Giraffe Manor, Governors Camp, Karen Blixen & Virunga Lodge Safari

Below Review First Appeared On Our Google Reviews Page

I had an absolutely awesome experience that was organised by African Mecca. Their advice was spot on, they were so thorough in their responses to my questions, their knowledge, professionalism and quality ground staff were amazing. We started at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi which was an awesome way to begin the trip, gorgeous place and staff who treated us like royalty, giraffes and warthogs roam on the property and poke their heads in windows on the ground and upper levels, just amazing to get so close!

We then went to Rwanda and stayed at Virunga Lodge. I cannot describe how wonderful that experience was. The Lodge is beautiful and sits atop one of the mountains in volcanoes national parks area. The views are gorgeous and the staff are so special. I loved being woken by a singing porter with my early morning coffee! The rooms are absolutely gorgeous, no sacrificing anything even being in that remote area.

Trekking with the mountain gorillas was the highlight of the trip, also loved the golden monkey trekking, and really loved the people of Rwanda, especially the children. The warmth we felt was so very special, one of those experiences that can bring one tears of joy. I was so impressed with what Virunga Lodge has done for the local community and their conservation efforts, I would hop on a plane back there in a heartbeat. The experience with the gorillas is so amazing, my only regret is that I only booked it for one day!

Hearing about the conservation work was great, it is not a commercial feel at all. The golden monkey trekking takes place in a different area and is also fantastic, a little more commercial as they allow a few vendors to sell souvenirs (we all bought a walking stick with gorillas carved in them that unscrew into 3 segments, so easy to get home!). It just feels so good to be there and to support their local economy, their resilience is amazing. We then went to Governor’s Camp in the Masai Mara which was also fantastic.

The staff there were great and worked tirelessly to make everyone happy. The setting on the river was gorgeous, loads of hippos in the river such a joy to watch. I love that the camp is not fenced off and there are staff and guards all over watching out for us. The tents were great, although we spent very little time in the tents as we didn’t want to miss a minute of game viewing! We did 2 early morning drives and afternoon drives, plus a full day drive so we could try and catch the great migration.

We also did the balloon ride which was totally surreal, I wasn’t sure if we’d like it, but the view of the game and the landscape was like nothing you could see from the ground. The staff at Governor’s were fantastic, they moved tables to where we wanted to view the river from for some meals. The lounge overlooking the river at night was beautiful and relaxing, again watching the hippos and occasional croc!

Our guide from Governor’s was extremely knowledgeable and determined to deliver the experience we wanted, truly amazing. The breakfasts on the vehicle in the middle of our morning drive was great. The diversity and volume of game we saw blew me away. Definitely the big five and the ugly five, and then some! We then went to the Northern Conservancy and stayed at Karen Blixen. We really loved it, the tented rooms are spectacular, it feels a little more special to me because I love night drives and having that flexibility, which is not allowed in the Masai Mara.

You can also do walking safaris which we did with our guide and protector! So we did morning drives, afternoon drives and night drives. It’s an amazing feeling to look for game with a huge infrared torch and touch upon a lion in the middle of no where. Sundowners in the vehicle are a special treat too. There are fewer vehicles in the Northern Conservancy, which I really liked, and they can drive anywhere as the game are not as easy to find. Our guide was the most gentle and knowledgeable man, all the staff at Karen Blixen were extraordinary. We had amazing game experiences too. Thank you African Mecca!!

Joyce Lloyd
Australia

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