SAMPLE ITINERARY - AN AFRICAN SAFARI

With a reputation for fantastic guiding, Oliver’s game drives take you to the heart of the action every time. Drives are offered twice daily in the cooler mornings and evenings. Most of our game drives make are in an open game-viewing vehicle – this lets you sit at different levels and gives everyone a ‘window’ seat. Our open vehicles have power points where you can recharge your devices, and are fitted with fridges to keep your drinks deliciously frosty. We do also have a closed game-viewing vehicle that may be used if available which is fitted with a cooler box for chilled beverages. Private vehicles are available at an additional cost. (Note that families with children under 12 must book a private game-viewing vehicle.)

There’s also the opportunity to see some of Tanzania’s famous ‘nightlife’, with unforgettable night drives permitted within Tarangire.

Walking is the absolute speciality of Oliver's Camp. The privilege of walking in these natural areas gives you an exhilarating feeling of adventure. Although you'll usually get close to large mammals such as elephant, giraffe, buffalo or even lion, walking safaris are very safe. The experienced guides at Oliver's Camp and an armed national park ranger will accompany you on every walk. Walking safaris can take an hour or a whole morning or afternoon.

You’ll find Oliver’s Camp in the remote south-eastern reaches of the Tarangire National Park. It’s perfect for families with a longing for adventure. Oliver’s Camp can accommodate a family of up to 4 with children 5 years and over. Your family will stay in a comfortable tent with en suite facilities and an outside bucket shower. Game viewing at Oliver’s is excellent and includes game drives (night and day) and walking safaris in the company of superb guides.

Experience the best game viewing activity from a bird's view. (additional cost)

Enjoy a full day game drive on the crater floor. Considered an 8th wonder, here you will find a wide range of wildlife, including the elusive rhino. Our vehicles have charging facilities and a fridge with cold drinks. Our vehicles are driven by excellent guides who will ensure you see the best of what Ngorongoro has to offer. All vehicles on the crater floor are closed vehicles with pop up roofs.

No safari is complete without experiencing a traditional bush lunch. Relax under the natural canopy of an acacia tree, whilst your personal butler serves up a feast. Nothing is quite so essentially safari as this. Tailored service with cold drinks and your private chef preparing delicious meals surrounded by breath-taking surroundings in total privacy totally completes this Out of Africa experience. After enjoying your morning game drive, your guide will bring you to your private location within the Ngorongoro Crater where our team awaits to seat you.

Sundowners are more than just a happy hour. They are a very cherished African tradition and form an integral part of your safari experience. It is a time to relax, reminisce the day gone by, enjoy a cocktail or glass of wine around the camp fire with fellow travellers, and watch as the sun goes down over the Serengeti plains.

An authentic glimpse into the distinctive Maasai culture is a must whilst in Tanzania. Preservation of their proud traditions has set the Maasai apart from other indigenous groups in Tanzania, and embodies a side of Africa with which few outsiders can contact.

A walk in the highlands is a sensory adventure like no other. Tanzania is one of the best safari countries for walking, with a number of parks allowing guests to experience a more up-close-and-personal encounter. Follow in the footsteps of animals, accompanied by highly skilled and knowledgeable guides. Along the way you might identify animal tracks, learn about fascinating plants, spot some of the smaller animals and insects (you wouldn’t necessarily see from a vehicle) as well as feel the buzz of tracking some of the larger game. There is no better way to learn about the bush.

Tanzania has great appeal for families. Seeing animals is very exciting for children, and nothing can prepare a parent for the delight of watching their child’s reaction when they catch sight of a lion, giraffe or elephant for the very first time. Lemala Cubs offers our special guests under the age of 12, a range of wonderful opportunities to experience and enjoy the magic of the African bush. These activities are fun, educational and interesting, showing future generations the need for conservation of Africa’s wildlife, and keep kids well entertained while mum and dad relax.

A cultural excursion around the village of Mto wa Mbu you will spend a few hours discovering the area using the most favored method of transport in the area. You will visit the rice fields, Makonde carvers, tinga-tinga painters, finishing in the banana plantations for a local lunch made by one of the beautiful local mamas.

Governors’ Camp properties combine the best locations in the Masai Mara with the best-designed vehicles and exceptionally highly trained and experienced guides to give our clients un-matched game-viewing and photographic opportunities in the world’s prime wildlife area.

We are in the heart of the best game viewing area of the Masai Mara; we take you out twice a day into the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve and surrounding areas. Our driver-guides are hand-picked and nurtured by us. They undergo a continuous guide training scheme mentored by experts in the field. Having operated in the Masai Mara for 50 years, our driver-guides have an un-paralleled knowledge of the reserve combined with a deep understanding and respect for the importance of this wilderness area, its flora and its fauna.

Game drives are included in the accommodation rate.

For those looking for an adventure of a different kind, we suggest a magical hot air balloon safari over the Masai Mara.

The adventure begins just before dawn. Departure is from a launch site behind Little Governors’ Camp. Guests assemble at the launch site for a briefing as the flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. As the dawn breaks, the hot air balloon fills and then rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy, you’re off for a wildlife viewing adventure with an entirely different perspective.

