Kicheche Bush Camp: Our View

We love the Kicheche camps as they manage to combine an authentic, bush camp style with understated luxury, superb guiding, a real focus on the safari experience and excellent service and food. Kicheche Bush Camp is no exception. Its location in the prestigious Olare Motorogi Private Conservancy is a real advantage. This conservancy offers some of the finest game viewing, andone of the most exclusive, uncrowded safari experiences in the whole Mara region!

With just 6 very spacious tented rooms, Kicheche Bush Camp is very intimate and personal and has a gorgeous location in the bush, surrounded by wildlife. Renowned photographer Paul Goldstein is a co-owner of Kicheche Camps and there is a strong focus on providing an outstanding game viewing experience as well as excellent photographic opportunities. It is no surprise then that this camp is very popular with both keen safari enthusiasts and first time safari visitors. Many guests are repeat visitors. Compared to other camps in this exclusive conservancy, Kicheche Bush Camp is well priced, and it is definitely one of our top choices in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy.

Kicheche also has other camps in the Mara region, in the Naibosho and Mara North conservancies, with free transfers between these camps. They also have a camp in the Laikipia region. This would be an advantage for clients wanting to do longer trips, as Kicheche often has special offers or discounts for multi night stays, making their camps even better value.

Kicheche Bush Camp: Quick Facts

• 6 tented rooms with ensuite bathroom with mobile safari style ‘bucket’ shower
• Located in Olare Motorogi, one of the most exclusive, uncrowded private conservancies in the Mara region
• Activities include game drives with off-road driving, walking safaris, and cultural visits
• It is possible to do guided walking to or from Kicheche Valley Camp in Naibosho Conservancy with overnight in a fly camp
• Children of all ages welcome, although we feel the camp is more suitable for older children and there is no family room
• Wi-Fi available, although very limited
• Access is usually by scheduled flight into Olare Motorogi airstrip
• Camp is unfenced so wild animals will be roaming through at any time

Kicheche Bush Camp: The Details

The 6 tented rooms are very spacious and spaced far apart to give lots of privacy. Each room has a lounge at the front, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Each section can be separated using large canvas walls, which gives lots of flexibility. These sections can either be opened to make a large and airy open plan space or closed to give privacy in the bathroom, or to create individual cosy areas at night. Chunky light wood furniture and a low-level bed givesthe rooms a more contemporary feel whilst still retaining the classic bush camp safari ambience. Earthy coloured rugs on the floor provide more comfort. The bathroom has a flush toilet, a single wash basin on a light wooden unit, and a mobile safari style ‘bucket’ shower with a beautifully crafted dark wooden floor. The attentive staff will make sure that there is plenty of hot water for the shower when you return from game activities and you can also ask them to refill it at any time during the day. Large mesh windows allow lots of light in, as well as a cooling breeze when hot. Canvas blinds can be pulled down to make the rooms warmer. The communal tent is simply but elegantly furnished. On one side is a lounge area with large, comfortable, cream-coloured sofas and a coffee table. On the other side tables are arranged for dining. Dining is on a communal basis making it a very sociable atmosphere with all guests dining together. The tent is usually fully open at the front and the sides although canvas blinds can be lowered if necessary. A large, covered veranda area provides extra seating areas or the option of outside dining in warmer weather. The location of the camp right in the bush with animals often roaming past means you really do feel the wildness and remoteness of this camp.

Both the game viewing and the quality of guiding at Kicheche Bush Camp is spectacular. Any guests looking for an authentic safari experience will enjoy staying here but the camp is especially good for keen photographers as there is a strong focus on this. The guides are highly trained to find the best positions and lighting for excellent photos, and there is total flexibility on the length of the game drives. The diversity and quantity of wildlife in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy is superb with excellent big cat sightings. Here you will alsofind the iconic vast grass plains that the Masai Mara is famous for. Activities focus on game drives, and as this is a private conservancy, the guides can go ‘off road’ to get very close to wildlife.

Kicheche’s commitment to providing a high quality safari experience is reflected in the fact that they do not have the rigid morning and afternoon activity schedule that many other camps have. There is no fixed length for the game drives and clients can opt to stay out all day with a picnic lunch if they wish to. Vehicles are also designed to maximise viewing and photographic opportunities. They are fully open at the side and have open roofs and beanbags. Lens platforms are provided too. Walking activities are also possible here and this can be anything from a gentle nature walk to a longer, more immersive, walking safari with a highly qualified armed guide. For the ultimate walking experience though, clients can walk to Kicheche Valley Camp in the Naibosho Conservancy. This is a 2 day walk with about 4 hours walking each day and an overnight stop at a mobile fly camp.

A real highlight of any safari in the Olare Motorogi is the lack of crowds,even in peak season when the national park is very busy. This is because only the small number of camps inside the conservancy are permitted to operate here. Much of the year there is no advantage to going into the national park on game drives. But there are no migration river crossing points in the Olare Motorogi conservancy. So during the July to October migration season the camp offers guests the option of going into the national park if clients wish to try and see a river crossing. Guests will need to pay the national park fee locally though if they do this (currently US$ 80 per person per day).