Page 156 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL WINTER 2024 SCOTLAND

so we could enjoy the action below on the
sprawling plains of the Masa Marai on our
way to Governor Camp Il Moran.
Our Wilderness guide met us at the
airstrip and took us on a short drive over
slightly rutted roads to the camp. Unlike
Usawa in the Serengeti, Il Moran is a per‐
manent camp, with rows of tents with run‐
ning water and full electrical service on
concrete foundations along the Mara River
on both sides of the camp center, with its
restaurant, deck, reception, small shop,
and deck for enjoying a beverage and ap‐
petizers while watching a dozen or more
hippos snooze below on a sandbar in the
sun. Our tent was spacious and included
the dressing, storage, shower with regular
running hot water, and toilet area on one
side of the wall, and the bedroom with king
bed, settee, and a small desk on the other
side, facing toward the deck and entrance
to the tent. Even though this is a perma‐
nent camp, wild animals still wander
through, and guards are posted along the
walkways by the tents to guide guests
back and forth to the camp center, includ‐
ing back to the tents at night after dinners.

Email on the Mara

The camp has good wi-fi. We would al‐
ternate relaxing on the deck to check email
and write or using the desk when trying to
be semi-organized and judicious in follow‐
ing up on different things advancing in the
states, including some of Laura’s clients
with short-term travel emergencies.
Il Moran is one of four Governors camps
in the Masai Mara National Reserve, or
Masa, some 580 square miles of The Mara,
characterized by vast open plains, acacia
woodlands, and riverine forests. Its wide
array of wildlife includes what safari fans
call the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant,

156 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER 2025