What amazes most first-time balloonists is the absolute stillness – the silence as you float above the plains, the forest and the rivers of the Masai Mara.

After about an hour or so, your balloon safari finishes with a flourish. In the time-honoured tradition of balloon flights the world over, toast your return to earth with sparkling wine and enjoy a delicious breakfast that is set up and served at a very special spot. The experience ends with a game drive back to your camp.

There is an extra cost for a hot air balloon safari and the price depends on the time of year.

For a very unique experience, enjoy the excitement of a bush dinner in the wild. You will arrive at a special secluded location on the banks of the Mara river. A welcoming drink awaits by the warming campfire, followed by a delicious meal prepared by our Bush chefs, served under the stars, with the soft lights of safari lanterns and accompanied by the sounds of the African night and the grunting Mara river hippos.

Bush breakfasts and bush lunches are also available. Please try to book bush meals in advance. Costs: bush breakfasts and lunches USD $75 per person, bush dinners USD $92 per person

The Masai people of East Africa are a striking image, synonymous with safari. A proud people with many traditional practices still very much alive in their culture. Visit a local Masai village and learn about who they are in their own words.

Entry to the Maasai village is currently USD $40 per person and is paid directly to the community.

Visits to our responsible tourism projects can be organised from camp. Mara Rianda Primary School and Mara Rianda Medical Centre are two inspirational projects supported by Governors’ Camps.

There is no extra charge for this activity but donations to any of the projects are welcome.

Since the beginning of the 20th Century the cheetah population has fallen dramatically from 100'000 individuals to 7'500 individuals with human activity a major cause. It is therefore important to understand the cheetah-human interface, which is one of the key works of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project, led by Dr. Elena Chelyseva.

Our Governors' Guides play a critical role in the data collection for Dr. Elena and her team, reporting through sightings and behaviour observations of cheetah spotted. Dr Elena enjoys sharing her expertise on the cheetahs in the area with our guests through talks or by accompanying guests game drives.

Please let us know if you would like to pre-book a talk or a guided game drive with Elena when booking your safari. There is a minimum donation requirement of USD $500 for a presentation in camp.

We welcome guests of all ages at Governors’ Camp - you are never too little to experience your first African safari together with the family!

Safaris open up a world of wonder and discovery of nature, and over the years we have hosted many families at Governors’. Some of our camps are better suited to small children; Governors’ Camp has specially designed family tents which can comfortably sleep a family of four - we can provide cots for babies and infant travellers (on request).

We will happily arrange early meals and sole use of game drive vehicles (please enquire in advance as this depends on family size and is subject to availability).

On your arrival at Governors’ Camp, you will notice our numerous little furry friends; the dwarf and banded mongoose, who are well loved members of our famous ‘Cast of Characters’! We wanted to celebrate these entertaining critters by naming our new kid’s club after them, and so the Governors’ Mongoose Club has been formed.

The idea behind this club is to educate and inspire our youngest visitors in ways that they would never have access to in their mainstream schooling systems abroad. Game drives are, of course, wonderful experiences in themselves to be shared with family, but there is so much more for your children to take away from their Kenyan safari.

The activities are designed to be fun and informative and we know that these experi- ences will provide your children with lifetime memories. You, as the parents, can take some well-deserved timeout; enjoy a spa treatment, read a book or just have a siesta while Julius (Our “chief Mongoose”) who is a local Masai guide, and the rest of our friendly team keep your children as entertained and educated as they would like to be, whilst of course ensuring their complete safety at all times. Please note that the Mongoose Club is only available at Governors’ Camp.

Included in the accommodation price.

Governors’ Camp hosts a wildlife photographer in the Mara who is available to be booked by our guests for accompanied photo safaris and in-depth tutorials on all elements of photography, including editing. Do let us know if you would like to guarantee a full day with them capturing the very best of this incredible wildlife reserve. Please note that guests will need to secure an exclusive use vehicle at a daily rate if their group size does not already secure one, on top of the photographer's daily fee.

Governors' also has 3 'photo safari' vehicles. Listening to the specific needs and recommendations of the photographers we've hosted over the years, we've modified three Landrover vehicles to include same level seating throughout, cut-out side panels in the middle row to get those much desired low angle shots, high roofs, fully folding windscreens and wide side panelling to offer the perfect place for resting a beanbag and long lens. The cars are available on an exclusive use basis and can be requested for and reserved while making your Governors' booking. They are available at all our camps in the Masai Mara.

Please see https://www.governorscamp.com/travel-planning/resident-photographers/ for full details and costs.

After your late afternoon game drive, end the day with a 'sundowner' at our very special spot on the banks of the Mara River. Our team will have set up a traditional 'safari bar' ahead of your arrival.

Sundowners are included in the nightly rate but premium drinks are extra.

Governors’ Camp offers a breathtakingly beautiful location in the wild where you can celebrate your recent nuptials with a Maasai blessing ceremony and more.

Please contact our office for a quote which will be based on the numbers in your group.