Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps Reviews 

Fantastic experience from start to finish. Great value, really well organised, brilliant people and amazing wildlife

Wonderful safari as always. Great guides, great accommodation and good and if course wonderful animals. Our second home with Gamewatchers and we will be back

Our trip was absolutely incredible from start to finish. Everything was organised for us from when we landed in Nairobi, we couldn’t have asked for more. Both camps we stayed at were fantastic (Cheetah & Lion) and the guides were brilliant, they are so knowledgeable. The wildlife we saw was beyond our expectations and we were so close to so many of them, this is obviously down to the trust the animals have with the Porini trucks, they know how respectful they are to them and their surroundings. The tents are so lovely and comfortable and we just felt a part of the gorgeous surroundings. The food was amazing too, and all the people at both camps made us feel so welcome. We are hoping to do a similar trip in a couple of years and will definitely book with Gamewatchers and Porini camps again because I don’t think anything could beat what we have experienced.

Our safari vacation was by far The Best Vacation Ever!!! From the moment we stepped off the plane in Nairobi, to the time that we got on the plane to return to Los Angeles, EVERTHING was taken car of. We got off of the plane in Nairobi, and a representative from Game Watcher's was there waiting for us with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to our hotel, and were picked up the next day and taken to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to see the baby elephants. We were then taken to do some shopping, and then to the Giraffe center. That night we were taken to the Carnivore restaurant for dinner.

The next morning we were driven to Wilson airport to fly to the Samburu. We were picked up by our guide, Jelly, and taken to the Samburu Intrepids Camp, . The camp was fabulous, and our tent was wonderful. The camp is set on the banks of a river, but unfortunately, the river had been dry for two weeks! The staff was extremely nice and and very helpful. The restaurant offered several terrific entrees, and the bar was always open. The weather was very hot, and being from Los Angeles, we loved it. The game drives were fantastic! We saw lions, a leopard and her cub, tons of elephants, and several Gerenuks. We had a very memorable time at Intrepids Camp.

On our fourth day we were driven to the airstrip in the Samburu, and flown to an airstrip in the Mara. We were picked up by our guide, and driven to Karen Blixen Camp. This camp was absolutely incredible. It was set on the banks of a river with Hippopotamuses and Crocodiles in the water and on the far banks were Giraffe, Thompson Gazelles, Zebras, and Baboons. Our tent was on the river and we had Hippos right in front of our tent. Again, the staff was so kind and helpful. The restaurant was terrific, and again the menu offered several amazing entrees. Our game drives were fantastic, but it was much colder in the Mara. We saw Lions, Elephants, Wildebeests, Hyena, Giraffes, A Cheetah and her cub, Cheetahs, Cape Buffalo, Jackals, Dik Dik, Zebra, and various birds. On our first morning game drive, we had breakfast in the bush. We spent four glorious days there. We were then picked up by our guide from Porini Lion camp.

We were driven to the Porini Lion camp, which was a bit smaller than the other camps we had been to. There were 10 tents, a lounge tent, a media tent, and a dining tent. Meals were prepared for a group of people, but were delicious. The staff was extremely kind and saw to our every need. Our personal tent was beautiful and very roomy. Our Masai guide and spotter were absolutely fantastic. We were fortunate to see a magnificent Leopard for at least a half an hour, a Hyena den with several pups, a stand off between a cheetah and a Hyena, a Hyena with part of a kill trying to thwart a Jackal from stealing it, along with numerous Lions and Elephants.

After four days at Porini Lion Camp, we were driven to Porini Mara Camp. The drive was spectacular and we arrived at Porini Mara in time for lunch. Porini Mara has only six tents, but we actually preferred it over Porini Lion. The common facilities at Mara were in our opinion, nicer than Lion. Our guide Wilson and spotter James were absolutely the best! We saw so many Lions, Elephants, Cheetah, a Leopard, Giraffe, Zebras, Wildebeests, Gazelles, and so many birds. As much as we hated to leave, on the fourth day we started our grueling trip back to LA. We were met back at Wilson airport by a representative from Game Watcher's, and driven to the international airport to begin our return trip home.

