Il Moran Camp

A great experience, we will definitely return. We stayed at governors’ Il Moran Camp for two nights on 4th and 5th February and had a great experience. Tented accommodation was perfect for us and nicely spaced from the other tents. The view from our tent was amazing overlooking the river. Watching the hippos, crocodiles and elephants from our tent was superb. Everyone in this camp was helpful and friendly. The food was especially good and we couldn’t thank the cook/chef enough. The manager welcomed us on arrival was always available.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and good fun. We saw a great variety of animals and birds and one of the highlights for us was seeing not just one but two serval wildcats at the same time just as we were returning to camp one evening.
We hope to return one day.

Best place ever Firstly, if you can afford it - book this place.

My husband and I stayed here as the second leg of our safari honeymoon (after Loldia House which is also Governors and would highly recommend). You can fly direct from Wilson airport in Nairobi via Governors Aviation (approx 40min) or from Loldia House Lake Naivasha (35min) into the airstrip which is 5-10min drive from camp.

We stayed here in January which is usually dry but they had had Il Niño so loads of rain. We had a few downpours, mainly overnight but the main thing was because it had been so rainy for weeks it was VERY muddy. This meant getting around took longer and was very very bumpy but that didn’t impact our experience. It was hot in the day and cool in the morning/evening so take a hoodie. Would recommend long trousers to avoid bites, particularly in the evening.

Camp:
Just beautiful. Feels nice and enclosed. The camp sits on the river so you have a great view from the main tent. There are 10 ‘tents’, we stayed in number 1 which is the far end of camp. The tent was very luxurious. The bathroom is huge, big open shower, freestanding bath, tap with reserve osmosis drinking water, bathrobes, hairdryer. The main room has a huge bed, sofa, fridge etc.
The staff even provide hot water bottles while you’re at dinner. All the power sockets worked well.
In the main tent there is a nice lounge, bar, dining room and small shop. There is a veranda to sit out on for drinks and food with a fire pit overlooking the river. One night an elephant wanted to join! All of it it authentically but beautifully kept.

Staff:
On arrival we were greeted by the manager Edison. The Kenyan people are genuinely the nicest, most laid back people we’ve ever met. Edison took the time to sit and chat with us regularly throughout our stay. The service was 100% all of the time. As Il Moran is unfenced you are escorted by guards at all times. Elisha, our safari guide was amazing throughout. Cannot fault the staff.

Food:
Always amazing. We were shown the menu and given a choice of 2-3 options for each meal - they chefs will also amend this for allergies etc if need be. Portions were big too. We took breakfast with us on our game drives so we could stay out for longer and Elisha set this all up for us with table, chairs and a tablecloth for a bush breakfast! They also sent your favourite drink out with your drive for a sundowner in the bush.

Game drives/wildlife:
We went on 2 game drives per day and as it was low season we were lucky enough to have Elisha and the vehicle to ourselves. We went out 6:30-12ish and 3:30-6:30 (6:30 is the national park curfew). The vehicles are land cruisers with fully open sides, seating up to 6 people. They have plastic roll down sides for when it rains. The drive is very bumpy so be aware! Elisha had so much knowledge and knew where to look to find things - he was even the first one to spot 4 lion cubs which was just amazing. While at Il Moran we saw many many elephants (including in camp), warthogs, hippos, giraffe, impala, wilderbeast, ostrich, Thompson’s gazelle, Topi, lions from both the Marsh pride and Topi pride (including with a kill), hyena, so many birds, buffalo and even a beautiful male cheetah who we got to spend around 1hr with. We were incredibly lucky and it’s now all I think about. We felt safe all of the time and Elisha was always aware of what was happening around us. He was also great at getting the right position and light for our photos. Best experience ever.

I can’t recommend Il Moran enough. It’s very pricey but so so worth it. Everything was just perfect and if I could afford it I would genuinely go every year. Amazing, 1000% recommend.

EXELLENT Exellent.
We stay 3 nights in Il Moran Camp, got back to Mombasa yesterday.
We felt very welcome and taken care of all the time during our stay in Il Moran.
The food and wine is exellent and the ambience perfect.
Elefants and many other animals just outside our tent, but the guards follow us all the time we were out walking.
Our tourguide and the staff were exellent!
This camp is the best one we have visited .

