About This Property
Wilderness Mara is the rebuilt Little Governors’ Camp: twelve tented suites on a marsh in the Mara Triangle, reopened in June 2026. The site is the same oxbow that made the old camp famous — hippo, elephant and giraffe on the lawn, a balloon launch behind the mess tent — but the tents, spa, gym, pool and photographic studio are new, and the hand-pulled ferry has been replaced by a private footbridge so you can game-drive both banks of the Mara River.
Wilderness, Go2Africa and Yellow Zebra all push that access: fewer vehicles in the Conservancy-run Triangle, and Musiara (Marsh Pride country) without changing camps. Game drives are morning and afternoon; night drives are not allowed in the reserve. Ballooning is extra, from the strip behind camp, so you are not on a 04:00 transfer. Birding is strong (Wilderness flags martial eagle and blue swallow; the broader Mara list is 470+).
Eleven standard canvas suites sit a metre to a metre-and-a-half off the ground, with indoor and outdoor showers, a marsh deck, a ceiling fan and a drinks station (Expert Africa: coffee machine, tea, minibar, reverse-osmosis tap). One family suite has two en-suite bedrooms; the children’s room does not have an outdoor shower. Five rooms have ramp access. The main area is a C-shaped canvas lounge and dining tent, pool on a raised lawn, campfire on the marsh edge, two-room spa and a small gym.
Children of all ages are accepted; Expert Africa still prefers about 10+ because the camp is unfenced. Food is fully inclusive with local drinks; conservation levy and taxes are in on the Wilderness table. Go2Africa’s published range is USD 1,007–2,129 per person sharing. Kichwa Tembo is about 15 minutes from camp, 45 minutes’ flight from Nairobi Wilson.
Why We Love It
We love Wilderness Mara for a reason that survived the rebuild: it is still the only camp that can put you on both sides of the Mara River without packing your bags. The ferry is gone; the footbridge is new. The marsh, the balloon launch and the Triangle vehicle discipline are the same geography that made Little Governors’ famous.
Twelve tents is the right scale after 17. A pool, gym, spa and photographic studio are the Wilderness extras the old camp never had. We would take a standard marsh tent for the deck, or the family suite if we are travelling with older children, and we would fly the balloon from behind camp rather than from a distant strip.
The fully inclusive Wilderness table already holds meals, local drinks, laundry, drives and the conservation levy — that is cleaner than most Mara cards. Go2Africa’s floor of USD 1,007 is the March–April 2027 green season; peak is more than double. We would not use Expert Africa’s old Little Governors’ review score as a GIA rating. This is a 2026 camp on a 1976 site.
Come for the marsh and the river. Stay at Governors’ Camp if you want the original 24-tent riverbank and a flatter walk. This is the intimate rebuild.
Rooms & Details
Luxury Tent (11 tents)
Eleven canvas tents sit on a marsh, with elevated private decks a metre to a metre-and-a-half off the ground. King or twins, ceiling fan, armchair and writing desk, drinks station (minibar, coffee machine, teas, biscuits), and a large en-suite with twin basins, walk-in shower, toilet and an open-air shower.
Forest Rooms 1–4 sit under riverine canopy; tent 12 is the most private. Reverse-osmosis drinking tap; rattan seating on a partially covered deck. Indoor and outdoor showers throughout this category.
Family suite (1 suite)
One family unit of two en-suite bedrooms on the marsh edge. A master plus a slightly smaller children’s room that does not have an outdoor shower. Ramp access.
Sleeps four as standard (five at a push). Same marsh-deck setting as the standard tents.
Main camp
A C-shaped canvas lounge and dining tent opens onto a deck and lawn. The swimming pool sits on a raised lawn with marsh views (steps, not a ramp). Campfire on the marsh, gift shop, photographic studio, Technogym gym and a two-room spa including a couples room.
Solar power with generator backup. Wi-Fi in tents and at the pool; quieter in the mess tent. The camp is unfenced; escorts after dark. Other Mara stays on the site include Angama Mara, Mahali Mzuri and Angama Safari Camp.