Excellent organisation from start to finish. Very informative website with many suggestions for trip and plenty of detail. 2nd time using this company and would thoroughly recommend whether first safari or another trip.

During my short (1-night) stay at Porini Rhino Camp, I had some of the best wildlife viewings of my life. It being soon after the rains, the park was abundant with water, greenery and animals and the animals seemed happy and full of life. We saw cubs of almost every species in the park - it was incredibly special to watch hyena cubs play-fighting their their siblings, and a visibly pregnant giraffe flanked by her family grazing on the acacia trees. The highlight was finding a pair of napping lionesses with about nine or ten lion cubs jumping playfully all around their mothers. Gamewatchers made the experience unforgettable - we ate a decadent breakfast sitting on top of a hill, from where we could see a herd of elephants and giraffes at a distance. The guides are experts in their fields, and I learned so much from my conversations with them. They exemplify Kenyan hospitality, full of warmth and good humor. I loved to hear that when the guides have time off, they go bird watching together. To me, it made authentic their love for their work.

Really couldn't fault anything about our Kenyan Safari with Gamewatchers Porini camps.
It was truely the best safari holiday we've ever had.
We stayed at Porini Amboseli and Porini Giraffe camp both were brilliant.
The setting of Giraffe camp is very special, the staff are amazing.Its so good that the local Masai people benefit from this company.
Book a trip with this company you wont disappointed!!

This was the second year in a row that I booked with Gamewatchers. It went so well the first time, that I didn't even think twice about booking with them again. Will I book for a third year in a row? Most definitely!

Our first Masai Mara safari (27–30 January 2026) was flawlessly organized by Gamewatchers Safaris & Porini Camps, and it exceeded every expectation.

From the very beginning, the booking process with Wayne Hammond (UK Office) was professional, responsive and transparent. Every detail was clearly explained, and the entire planning phase gave us complete confidence. The organization on the ground was equally precise — transfers, flights (P2-853 to Mara–Ol Kiombo), timings and camp coordination were perfectly handled.

We stayed at Zebra Plains Mara Camp, which was outstanding: beautiful setting, excellent food, warm and attentive staff, and a very professional operation overall.

What truly made this safari unforgettable, however, was our guide and driver, Nicholas Muya. His expertise, sharp eye for wildlife, deep respect for nature and absolute dedication allowed us to see the Big Five and so much more. Every game drive was rich in sightings and insight — from large predators to the smallest ecological details.

A particularly remarkable moment happened on our return flight to Wilson Airport, when an airline mistake almost caused us to miss our flight. Nicholas immediately took responsibility, made urgent calls and ensured we boarded in time. His professionalism and commitment went far beyond expectations.

Gamewatchers Safaris delivered an exceptional, seamless experience from start to finish. We would gladly book again — especially with Nicholas as our guide.

Highly recommended

Unbelievable 5* experience! Great people, unbelievable camp setup, and the animals were beyond description. Can't say enough about Porini Mara and the entire experience!

We had an excellent time. This was a celebration that my wife and I were hosting for our 25th wedding anniversary and we had 20 people stay in the Lion Camp and it was exclusively booked for us. We were treated so well and we had the head Chef be with us to take care of the dietary needs of our group which had older people and folks that needed Indian vegetarian food and jain food. We are extremely well taken care of and felt very much at home. The game drives were amazing as well

Overall we would highly recommend this to our friends.

Thanks again to your team - Pranay, Frederick - the camp manager and others who helped us

An excellent experience. Beautiful, surprising location near the river. The accommodation and service were of very high quality, with excellent touches, such as morning coffee being brought to our tent before the morning game drive.

Amazing experience, knowledgible guides, excellent meals and accommadation, helpful freindly staff

Everyone associated with Gamewatchers was very kind and they all did a great job!

We live in Kenya and have experienced several safaris over the years, and Porini Cheetah Camp remains among the very best. We are repeat guests.

