3 Days Maasai Mara Game Reserve - Governors Camp from Kenya Coast
At a glance
Governors’ Camp in Masai Mara National Reserve is situated in south-west Kenya and is one of Africa’s Greatest Wildlife Reserves. Together with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania it forms Africa’s most diverse, incredible and most spectacular eco-systems and possibly the world’s top safari big game viewing eco-system. Wildebeest migration: Make sure you have your safari book planned out that includes the Maasai Mara. I am sure you have heard the wildebeest migration is nothing short of amazing. Best time to be in Kenya for it is July to October annually.
Detailed trip itinerary
Day 1: Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Governors Camp (Fullboard)
Meet and greet at hotel reception and transfer to the airport before 07:00. Fly from either Moi International Airport Mombasa, Ukunda Airstrip or Malindi Airport before 09:00 to Masai Mara National Reserve Musiara Airstrip arriving after about 2 hours then be met and picked by 4WD land cruiser for a transfer to the Governors’ Camp with great possibility of seeing wildlife in their natural habitat of Masai Mara National Reserve.
Afternoon game drive from 15:30 to 18:30 then dinner and overnight in the camp.
- Game Drives
- Balloon Rides
- Spa Treatments
- Bush Meals
- Sundowners
- Maasai Cultural Visits
- Guided Safari Walks
- Bird Watching
- Wildebeest Migration
Governors’ Camp is Africa’s first permanent tented camp, remaining in its original site since 1972. Governors’ Camp occupies the best wildlife viewing location in the Reserve, nestled in the riverine forest along the winding banks of the Mara River, its waters teeming with bird-life, hippo and crocodile. It is perfect for couples, families and friends wanting to experience the best of what a safari in the Masai Mara has to offer.
The entire camp is under canvas with all of the comforts of a luxury hotel. Some of the 30 tents line the riverbank, tucked into the forest they enjoy uninterrupted views over the Mara River, others have views across the sweeping plains of the Masai Mara. The tents are big, bright and allow in lots of natural light. All tents are classic safari style each with en-suite bathrooms and a private verandah. There is a bar tent with a deck overlooking the Mara River and a dining tent with amazing views over the plains.
Governors’ Camp has been awarded a Silver Eco Rating from Eco – Tourism Kenya due to our sustainable tourism practices in place in camp.
The Masai Mara is one of Africa’s most famous parks. The wildlife viewing is superb throughout the year. The grassy plains and regular rainfall supports a huge population of herbivores, in turn attracting many predators. All three big cats are relatively easy to see. The yearly wildebeest migration coming through the park is one of the world’s most amazing wildlife spectacles.
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is home to the annual wildebeest migration where 2.5 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelles follow the rains in search of new grass. They make their way from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara somewhere around July and August, and usually arrive in September. The crossing of the Mara River along the way is one of the highlights of this spectacular event. They slowly head back into Tanzania around October.
