Maasai Mara Holidays

Take to the skies on the Governors' optional hot-air balloon safari, where you’ll watch the sunrise over the Maasai Mara and get an aerial view of African wildlife. You’ll lift off around 6am in time to see the sunrise from the balloon, painting the sky in buttery shades of orange.

At that time of day, the grazing animals are just waking up. Elephants are munching in the forest, hippos are heading back to the river and the trees are filled with birds. It’s particularly busy during the Annual Great Migration when massive herds of wildebeest roam the plains. Governors’ has the best flight path in the region, drifting along the Mara River above beautiful riverine forest where rhinos graze, before ending in the open savannah where you might see giraffe, zebra and lion. Guests love the serenity of the balloon ride and the fantastic opportunities for photography. You’ll also have the chance to drop seedballs from the balloon, as part of a conservation scheme to replant indigenous African olive trees. At the end of the hour-long flight, the balloon will land near a bush breakfast site where tables are set up under trees in the middle of the savannah. Here you’ll enjoy a lavish breakfast spread including eggs, sausages, pancakes, fruit, muesli, and of course Champagne. It’s a laid-back, picnic-style feast where your pilot will share bush stories and explain the history of ballooning in the Mara.

Take to the skies on a hot-air balloon safari, where you’ll watch the sunrise over the Maasai Mara and get an aerial view of African wildlife. The views over the Mara are just magical, with the chance of seeing large herds of elephants, buffalo, and gazelles from above, as well as giraffes and zebras wandering the plains. When you land the first thing you’ll get is a glass of Champagne before enjoying a hot and cold breakfast spread.

A private balloon safari is available at many of our recommended properties in the Maasai Mara. Starting just before dawn, you’ll enjoy a hot drink while watching the balloon slowly inflate at the launch site. Take off is around 6.00am as the sun rises over the plains, bringing the landscape into colourful life. The aerial views over the Maasai Mara are just magical, with the chance of seeing large herds of elephants, buffalo, and gazelles from above, as well as giraffes and zebras wandering the plains. Guests are amazed by how vast the savannah looks from this elevated angle, it’s a totally different perspective from a game drive in the Maasai Mara.

When you land there will be a table all set up with camp chairs and a tablecloth for the bush breakfast. The first thing you’ll get is a glass of Champagne – who doesn’t want some bubbly in the middle of the Maasai Mara? Then you’ll enjoy a hot and cold breakfast spread. Your pilot will join you to answer questions, share bush stories, and explain the history of ballooning in the Mara.

Take to the skies on an optional hot-air balloon safari, where you’ll watch the sunrise over the Maasai Mara and get an aerial view of African wildlife. Upon landing you can enjoy a wonderful Champagne breakfast in the bush before either returning back to camp or heading off on a game drive.

Starting just before dawn from Mara Bushtops, you’ll watch the balloon slowly inflate at the launch site. Take off is as the sun rises over the plains, bringing the landscape into colourful life. The aerial views over the Maasai Mara are just magical, with the chance of seeing large herds of elephants, buffalo and gazelles from above, as well as giraffes and zebras wandering the plains. Guests are amazed by how vast the savannah looks from this elevated angle, it’s a totally different perspective from a game drive in the Maasai Mara.

Upon landing you can enjoy a wonderful Champagne breakfast in the bush before either returning back to camp or heading off on a game drive.

Finish off your afternoon game drive with a cold sundowner overlooking the Loisaba Conservancy. For something informal, your guide will simply stop the vehicle in a pretty spot and pull out a cooler of drinks, but for the special sundowner experience, you can expect a full-on bar in the bush. It’s the perfect way to relax after a day of exploring.

The Loisaba Conservancy is like a bowl, with the camp set on the edge of an escarpment overlooking a beautiful valley. There are three different sundowner spots, two of which are on top of the escarpment, so you get a 360-degree view of the sun setting over the landscape. There will be camping chairs and a table set up, plus a range of chilled cocktails and drinks, complete with snacks. There's also a more secluded site by the natural springs, which is shaded with trees, where you can sit and enjoy drinks while watching the sky change colour as the hippos wallow.

Join a Maasai guide from Tawi Lodge for a bush walk in their private conservancy, which borders Amboseli National Park. While exploring the 3,000-acre conservancy, you’ll learn about the native plants and shrubs used by the Maasai community for medicine and to produce natural dyes. Your guide will also help you identify animal footprints and explain everything along the way.

The great thing about a bush walk is that you’re not in a safari vehicle, you’re closer to everything and have time to stop and take in the sights and smells of the bush. You can hear the birds singing, spot insects on the ground and notice tiny details you wouldn’t on a game drive. There’s plenty of wildlife to spot and you’ll be accompanied by security. You’ll learn a lot from the Maasai guide; there’s also a chance to take a cultural visit to the nearby village, where you’ll meet the community and learn more about their ancient culture and traditions.