Amenities & Features
Photo Gallery
Rates
Prices start from $1,007 per night. Final pricing depends on season, room type, and availability. Check current rates on our booking partner's site for the most accurate pricing.
What's Included
- Breakfast (in camp, as a bush picnic, or on the Oloololo Escarpment — CN Traveller; Expert Africa describes a tiered continental stand then cooked eggs)
- Lunch (typically three courses or tapas-style sharing plates overlooking the marsh; Wilderness: Kenyan produce, Maasai honey, coastal spices)
- Dinner (three-course à la carte in the dining tent; Wilderness also lists a Manyatta dinner under the stars). Afternoon tea before the p.m. drive (Expert Africa)
- House / local drinks on fully inclusive rates (beers, house wines, spirits, soft drinks); premium wines, spirits and Champagne extra
- Morning and afternoon game drives in the Mara Triangle (open 4x4s; Expert Africa: typically about 06:00 and 16:00–19:00). Musiara sector via the private footbridge on longer stays
- Bird watching (Wilderness: martial eagle, blue swallow, grey crowned crane, rufous-bellied heron; 470+ species in the Mara on Wilderness / Yellow Zebra)
- Community / Maasai manyatta visits (included on the Wilderness fully inclusive “community engagement” line; Expert Africa still quotes about USD 40 pp extra — confirm)
- Guided activities / conservation visits (Wilderness: CITW school, Mara Rianda Clinic, kitchen garden, Wilderness Trust tree nursery)
- Return road transfers between Kichwa Tembo Airstrip and camp (about 15 minutes)
- Laundry (included on Wilderness fully inclusive and Yellow Zebra)
- Optional hot-air balloon safari from the launch site behind camp (extra; Expert Africa about USD 500 pp; Go2Africa lists it as additional cost)
- Walking safaris listed on the Wilderness amenity schema; night drives are not permitted in the national reserve (Yellow Zebra). Confirm walks when you book
Wilderness fully inclusive: tented accommodation, all meals, local drinks, laundry, camp experiences (game drives, guided activities, community engagement); conservation levy and government taxes included. Yellow Zebra matches meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, game-viewing, airstrip transfers and laundry. Go2Africa widget: fully inclusive (all meals, selected beverages). Expert Africa still treats manyatta visits as about USD 40 extra and ballooning as about USD 500 extra. Premium wines, spirits and Champagne extra. Spa treatments extra. Confirm whether your specific Go2Africa contract prices community visits in or out.
Location
How to Get There
By air from Nairobi (Wilson Airport)
Scheduled flights with Governors’ Aviation, Air Kenya and Safarilink to Kichwa Tembo Airstrip take about 45 minutes (Wilderness FAQ, Yellow Zebra, Expert Africa). From the airstrip it is about a 15-minute game-drive transfer to camp, longer if you stop for wildlife. Airstrip transfers sit on the Wilderness / Yellow Zebra included list.
On arrival at camp
The old Little Governors’ hand-pulled ferry has been replaced by a private suspension footbridge, so guests can reach both banks of the Mara River (Wilderness, CN Traveller). Check-in and check-out times are not printed on the official camp page or Wetu — left blank. Confirm with your flight.
By road
Nairobi via Narok is the usual six-hour drive into the Mara; most guests fly. If Kichwa Tembo is too wet to land, operators have historically diverted to Musiara — confirm the day’s strip with the airline.
Nearby Attractions
Mara River (migration crossings, hippo, crocodile), Musiara Marsh and the Marsh Pride (via the footbridge), Mara Triangle plains, Oloololo Escarpment, Governors’ balloon launch site behind camp, Maasai manyattas (about 30–45 minutes, Expert Africa), Mara Rianda Clinic and Enkereri Primary School (Wilderness Impact visits), sister Governors’ Camp (about five minutes, clinic)
Things to Do
At the property
Watch elephant, giraffe, hippo, warthog and waterbirds on the marsh from your deck or the pool. Photographic studio to edit the day’s cards. Spa (two rooms; extra) and a small gym; yoga mats in tents. Gift shop. Campfire drinks. Wilderness can walk you through the solar farm. The balloon launch is behind camp — you can watch inflation even if you are not flying.