Full List of Mammals found in Maasai Mara Game Reserve
- Aard-wolf
- African Bufallo
- African Civet
- African Dormouse
- African Elephant
- African Hare
- African Palm Civet
- African Wild Cat
- Angola Free-tailed Bat
- Ant Bear
- approach the race robertsi with
- Banana Bat or African Pipi-
- Banded Mongoose
- Bat-eared Fox
- beeste
- Black and White Colobus
- Black Rhinoceros
- Black-backed or Siver-backed
- Black-faced Vervet Monkey
- Blue Duiker
- Blue or Sykes’ Monkey
- Bohor Reedbuck
- Burchell’s or Common Zebra
- Bush Baby
- Bush Duiker
- Bush or Large-spotted Genet
- Bush Pig
- Bush Squirrel
- Bushbuck
- Cane Rat
- Cheetah
- Clawless Otter
- Coke’s Hartebeest or Kongoni
- Defassa Waterbuck
- Dwarf Mongoose
- East African Hedgehog
- Eland
- Epauletted Fruit Bat
- False Vampire Bat
- Genet
- Giant Forest Hog
- Giant Forest Squirrel
- Giant White-toothed Shrew
- Golden Jackal
- Grant’s Gazelle Some examples
- Greater Galago
- Hippopotamus
- Hollow-faced Bat
- Hunting Dog
- Impala
- Jackal
- Kenya Mole Rat
- Kirk’s Dik-Dik
- Klipspringer
- Lander’s Horseshoe Bat
- Large Grey Mongoose
- Leopard
- Lesser Ground Pangolin
- Lesser Leaf-nosed Bat
- Lion
- Marsh Mongoose
- Masai Giraffe
- Mongoose
- Monkey
- Neumann’s or Small-spotted
- Olive Baboon
- Oribi
- outward growing horns
- Pale-bellied Fruit Bat
- Patas Monkey
- Porcupine
- Ratel or Honey Badger
- Red Duiker
- Red-tailed or White-nosed
- Roan Antelope
- Rock Hyrax
- Rousette Fruit Bat
- Serval Cat
- Side-stripped jackal
- Slender or Black-tipped
- Spectacled Elephant Shrew
- Spotted Hyaena
- Spring Hare
- Steinbok
- Straw-coloured Fruit Bat
- strelle
- Striped Ground Squirrel
- Stripped Hyaena
- Suni
- Thompson’s Gazelle
- Topi
- Tree Hyrax
- Unstriped Ground Squirrel
- Warthog
- White-bearded Gnu or Wilde-
- White-bellied Free-tailed Bat
- White-tailed Mongoose
- Yellow-bellied Bat
- Yellow-winged Bat
- Zorilla
The Masai Mara isn’t one of Kenya’s birding hotspots. However, with more than 500 bird species recorded, this isn’t a bad place to mark off a lot of Kenya’s savannah species from your bird list. The park is particularly rich in raptors with 57 species present. Bateleurs can often be seen soaring above the grassy plains and predator kills are a good place to find up to six species of vultures scavenging. Migratory birds are present from November to April.
- Abdim’s Stork
- Abyssinian Scimitar-bill
- African Black Duck
- African Black Kite
- African Broadbir
- African Crake
- African Cuckoo
- African Darter
- African Finfoot
- African Fire Finch
- African Fish Eagle
- African Golden Oriole
- African Goshawk
- African Hawk Eagle
- African Hobby Rare
- African Hoopoe
- African Jacana
- African Marsh Harrier
- African Marsh Owl
- African Penduline Tit
- African Pied Wagtail
- African Rock Martin
- African Sand Martin
- African Scops Owl
- African Snipe
- African Thrush
- African Wood Owl
- along Mara River
- Amethyst Sunbird
- Angola Swallow
- Anteater Chat
- Arrow-marked Babbler
- Ashy Flycatcher
- Augur Buzzard
- Banded Harrier Eagle One
- Banded Martin
- Banded Tit-warbler
- Bare-faced Go-away-bird
- Bat Hawk
- Bateleur
- Bearded Woodpecker
- Birds often attracted by knockin
- Black and White Cuckoo
- Black and White Mannikin
- Black and White-casqued
- Black Crake
- Black Cuckoo
- Black Cuckoo Shrike
- Black Flycatcher
- Black Rough-wing Swallow
- Black-bellied Bustard Rarer
- Black-billed Barbet Uncommon
- Black-billed Weaver Un-
- Black-breasted Apalis
- Blackcap Bush Shrike
- Blackcap Warbler
- Black-chested Harrier Eagle
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Black-headed Gonolek
- Black-headed Heron
- Black-headed Oriole
- Black-headed Puff-back
- Black-headed Tchagra
- Black-headed Weaver