What sets it apart is the privacy, the warm, personal welcome from the hosts, and the exceptional quality of the game drives. The conservancy setting allows for uncrowded, respectful wildlife viewing, and the lodge is particularly ideal for lion sightings.

Our safari experience was absolutely incredible, truly a trip of a lifetime. We saw every animal we could have hoped for and more. Some standout moments included watching a herd of elephants with their babies cross directly in front of our vehicle in Amboseli National Park, along with more lions than we ever expected to see. Every moment felt magical and unforgettable.

The guides were exceptional, especially Thompson and Edison at the Amboseli Porini Camp. Their deep knowledge, passion for the wildlife, and warm personalities made our game drives so special. We left feeling like we had made lifelong friends.

The hospitality and accommodation exceeded expectations. While tented, the rooms were incredibly comfortable and offered all the amenities of a high-end hotel. The food was fantastic, and the thoughtful touches throughout our stay made the experience truly stand out: welcome drinks, hot water bottles tucked into the bed at night, beautifully arranged sundowners, morning wake-up calls with coffee and tea, warm water for a morning face wash, and cosy flannel-lined ponchos for chilly game drives. These details showed such care and made us feel so well looked after.

We would return in a heartbeat and have already been recommending Porini to everyone we know. Thank you for creating such a special and memorable safari for us.

Our Safari experience was simply Excellent and every other superlative adjective one could use. EVERY single person we encountered at the Porini camps and game drives were fantastic. I can't say enough about these Maasai gentlemen. So knowledgeable and kind!
It is my sincere hope that we can visit Kenya again with our children.

The booking, changes needed, experiences on holiday were all above and beyond. The Gamewatchers model of working with communities really is working and the Masai are clearly delighted with how this. We did the 9 day safari which gave us insights into different environments and animals. The safari was so good that we are planning another, something we rarely repeat. However we will have 3 nights in some camps next time as we were on the move every other day which was tiring. As a first experience it was a Wonderful Holiday with very very willing Masai staff and guides. Thank you

Our stay at the Porini Giraffe Camp was nothing short of excellent. Our guides Ken and George were amazing, the manager Jimny and the rest of the staff were wonderful, and the booking process with Rick was seamless. They also care about conservation and doing right by the animals and environment. 10/10 would stay at any porini camp again, but definitely hope to return to giraffe camp one day.

My husband and I are coming up on a week, since being on Safari and still it is all we can think about! Gamewatchers made everything simpler and so much more enjoyable than it might have been.

At a time when, everywhere I turn, people and organizations are vying for attention, Gamewatchers seems to put their collective energy into creating the best possible experience for their clients and then trusting those clients to go out and spread the word. It was incredibly refreshing! And no hidden costs!

Because going on Safari had been a life-long dream, I hoped my expectations would not disappoint. They did not. We saw and experienced everything we wanted to in Porini Amboseli, Amboseli National Park and Porinin Mara...our choices.

The Maasai taught us about the Big Five, the Small Five and the Ugly Five. That said, I went with my own personal five. Four were animals I hoped to see and the fifth was getting to know the Maasai people. I realized all five.

The men lead and served us in the camps. In addition, we visited a Maasai village, near Amboseli, where we met the Maasai women and children. It was joy, pure joy.

Traditionally, the women create various arts, mostly beaded jewelry and make it available to us with absolutely no pressure to purchase. To meet these artists gave more meaning to the pieces I brought home.

From the morning wake-up coffee/tea call, to being walked back to our tent each night, there was a connection with these beautiful, strong Maasai men. They were present not only to our needs, but also seemed to have a genuine interest in our lives.

Of course, we saw lots of animals, and up close, too. Our guides and trackers took us through the bush and out on the Savannah morning, afternoon and night. At the close of each run, we enjoyed a scrumptious meal.

In short, I would take the exact same trip all over again. Gamewatchers and the Maasai people will hold a place in my heart forever…and I can be quite particular.