Reviews of Kicheche Laikipia
Wildlife sightings and reviews
77 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kicheche Laikipia and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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89% success
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"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Simon was such a knowledgable guide, and the entire team were so welcoming and took excellent care of us.
There was a bit less of a concentration of wildlife for this Nov trip versus in July, but we still saw everything we wanted to at least once." See all these reviews: 3n in Kenya
Black Rhino
5 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
5 sightings
Elephant
4 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
Striped Hyena
1 sighting
White Rhino
6 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Small site, a lake visible from the main lodge-dining-camp area, large tents, attention to details about everything, eager willingness to meet out requests (if there were any) ... were all apparent during all three days.
Kitchen staff went all out to meet our group's vegetarian and vegan needs. Food quality was simply outstanding. The rest of the support staff was equally courteous as kitchen and dining area team.
Our guides were seasoned veterans and real fun to communicate with, hang out with and learn from. Our safari trips were leisurely and went far beyond just tracking and seeing the animals around us. The guides were genuinely interested in answering all of questions, their depth of knowledge about the area, wildlife, and even stars during night drive were all amazing. If and when we return, we will be sure to look them up.
All staff members called us by our first (and preferred) names from day 1. The conversations with them conveyed genuine warmth. It created a personal touch that one would not find in professional hotels in major cities or travel destinations.
We are sure that all of these was possible with able guidance, leadership and commitment from the camp manager and her two managers. Credit to them to run the operation so efficiently. Hats off to Kicheche organization, because we had precisely same experience at Kicheche Mara as well." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
1 sighting
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Kicheche Laikipia is a lovely camp managed very efficiently but with a light touch by Anita. All the staff we came into contact with from the waiters to the nightwatchman were delightful. The tent was very comfortable and spacious and we appreciated the hot waters bottles in bed at night. The food was very good - we particulay liked the imaginative cold soups and salads at lunchtime and the dainty cakes at afternoon tea!
We were were lucky to get William as our guide and to share our drives with a couple from Chicago who were good company. Drives were from 6am to around 11am with a breakfast stop and again from around 4pm to 7pm with a stop for a sundowner. William found us some excellent sightings - the most memorable being a whole host of animals, including lions, vultures and striped hyenas, feasting on an elephant carcass!
We booked the tours to see the two remaining Northern White rhino and the anti poaching dogs, which were both enjoyable and interesting and took place during the morning drives which worked well." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Buffalo
5 sightings
Eland
10 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
4 sightings
Spotted Hyena
4 sightings
Striped Hyena
1 sighting
White Rhino
5 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
We had read the wonderful reviews and yet it still exceeded our expectations." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Wild dog
1 sighting
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Our host is competent and knowledgeable about the lodge. The tented accommodations (called a Sendeyo custom tent) in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy are very nice. The room had everything you needed and ours had a view from the deck of the near empty water hole. The dam holding the water had broken previously and there was very little water left – the impact was noticed and talked about at lunch that much fewer animals visited what was essentially a mud pit now. When our bed was turned down for the evening, we each had hot water bottles warming up the bed as we returned from dinner. Our tent was secluded from neighboring tents with thick bushes.
The hospitality we received from all the staff was fantastic and they couldn’t do enough for us. Our waitress Faith was very responsive to our requests and was very personable (hugs!) Our driver, Simon had a wealth of knowledge that he imparted to us during our drives. We saw lions, buffalo, elephants, and of course, rhinos. We had an amazing bush breakfast at an idyllic location provided by our wonderful guide Simon. Simon was very funny and personable. He also knew our guide very well that we had in Meru (Martin). We visited and were loved on by Najin – one of two of the last northern white rhinos. We also visited and were loved on by the park’s ambassador – Baraka, a blind southern black rhino. Who knew rhinos like to have their ears scratched! We also partook in the dog tracking activity. Naftalie (asst GM) always came to greet us after our safari drives.
Sitting around a campfire with drinks before dinner was a great touch.
This lodge was rated as First-Class accommodation - but for us was more in the Deluxe class especially compared to other lodges we visited. We very much enjoyed the Conservancy with its animals, our guide and the staff that took care of us and fed us such wonderful food. We would return to visit the Conservancy but would not return to the lodge (nor recommend it). Our experience at this lodge wasn't as enjoyable as previous ones. The host seemed to favor the British guests, likely because she was also British. As the only non-British guests, we felt disconnected and unacknowledged." See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya; 9n in Tanzania
Black Rhino
5 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Elephant
6 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
10 sightings
Spotted Hyena
7 sightings
White Rhino
6 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
The atmosphere was laid back and informal which worked well in a small camp. We enjoyed pre dinner drinks around a camp fire every night and the fireplace in the dinner tent gave it a cosy feel.
Our guide Albert was excellent, he was knowledgeable, listened to what we wanted and was able to deliver on our requests over the time we were with him. We managed to see the big five and a cheetah here.