- Black-lored Babbler
- Black-necked Weaver
- Black-shouldered Kite
- Blacksmith Plover
- Black-winged Bishop
- Black-winged Plover Uncom-
- Black-winged Stilt
- Blue Quail
- Blue Swallow
- Blue-breasted Bee-eater
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Blue-eared Glossy Starling
- Blue-headed Coucal
- Blue-headed Wagtail and races
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Boehm’s Spinetail
- Brimstone Canary
- Bristle-bill In riverine forest
- Broad-billed Roller
- Bronze Mannikin
- Bronze-winged Courser
- Bronzy Sunbird
- Brown Harrier Eagle
- Brown Parrot
- Brown throated Barbet
- Brown Tit-warbler
- Brown-backed Woodpecker
- Brown-chested Wattled Plover
- Brown-headed Tchagra
- Brown-hooded Kingfisher
- Buffalo Weaver
- Buff-backed Heron or Cattle
- Buff-bellied Warbler
- Button Quail
- Cape Quail
- Cape Rook
- Cardinal Quelea
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Caspian Plover Numbers vary
- Cassin’s Honeyguide Inhabits
- Chestnut Sparrow
- Chestnut Weaver
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Chin-spot Flycatcher
- Cinnamon-breasted
- Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
- Collared Sunbird
- common in riverine forest
- Common Sandpiper
- Coqui Francolin
- Crested Francolin
- Crested Guinea-fowl
- Crimson-rumped Waxbill
- Crombec
- Crowned Crane
- Crowned Hawk-eagle
- Crowned Hornbill
- Crowned Plover
- Cuckoo Falcon
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Dark Chanting Goshawk
- Didric Cuckoo
- Double-toothed Barbet
- Drongo
- Dusky Flycatcher
- Dusky Nightjar
- Eastern Grey Plaintain-eater
- Egret
- Egyptian Goose
- Egyptian Vulture
- Emerald Cuckoo
- Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
- European Bee-eater
- European Black Kite
- European Black Stork
- European Common Snipe
- European Common Wheatear
- European Corn Crake
- European Cuckoo
- European Golden Oriole
- European Grey Wagtail
- European Hobby
- European Hoopoe
- European House Martin
- European Kestrel
- European Marsh Harrier
- European Nightingale
- European Nightjar
- European Rock Thrush
- European Roller
- European Sand Martin
- European Sedge Warbler
- European Spotted Flycatcher
- European Swallow
- European Whinchat
- European Whitethroat
- European Willow Warbler
- every few records
- Fan-tailed Warbler
- Fan-tailed Widow-bird
- Fawn-coloured Lark
- Fiscal Shrike
- Fischer’s Greenbul
- Fischer’s Sparrow Lark
- Flappet Lark
- Forested areas
- found in euphorbia trees
- Freckled Nightjar Fr
- from year to year. Sometimes
- Gabar Goshawk
- Gaboon Nightjar
- Garden Warbler
- Garganey Teal
- Giant Kingfisher
- Golden-breasted Bunting
- Great Snipe
- Great Sparrow Hawk
- Greater Honeyguide Common.
- Greater or White-eyed Kestre
- Great-spotted Cuckoo
- Green Coucal or Yellowibill
- Green Pigeon
- Green Sandpiper Found on
- Green Wood Hoopoe
- Green-backed Heron
- Green-backed Twin-spot
- Green-headed Sunbird
- Green-winged Pytilia
- Grey Cuckoo Shrike
- Grey Flycatcher
- Grey Hornbill
- Grey Kestrel
- Grey Tit
- Grey Woodpecker
- Grey-backed Camaroptera
- Grey-backed Fiscal
- Grey-capped Warbler
- Grey-crested Helmet Shrike
- Grey-headed Bush Shrike
- Grey-headed Kingfisher
- Grey-headed Negro Finch
- Grey-headed Silverbill
- Grey-headed Social Weaver
- Grey-headed Sparrow
- Grey-rumped Swallow
- Grey-throated Barbet
- Gross-beak Weaver
- Ground Hornbill
- Hadada Ibis
- Hamerkop
- Harlequin Quail
- Harrier Hawk
- Hartlaub’s Bustard
- Helmeted Guinea-fowl
- Heuglin’s Courser
- Hildebrandt’s Francolin
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Holub’s Golden Weaver
- Honey Buzzard
- Hooded Vulture
- Hornbill
- Hottentot Teal
- in bush country
- Indigo-bird
- Issabelline Wheatear
- Jackson’s Bustard
