within visual range of camp. No other property in the governors camp collection kenya lineup gives you this front-row seat to Africa’s most dramatic wildlife spectacle. Balloon safaris over the Mara Triangle launch from a site 15 minutes away and cost approximately $450 to $500 per person.

Charter flights from Wilson Airport in Nairobi reach Mara airstrips in 45 minutes. The drive from Nairobi covers 270 km and takes 5 to 6 hours.

Little Governors’ Camp: The Mara’s Most Unique Address

To reach Little Governors’ Camp, guests cross the Mara River by motorized pontoon. This short river crossing sets the tone for everything that follows. The camp’s 17 tents sit inside a forest clearing on the opposite bank, completely cut off from road access. No drive-in traffic arrives here. No drop-in visitors.

The isolation creates something rare on the Masai Mara circuit: genuine stillness. Hippos surface a few metres from the riverbank at dusk. Elephants move through the treeline at dawn. The riparian forest bird life here is exceptional for Kenya safaris, with over 500 species recorded in the greater Mara ecosystem.

This camp suits couples and photographers who want the Masai Mara without the crowds. 📸

Governors’ Il Moran Camp: Ultra-Luxury on the Mara

Il Moran means warrior in Maa, the language of the Maasai people. Governors’ Il Moran Camp carries that name with purpose. With just 10 tents, it is the most intimate and most luxurious address in the entire collection. Finish quality and personalised service levels here sit above everything else in the portfolio.

Each tent comes with a private plunge pool and outdoor shower. Guiding at Il Moran operates on a one-to-one basis. Your game drive vehicle moves on your schedule, not a shared morning departure time.

For travelers planning luxury tours and safaris in Kenya who want small-group exclusivity without booking an entire camp, Il Moran is the answer.

Governors’ Private Camp: The Entire Mara to Yourself

Governors’ Private Camp is an exclusive-use property. When you book it, you take all 9 tents. No other guests share the dining space, the guiding vehicles, or the bush. Early morning calls happen when you decide, not when a camp manager schedules them.

A dedicated head guide, vehicles, private chef, and camp manager answer only to your group. Families, wedding parties, and groups of friends are the primary users of this option.

Park access requires the standard Masai Mara NR fee of $200 per person per day for non-residents during peak season (July to December).

Governors’ Mugie House: Big Game and Rhino in Laikipia

Mugie Wildlife Conservancy covers 48,000 acres (194 km²) on the Laikipia Plateau, roughly 280 km north of Nairobi. Governors’ Mugie House sits inside this private conservancy on an exclusive-use basis.

Laikipia is a different world from the Mara. The landscape is drier, more open, with acacia scrubland and rocky kopjes. 🐘 Both black and white rhinos live inside Mugie Conservancy. Elephants here belong to one of the largest privately managed populations in Kenya. Night drives and walking safaris are permitted in private conservancies, activities that national parks do not allow. The conservancy fee for Laikipia properties typically runs $80 to $130 per person per night.

Charter flights to Nanyuki airstrip take about 45 minutes from Nairobi. The road from Nairobi takes 4 to 4.5 hours via the Nyeri highway.

Loldia House: A Rift Valley Farmhouse Unlike Any Other Safari Stay

Loldia House sits on the shores of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, 90 km from Nairobi. Built during World War II, the farmhouse hosts guests in the main house and garden cottages across the grounds.

Lake Naivasha sits at 1,884 metres above sea level and records over 400 bird species, including African fish eagles and pelicans. Day trips from Loldia reach Lake Nakuru National Park (50 km, 1 hour) for rhino and flamingo viewing. Mount Longonot volcano, at 2,776 metres, is 30 minutes away for hikers. The Soysambu Conservancy on the lake edge offers guided lion tracking.

Loldia fits well as a standalone two-night Rift Valley stay or as a midpoint on a longer circuit between Nairobi and the Masai Mara.

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge: Where Mountain Gorillas Wait in Rwanda

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge stands on the slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes in northwestern Rwanda, adjacent to Volcanoes National Park (160 km²). Named after Mount Sabyinyo (meaning “old man’s teeth” in Kinyarwanda), the lodge became the first community-owned luxury property in Rwanda when it opened in 2008. Revenue from stays funds local schools, health clinics, and infrastructure projects directly.

Volcanoes National Park protects one of the only viable habitats for mountain gorillas on earth. A gorilla trekking permit costs $1,500 per person and is strictly limited to one hour of contact time per day per gorilla family. Treks last 2 to 8 hours depending on where the habituated families have moved overnight. The lodge’s 15 stone cottages sit at approximately 2,400 metres altitude.

From Nairobi, guests fly to Kigali International Airport on a 1-hour commercial or charter flight, then drive 90 km west to Musanze (also called Ruhengeri), arriving at the lodge in approximately 2 hours. Pairing Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge with 4 to 5 nights at Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara is the most requested combination among clients booking Kenya and Rwanda tours and safaris together through Trunktrails Safaris.

How to Plan a Multi-Property Governors’ Camp Collection Circuit

A 7-night Kenya-only circuit works well as follows: 2 nights at Loldia House on Lake Naivasha, then 5 nights in the Mara split between Governors’ Camp and Governors’ Il Moran.

For a 10-night East Africa combination:

• 2 nights at Loldia House (Lake Naivasha, Rift Valley)
• 3 nights at Governors’ Camp (Masai Mara, migration viewing)
• 1 night at Governors’ Il Moran (Masai Mara, luxury upgrade)
• 4 nights at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge (Rwanda, gorilla trekking)

The Great Migration peaks in the Masai Mara from July to October. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda is possible year-round, with the dry seasons (June to September and January to February) offering easier trekking conditions on the volcano slopes.

Trunktrails Safaris handles all the logistics across this circuit: charter bookings between camps, Rwanda visa processing, Volcanoes National Park gorilla permit applications, and ground transfers at every stage.

The Trunktrails Advantage

Trunktrails Safaris is a Kenyan-owned operator with direct knowledge of every property in the Governors’ Camp Collection. We know which Mara camp suits a honeymoon couple, which week produces the densest wildebeest crossings, and when adding Rwanda to a Kenya circuit gives you the best value for the permit cost.

Our tours and safaris are built around your travel interests, not pre-made packages. We tell you honestly which camp suits your group, which weeks deliver the best wildlife, and when the timing doesn’t work in your favour. We remain reachable throughout your journey from the first Wilson Airport charter to the last Kigali departure transfer.

Plan Your Governors’ Camp Collection Safari With Us

Seven properties. Four ecosystems. One story running from the Mara River to Rwanda’s mountain gorillas. The Governors’ Camp Collection is one of East Africa’s most complete safari brands, and Trunktrails Safaris is your most direct route into it.

Contact us now and we will start building your itinerary:

Further reading

• Kenya Wildlife Service
• WWF wildlife conservation
• IUCN Red List

More safari planning resources

• Interactive Maasai Mara map from Valley Safaris
• Maasai Mara National Reserve guide on Touring Insights
• Masai Mara destination guide on FindMySafari
• Rift Valley lakes map from Valley Safaris

• WhatsApp: +254 113 208888
• Email: info@trunktrailssafaris.com
• Website: https://trunktrailssafaris.com