In the reserve
Morning and afternoon game drives in the Mara Triangle (Mara Conservancy vehicle rules; no night drives). Cross the new footbridge for Musiara and the Marsh Pride. Birding (Wilderness: martial eagle, blue swallow, grey crowned crane, rufous-bellied heron). Hot-air ballooning extra, from the site behind camp. Maasai manyatta visits (Wilderness lists community engagement on the fully inclusive rate; Expert Africa still quotes about USD 40 — confirm). Walking is listed on the Wilderness schema; confirm it is offered and at what age.
Day trips
Wilderness Impact visits: Enkereri Primary School / CITW, Mara Rianda Clinic, the kitchen garden and a tree nursery meant to feed Nyekweri Forest restoration. Governors’ Camp is about five minutes and holds the nearest nurse. Most guests do not leave the Triangle / Musiara loop.
Good to Know
Children: Wilderness FAQ and Go2Africa: children of all ages. Wetu / official: 11 standard tents plus one family suite (two en-suite bedrooms — Expert Africa: larger master and a slightly smaller children’s room without an outdoor shower). CN Traveller: family tent can sleep five at a push; camp is unfenced and better for quieter / older children. Expert Africa generally recommends 10+ and points families with younger children at Governors’ Camp. Cots, highchairs and housekeeping babysitting (not a professional nanny). Constant supervision — marsh, river, elephant. Check-in / check-out: Not published. Left blank. Tents: 12 total. Yellow Zebra’s “currently no family tents” line is outdated — follow Wilderness / Wetu / Expert Africa. Rooms 1–3 (Expert Africa) / 1–4 (CN Traveller) are Forest Rooms under denser canopy. Five rooms have ramp access: the family room and four forest-side rooms (Wilderness). CN Traveller: tent 6 closest to communal areas; tent 12 most private. Pool reached by steps. Access to both river banks: private footbridge (Wilderness). Night drives are not allowed in the reserve (Yellow Zebra). Power: Solar (Wilderness, Go2Africa, Expert Africa) with a backup generator to charge batteries (Expert Africa). UK/plug and USB points in tents. In-room yoga mats (Wilderness). Wi-Fi: Complimentary in rooms and at the pool; reduced in the main lounge and dining tent (Expert Africa). Health: Malaria area (Expert Africa recommends prophylaxis). Unfenced. Askaris escort after dark; two-way radio, torch and air horn in tents (Expert Africa). Nearest nurse at Governors’ Camp, about five minutes. Reverse-osmosis drinking water on tap in tents. Payments: Cards including Amex with a 5% surcharge (Expert Africa); major currencies in cash. No currency exchange. Digital safe in each tent. Name: Formerly Little Governors’ Camp (opened 1976); rebuilt and reopened as Wilderness Mara in June 2026.
Who It's For
Wildlife-first travellers who want the old Little Governors’ location — marsh, balloon strip, both banks of the Mara River — with Wilderness tents, a pool and a spa. Couples and honeymooners (tent 12 if you want the quiet end). Families who will take the one family suite and can supervise children in an unfenced marsh camp; Expert Africa still prefers about 10+. Photographers who like a studio and fewer Triangle vehicles. Not for guests who need night drives or off-road (national reserve rules). Not for wheelchair users as a default — some ramps exist, the pool is stepped, and you still have to board a light aircraft and a 4x4 (CN Traveller).
Best Time to Visit
Open year-round (reopened June 2026 after the rebuild). Wilderness: Great Migration river crossings peak August–September; resident lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and hippo year-round; green season November–June for lower rates and fewer vehicles. Go2Africa highlights the Mara Triangle and access to both river banks. Expert Africa: three or four nights is the useful stay. Mornings are chilly at altitude in the dry months.
