Not by accident was Governors' Camp the sole reserve of Kenya's colonial governors and their regal guests. The site is both a hive of wildlife activity and a showcase for Africa's classic scenery. Created in 1972, the camp set the trend for safaris across the continent: luxury tents with en suite bathrooms, hot running water, flush toilets, enormous beds with cotton linen and a private view of the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

The living area is a tented haven of relaxation that looks out over the Mara River and the Maasai Mara plains that, once a year, are filled with over a million wildebeest and zebra on a culinary pilgrimage from the Serengeti down south. Dinners are taken in the candlelit dining tent or beside the campfire under the stars; breakfast and lunch are freshly prepared buffets on the banks of the Mara under the shade of ancient trees.

Stay in a Safari Wonderland

Governors' Camp is in prime safari real estate: the Masai Mara Game Reserve. The BBC's Big Cat Diaries series was filmed here and, with a bit of luck, you'll meet the main characters like the Marsh Pride of lions, Half-tail the leopard, or little Toto the cheetah. The annual migration between July and October is a highlight that, incredibly, overshadows the spectacular year round game viewing.