- Jackson’s Widow-bird
- Kittlitz Plover
- Klaas’ Cuckoo
- Knob-billed Duck
- Kori Bustard
- Lammergeyer Rare visitor
- Lanner
- Laughing Dove
- Lemon-rumped Tinkerbird
- Lesser Grey Shrike
- Lesser Honeyguide
- Lesser Kestrel
- Levaillant’s Cuckoo
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Little Bee-eater
- Little Egret
- Little Grebe
- Little Purple-banded Sunbird
- Little Ringed Plover Uncom-
- Little Sparrow Hawk
- Little Swift
- Little Weaver
- Lives in creeper festooned
- Lizard Buzzard
- Long-billed Pipit
- Long-crested Eagle
- Long-tailed Cormorant
- Long-tailed Fiscal
- Long-tailed Nightjar
- Madagascar Bee-eater
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Marabou Stork
- Mariqua Sunbird
- Martial Eagle
- Masai Ostrich
- Masked Weaver
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Mottled Swift
- Mountain Wagtail
- Mourning Dove
- Moustached Warbler
- Namaqua Dove
- Narina’s Trogon
- Night Heron
- Northern Brubru
- Northern Pied Babbler
- Northern White-tailed Lark
- Nubian or Lappet-faced Vulture
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Olive Pigeon
- Olive Sunbird
- open plains
- Open-bill Stork Uncommon
- Osprey Rare
- Ovampo Sparrow Hawk
- Painted Snipe
- Pale Chanting Goshawk
- Pale Flycatcher
- Pallid Harrier
- Palm Swift
- Pangani Longclaw
- Paradise Flycatcher
- Paradise Whydah
- Parasitic Weaver Rare:
- passage migrants
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Pectoral-patch Cisticola
- Pel’s Fishing Owl
- Peregrine
- Pied Crow
- Pied Kingfisher
- Pied Wheatear
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Plain Nightjar
- Plain-backed Pipit
- plains
- Pratincole
- Puff-back Shrike
- Purple Grenadier
- Pygmy Falcon
- Pygmy Kingfisher
- Quail Finch
- Rare White-rumped Swift
- Rattling Cisticola
- Red and Yellow Barbet
- Red Bishop
- Red –eyed Dove
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-billed Duck
- Red-billed Fire Finch
- Red-billed Hornbill
- Red-billed Oxpecker
- Red-billed Quelea
- Red-breasted Wryneck
- Red-capped Lark
- Red-capped Robin Chat
- Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Red-eyed Dove
- Red-faced Crombec
- Red-fronted Barbet Inhabits
- Red-fronted Tinkerbird
- Red-headed Quelea
- Red-headed Weaver
- Red-naped Widow-bird
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Red-tailed Chater
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Red-throated Pipit
- Red-throated Tit
- Redwing Bush Lark
- Reichenow’s Weaver
- Reserve
- Richard’s Pipit
- Ring-necked Dove
- River
- Robin Chat
- Rock Bunting
- Rocky outcrops
- Ross’s Turaco Recorded in
- Rosy-breasted Longclaw
- Rosy-patched Shrike
- Ruff
- Rufous Chatterer
- Rufous Sparrow
- Rufous-crowned Roller
- Rufous-naped Lark
- Ruppel’s Long-tailed Starling
- Ruppell’s Vulture
- Sacred Ibis
- Saddle-bill Stork
- Scaly Francolin Forest
- Scaly-throated Honeyguide
- Scarlet-chested Sunbird
- Schalow’s Turaco Not
- Schalow’s Wheatear
- Scimitar-bill
- Secretary Bird
- Senegal Coucal In western
- Senegal Plover
- Shelley’s (Grey-wing) Francolin
- Shikra
- Silverbill
- Silverbird
- Singing Bush Lark
- Singing Cisticola
- Slate-coloured Boubou
- Speckled Mousebird
- Speckled Pigeon
- Speckled-fronted Weaver
- Spectacled Weaver
- Spotted Eagle Owl
- Spotted Morning Warbler
- Spotted Stone Curlew
- Spotted-flanked Barbet
- Sprosser
- Spur-winged Goose
- Squacco Heron
- Steppe Buzzard
- Steppe Eagle
- Stork
- Stout Cisticola
- Straight-crested Helmet Shrike
- Streaky Seed-eater
- Striped Kingfisher
- Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike
- Superb Starling
- Swallow
- Tambourine Dove
- Tawny Eagle
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Temminck’s Courser
- Than Hartlaub’s Bustard
- Three-banded Plover