Beautiful place My husband and I spent 4 night at this beautiful camp. Ten well appointed tents arranged along the banks of the Mara river. We choose tent 10 as it was the furthest away from reception and gave us the seclusion we were looking for and a short walk to the restaurant for our meals
(All the tents are very private).
The tents are very ‘out of Africa’ and the nearest way you’ll ever get me to camp!!! Electricity, hot water, roll top bath, huge shower area, fan, hot water bottles - they had thought of everything. The mini fridge is stocked with your choice of beverage and it was a ‘pinch me’ moment as we sat on our wooden deck with a glass of wine listening to the pod of hippos snorting in the river below. One morning we were greeted with a herd of elephants sleeping in the trees around our tent. We were woken early (5.45) with a tray of coffee and our ranger walked us to reception. Il Moran is an open camp (no fences) so you are escorted between your tent and reception. A special shout out to Suntu and Lekopir for their cheery faces and keeping us safe on our walks.
The food in camp was amazing and beautifully decorated. Great flavours and menu choices. The ‘packed lunches and breakfasts’ were equally delicious and served with a view. The staff were lovely and couldn’t do enough for us. Great conversation and a lot of laughs.
The days spent out on safari were magical. We saw the Mara in all it glory - the vastness, the rain, the storms, the sunrises and sunsets, the animals. It’s staggering beauty and untold harshness. I was in awe and I cried. Unless you have had this experience words do not do it justice. Elisha was our fabulous safari guide with his extensive knowledge of the area. He was funny and engaging and made each drive a truly unique adventure. We had a bush breakfast on the banks of the river with hippos, lunch under a lone acacia tree on the plains with blue birds for company. A sun downer watching a pair of lion cubs with the sun setting in the background. A truly unforgettable experience. Africa and its people will touch your soul forever.

Wow! One of the most amazing places we have ever stayed. Accommodations were perfect and the food was unreal. Our guide, Enos, went above and beyond to make sure we had many unique animal sightings. He was great and brought the best energy. Koikai and Ezekiel were the best bar/restaurant staff anyone could ask for, always greeted us with big smiles. And we appreciated Lekopir and Lokorole walking us around the property after our dinners. We hope to be back soon and can’t recommend Il Moran enough.

A 5* bucket list experience I can not imagine staying anywhere better; the location is stunning, the staff are amazing, the facilities are that of a 5*hotel, and the food is wonderful. I can not recommend this place enough. I'm currently writing this on our last day whilst sipping Green Tea and watching the hippos play in the water. We counted 31 hippos!!!

For those worrying about facilities in the 'tents' - no issues with mosquitoes as there are nets everywhere, there is tea, coffee, milk, biscuits and a mini fridge, plus they can provide soya milk, USB and charging ports (English plug fitting), moisturiser/shampoo/conditioner etc and importantly a 'safe water' tap so no brushing your teeth with a glass of water! The bathrooms are massive (bath with shower head and separate shower), and the dressing gowns are gorgeous. I love the fact they do laundry as the drives are dusty (not your smalls). There are also plenty of hangers.

The food is lovely, and as an annoying dairy free person, I was really impressed to be offered dairy free pancakes and bread - i have generally struggled elsewhere in Kenya. The staff really do pay attention to detail but are not overbearing in any way. They ask that you tip your guide and staff at the end of your stay - guide directly and staff as a whole into tip box - USD or KSH

The social areas sit on the River Mara, and it is teaming with wildlife but very safe. Lots of different drinks on offer and several choices for meals. There are only a limited number of tents, so it's always peaceful with plenty of space on the decked area or the sofas.

The guides are brilliant, and we've seen everything except the elusive leopard although we saw his/her kill left in a tree. We met a family of elephants just before we arrived at camp! This is a bucket list experience...

The ultimate safari experience The best service we’ve ever experienced - all the staff are so lovely and accommodating. Tents are exceptionally comfortable - it was like staying in a 5* hotel with the added bonus of the view of the hippo river. We are already planning our next trip.

Fabulous! I Want to Go Back! This was the big trip after 3 years of no travel. We were a group of 3 friends whose main interest was wildlife photography. Philip and his lovely team at Il Moran were absolutely fantastic from the time we arrived till we left. Our family tent, right next to the river, was fab, very spacious and comfortable with a huge ensuite.
Every single meal was absolutely delicious (kudos to the chef) and combined with Wycliffe's and Ezekiel's wonderful service, mealtimes were a joy.
The balloon ride followed by the champagne breakfast was a first for us and also very special .
Our game rides were phenomenal, thanks to our guide Elisha Kimtai who was brilliant - we had great conversations and had some amazing sightings. Elisha always managed to get the vehicle into the best position possible for photographs - big thank you to him!
All in all, a perfect stay. Huge thanks to Philip and the Il Moran family

Fantastic Safari-lodge experience! I had a wonderful stay at Il Moran! Thanks to Philip for splendidly managing the property and the staff for a very-welcoming service. Got to experience a homely ambience and good food! Plus well-organized safaris.