Kicheche Mara 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 game viewing, and excellent service and food. Kicheche Mara Camp is no exception. Hidden in a beautiful, wooded valley and surrounded by bush and wildlife, Kicheche Mara offers a classic African safari experience. And its location in the Mara North Private Conservancy is a real advantage. This conservancy offers outstanding game viewing and an exclusive, uncrowded, safari experience compared to camps in the main Masai Mara Reserve!

With just 8 tented rooms, Kicheche Mara Camp is very intimate and personal and has a gorgeous location overlooking a seasonal stream. 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. The rooms at Kicheche Mara have a more rustic bush camp style compared to the other Kicheche camps in the Mara region. But you have the same superb service and fantastic guiding that Kicheche is famous for and it is located in a wonderful game viewing area. Compared to other camps in this conservancy, Kicheche Mara is well priced and it is definitely one of our top choices in the Mara North Conservancy.

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

Kicheche Mara Camp: Quick Facts

• 8 tented rooms with ensuite bathroom including quad, triple share rooms, and a 2 bedroom family suite
• Located in Mara North, an uncrowded private conservancy in the Mara region
• Activities include day game drives with off road driving, walking safaris and cultural visits
• Children of all ages welcome although more suitable for older children - family rooms and a family suite available
• Wi-Fi available, although very limited
• Access is usually by scheduled flight into Mara North airstrip
• Camp is unfenced so wild animals will be roaming through at any time

Kicheche Mara Camp: The Details

The 8 tented rooms are well spaced apart to give lots of privacy with lovely views over the surrounding woodland. The rooms are simply but comfortably furnished and are quite rustic in style with a chunky wooden bedframe and dark wood furniture. Woven rugs cover the floor for extra comfort and there is a veranda with chairs to relax on. The ensuite bathroom is separated from the bedroom by a canvas flap and has a flush toilet and plumbed in shower. Several of the tents are larger triple or quad share rooms. There is also a very spacious family suite which has 2 separate bedrooms connected by a lounge area. So this makes the camp a good choice for families traveling with children although it would be more suitable for older children. The communal area also has the same relaxed, rustic style. Two simple tented structures contain the dining and lounge areas. These are usually left fully open at the front to enjoy the views onto the surrounding plains. Dining is usually on a communal basis, making it a very sociable affair, and can be inside - or outside in warmer weather.

Both the game viewing and the quality of guiding at Kicheche Mara Camp are 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 photography. 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 Mara North Conservancy is superb, with excellent big cat sightings. And here you will find the iconic vast grass plains that the Masai Mara is famous for here. 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. Vehicles are fully open at the side and have open roofs and beanbags. Lens platforms are provided too. Walking activities are also possible here. Walking activities can involve anything from a gentle nature walk to a more in-depth walking safari with a highly qualified armed guide.

A real highlight of any safari in Mara North 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. For 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 Mara North conservancy. So during the July – October migration season Kicheche Mara Camp offers the option of going into the national park if clients wish to try and see a river crossing. Clients will need to pay the national park fee locally though if they do this (currently US$80 per person per day).