- tree in riverine forest
- Tree Pipit
- Tropical Boubou
- Two-banded Courser
- Variable Sunbird
- Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
- Vieillot’s Black Weaver
- Violet-backed Starling
- Vitteline Masked Weaver
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Wahlberg’s Honeyguide Inhabits
- Water Dikkop Occurs
- Wattled Plover
- Wattled Starling
- Wattle-eye Flycatcher
- Well’s Wagtail
- White Stork
- White-backed Vulture
- White-bellied Bustard
- White-bellied Canary
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
- White-breasted Tit
- White-browed Coucal
- White-browed Robin Chat
- White-browed Sparrow Weaver
- White-crowned Shrike
- White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher
- White-faced Scops Owl
- White-fronted Bee-eater
- White-headed Barbet
- White-headed Buffalo Weaver
- White-headed Rough-wing
- White-headed Vulture
- White-naped Raven
- White-spotted Pygmy Crake
- White-tailed Nightja
- White-throated Bee-eater
- White-winged Scrub Robin
- White-winged Widow-bird
- Winding Cisticola
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Wood Ibis or Yellow-billed
- Wood Sandpiper
- Woodland Kingfisher
- Wooly-necked Stork Rare
- Yellow Bishop
- Yellow White-eye
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela
- Yellow-bellied Waxbill
- Yellow-billed Barbet In forest
- Yellow-billed Egret
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
- Yellow-fronted Canary
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
- Yellow-rumped Seed-eater
- Yellow-spotted Barbet
- Yellow-spotted Petronia
- Yellow-throated Longclaw
- Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Yellow-whiskered Greenbul
Days 2: Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Governors Camp (Fullboard)
Early in the Morning at 06:00 take tea or coffee and a snack then depart for morning game drive at 06:30 with packed full breakfast to be consumed at a designated place in the Masai Mara National Reserve wilderness then carry on with game drive until time for lunch in camp at 13:00.
Afternoon game drive from 15:30 to 18:30 then dinner and overnight in the camp.
Day 3: Fly Kenya Coast
Early in the Morning at 06:00 take tea or coffee and a snack then depart for morning game drive from 06:30 with packed full breakfast to be consumed at a designated place in the wilderness until time for lunch in the camp at 13:00.
13:45 transfer from the camp to the Musiara Aairstrip in Masai Mara National Reserve to catch up flight to Kenya coast. Fly either to Malindi Airport, Ukunda Airstrip or Moi International Airport Mombasa where you would arrive from 16:00 to 17:00 and be transferred to the hotel reception.
End of the safari.
Tour Inclusions
Return flight to Masai Mara National Reserve- Full board accommodation in Governors Camp
- All reserve fees
- 3 game drives in a day in a 4WD land cruiser both side open
- All transfers
- All our transport has insurance
- 2 litres of mineral water per days
Tour Exclusions
Drinks- Tips for the service
- Yellow fever vaccination
- Visa
- Things of personal use
Easter & Christmas Surcharges
A surcharge would be charged per person per night on Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Easter Monday and on 24th 25th, 26th, 31st December and 1st January. The Surcharge would be confirmed at the time of booking for clarity purposes.
For optimal enjoyment of your safari, we urge you to carry the following:
All weather firm shoe pair, short and dress to use during the day, trouser for use in the evenings with long sleeved shirt, sweater or jacket, hat, swimming costume, sunglass, camera, binocular, sun protection cream and insect repellent spray or cream.
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