Every tent overlooks the Mara River and one sees bushbuck, families of hippo and the furtive crocodile as he glides slowly past the verandah. In the heart of the Mara the Grammaticas family continue to lead the way in fabulous travel and intelligent conservation.

Hidden under ancient trees on the banks of the Mara River, Ilmoran Camp recreates the atmosphere of the original hunting camps and the Grammaticus family has taken the camp down in size from twenty tents to ten, in a desire to preserve the surroundings and reduce the impact of tourists on the environment.

Each spacious tent is positioned on the banks of the Mara so that one may watch the river slide by, carrying African life with it as it goes. From one’s verandah, the game viewing is almost unrivalled in Africa - butterflies, elephant, leopard, hippo and bushbuck revealing the undisturbed play of life by an African river. Stunning beds are handmade from specially selected wood taken from fallen, ancient olive trees and the luxurious interiors also include Victorian pedestal bathtubs, flush loos and lovely big showers to wash the day’s dust away with piping-hot water.

During the day, meals are served under the giant trees in the cool of their shade. There are fresh fruits, cereals and hot-baked breads together with cooked breakfasts, barbecued before your eyes! Magnificent buffets are served for lunch and later, deep in the bush, the chef’s cordon-bleu dinners, served by candlelight are a truly unforgettable experience. Nowhere else can one travel so far from civilisation and yet live in such style. As the personal guest of the camp manager, all one’s needs are taken care of with the minimum of fuss.

Game drives and walks, excusions to Lake Victoria or hot-air ballooning over the magnificent plains, showing the extent of the Mara, guided by professional pilots who act as safari guides along the way. The balloon rises in the twilight to meet the sun’s first rays and one hears the lion’s roar greeting the dawn before drifting silently across the savanna, observing the game and hearing the sounds from below drift clearly upwards and finally, landing for the time-honoured champagne breakfast.

There are no telephones, electricity, fences or twenty-first century complexities to remind one that the beautifully wild scene at one’s door is not anything but natural.