We had a wonderful time at this camp!" See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Buffalo
8 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
7 sightings
Elephant
6 sightings
Giraffe
8 sightings
Hippo
1 sighting
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
5 sightings
Spotted Hyena
4 sightings
White Rhino
3 sightings
Zebra
9 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
This was our first Kicheche camp and it was very good. The tents are large and comfortable, food excellent and activities well organised. The guiding at each camp was also very good.
Each camp has its own character so don't feel like a standard corporate offering. It was really good to have staff at each camp separately mention how well the company looked after them during COVID. It was also nice to see the staff knew each other across the camps. So well done to Kicheche.
We had some excellent drives with great sightings of many species. Seeing so many rhino - Southern White and Black - was fantastic. Drives are quite long leaving at 6am returning just before noon, then 4pm to about 7/7.30pm.
The camp was not full so other than the first day we had a vehicle to ourselves. William was a great guide and it was great to hear how he has developed over the years at Kicheche to become a guide." See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya
Black Rhino
3 sightings
Buffalo
4 sightings
Cheetah
Multiple sightings
Eland
4 sightings
Elephant
8 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
White Rhino
3 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Our guide Peter was tremendous and along with his skill and a bit of luck we had some great sightings, seeng the big 5 and a cheetah in just a couple of days.
The tents were of an extremely high quality, the drinks around the fire fun, and the service impeccable. There is nothing the staff would not do.
The only improvement I would make is to try and eat outside more. The lunches and dinners felt dark and gloomy inside the tents." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
Holiday styles & special interests in Kenya
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Other lodges in Laikipia
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Laikipia Wilderness
Laikipia Wilderness is a rustic owner-managed bush camp, in excellent wild dog territory, offering outstanding guiding.
Lewa Safari Camp
Lewa Safari Camp is a comfortable and homely tented lodge, located in the Lewa Conservancy and offering a relatively exclusive safari away from mass tourism.
Sosian
Sosian Lodge is a distinctive, estancia-style ranch house on a former cattle ranch, with great opportunities for riding, relaxing and seeing wild dogs and other savannah wildlife.
Lewa Wilderness
Lewa Wilderness is a comfortable, fenced safari lodge with nine cottages, great views and a huge range of activities.
El Karama Lodge
El Karama is a comfortably rustic, very personal, riverside eco-lodge on a game-rich private ranch in Laikipia, an hour’s drive north of Nanyuki airport.
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a simple camp, with comfortable tents, delivering an authentic wilderness experience backed up by good food and guiding.
Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge
The community-owned Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge sits atop a small hill in the remote Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, a two-hour drive north of Lewa Conservancy in north-eastern Laikipia.
Sirikoi
Sirikoi is a small, very high-quality safari camp with excellent service and food and a wide selection of activities.
Porini Rhino Camp
Porini Rhino Camp is a small, simple, well established tented camp, with a keen focus on sustainable and low-impact tourism.
Borana
Borana is a comfortable and striking lodge on the Borana Conservancy in eastern Laikipia, offering pleasant accommodation with good food and service and a very wide range of activities.
Solio Lodge
Solio Lodge is an exclusive and luxurious bush lodge set in the private Solio Game Ranch in southern Laikipia.
Lewa House
Lewa House is a very comfortable, boutique safari lodge located on the Lewa Conservancy, north of Mount Kenya.
Kifaru House
Kifaru House is a small, stylish safari lodge in the Lewa Conservancy, with beautiful views across the landscape.
Tassia Lodge
Tassia offers a unique wilderness experience in a remote location: come here for cultural interaction, stunning views and something a bit different.
Loisaba Tented Camp
Loisaba Tented Camp is a luxury safari base of tented rooms, ranged along a ridge in the Loisaba Conservancy, facing Mount Kenya. The camp was completely rebuilt in 2016.
Loisaba Star Beds
Loisaba Starbeds is a simple camp of 4 rooms with pull-out, open-air 'star beds', located near a dam in the Loisaba Conservancy, in northwestern Laikipia.
Sweetwaters Serena
Sweetwaters Serena is a large, older tented camp – the largest camp in the Laikipia region – in the eastern part of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Sandai
Sandai is a pretty, owner-run homestay, set between the Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya, offering a range of activities at extra cost.
Karisia Walking Safaris
Karisia Walking Safaris operates camel assisted, multi-day walking safaris from its main camp, Tumaren, set in a remote part of Laikipia.
Sanctuary at Ol Lentille
The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is an unusual safari lodge in northern Laikipia, consisting of three exclusive villas, and offering a huge range of activities.
Lodo Springs
Lodo Springs is a spectacularly located luxury lodge in a remote spot in the Loisaba Conservancy, sister lodge to Loisaba Tented Camp and Loisaba Star Beds.
Ekorian's Mugie Camp
Ekorian's Mugie Camp is a pleasant, family-friendly safari camp in a remote location in northwestern Laikipia.
Governors' Mugie House
Governors' Mugie House – a substantial, luxury safari lodge – is one of only two properties in the Mugie Conservancy in northwestern Laikipia.
Thomsons Falls Lodge
Thomsons Falls Lodge is a simple hotel dating back to the colonial era, located above the falls of the same name, near the western Laikipia town of Nyahururu.