In this unique dining experience, you’ll get to enjoy breakfast in a wilderness setting with live cooking. Toast a glass of bubbly and feast on dishes prepared by a private chef as you look out over the African savannah and watch wildlife roam the plains. Sunrise breakfasts are particularly popular because you get to see life in the Mara as it wakes and capture stunning photographs.

The night before the trip, you’ll get to choose what time you’d like to have breakfast and they’ll arrange for a vehicle to pick you up from reception. The chef will prepare a hot and cold buffet for you, including cold cuts, cheese and yogurt accompanied by assorted breads and croissants. You can wash it all down with bubbly and fresh juice while watching giraffes, elephants and all kinds of plains game.

Governors’ Camp has a resident photographer who offers specialist photographic safaris for guests. Although the elephants and lions in the Maasai Mara are beautiful to photograph, it's often the wildlife that you don’t often see, the smaller animals like the jackals and servals that provide interesting pictures. 
On the photographic safaris, guests will be given tips on where to take pictures, how to use a 300mm lens to capture the wildlife and how to showcase the differing Mara landscapes.

Every time, there’s something different to photograph, be it lion prides or more unexpected sights like impalas fighting. There's a huge expanse of grassland that goes on for miles, with very little interruption, so a herd of elephants in the distance really stands out against the vast landscape.

What’s special about Governors’ is that it’s located right by the Mara River, which draws all kinds of animals. If you love elephants, you’ll probably be able to sit outside your tent and watch them. You don’t need to drive more than half an hour outside of camp to see everything from buffalo to cheetahs, impala and all types of birds.

Since Governors’ started over 50 years ago, they’ve been working closely with the local communities around their camps, offering support with education, health and jobs. Your stay  helps to fund projects like local schools, health clinics and conservation programmes. You can also offer support directly by visiting the local Mara Rianda community, who live in a manyatta village of circular huts set around a cattle enclosure. You’ll pay an entrance fee which goes to the Maasai people and has a huge impact on their livelihood. There’s also a chance to shop for traditional beadwork made by local women.

What Governors’ is trying to do is really bring the local people in so that everyone benefits and no-one feels left behind. They have built new school classrooms and continue to provide learning materials and pay some of the teachers’ salaries. They offer scholarships for further study and have funded training for local people to become teachers, medical staff or to work in tourism. Around 60 percent of the staff at Governors’ are from the local community.

You can also visit the Mara Rianda medical clinic, which helps treat common problems in the Maasai Mara, like malaria and eye disease. Before the clinic opened, locals had to travel a long way to access any treatment, so the clinic has really changed lives. Women now have safe maternity services and since opening in 2013, the clinic has provided regular immunisations and HIV care. Covid has been a particularly critical time for the community, so regular food drives – often funded by donations from guests overseas – have helped with the crisis.

Protecting the landscape and wildlife in the Maasai Mara is just as important. They support conservation work like the Lion Landscapes Project and also work closely with the Maasai Mara National Reserve to create rules for ethical wildlife viewing on safaris. A big part of conservation work is managing conflict between wild animals and the Maasai cattle. Many indigenous trees are destroyed by high concentrations of elephants in the Mara, so they have tree planting projects that guests can get involved with. You can even drop a seed ball over the Mara while on a balloon safari, which helps to replant native trees.

Walking safaris offer guests a close encounter with animals in their natural habitat, as well as a chance to learn about the local flora and Maasai culture. You’ll be guided by one of the expert camp naturalists and a Maasai warrior, who’ll provide fascinating insights into Kenya’s wildlife and landscape.

The safaris are accompanied by an armed Kenya Wildlife Service Ranger and followed closely by a vehicle. The walk starts directly from Mara Bushtops and takes you through the private conservancy on the edge of the Maasai Mara National Park. There are six different walking routes to choose between, from short leisure walks to more intense trails if you love the thrill of getting up close to animals. You’ll likely see giraffes, as well as herds of zebra, impala and elephants. There have even been occasional sightings of lions.

Along the way, your guides will point out animal markings and droppings, you’ll also get to learn about the various medicinal trees and shrubs that the Maasai community has used for generations. One of the routes takes you to the historic Kakiya Cave, which is part of everyday Maasai tribal life and used for rituals, worship, preparing medicines and initiation ceremonies.

A walking safari offers a totally different vantage point from traditional 4x4 game drives. You get a chance to walk among the Kenyan landscape, surrounded by wildlife in its natural habitat and outside the comfort of your safari vehicle, yet with an experienced team of local guides.