Reviews of Kicheche Bush Camp

"Excellent, although location not as good as others, and the layout of the tents promoted a sense of exclusivity, at the expense of intimacy.
However, the communal dining table was a good aspect." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"We had a great time at the very comfortable Kicheche Bush Camp, with wonderful game drives, sightings, great hosts, and friendly guests. The camp is geared towards photographers, which was exactly what we wanted. The food was delicious, with large portions. I had delicious gluten free options. We were unfortunately unwell during our stay at the camp (only missed one drive), however, we felt that the staff did everything they could to look after us and we were soon back on our feet again." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya

"This camp, like its sister camp, Mara, gets a large number of returning guests, which speaks volumes for the manner in which Kicheche run and manage their camps.. While we were there, many of the guests had been there previously, many on more than one occasion.

As with the Mara camp, the accommodation was excellent, very comfortable tents and now with solar powered showers. The bucket showers have gone!! The camp also now has wifi access in all the tents as well as the reception/dining area. Minor point but perhaps the tents could benefit from additional power points. There were only two and both of these were in use. There were USB sockets but no additional 3-pin sockets. Both Mara and Valley have 4 way adaptors provided, something Bush might want to consider.

Unfortunately the rather unseasonable weather which we experienced at Mara followed us to Bush and while the mornings were warm and dry, although cloudy, the afternoons were punctuated by thunder and some rather heavy rain. Sundowners in the jeep in the pouring rain were not what we expected!

This made for some interesting and challenging driving for our guide Nelson although we never got stuck despite the conditions. Nelson was a terrific guide, very knowledgeable and expert at positioning the jeep for the best way to view the animals.

Thorbun and Coco as camp hosts were very pleasant, approachable and happy to help in any way. The food as always was excellent and varied. Nice to see that the Pizza oven has been retained.

Game viewing was terrific, lots of cheetah complete with young, and some excellent sightings of lions and leopards, including the famous Fig who regrettably is no longer with us.

It's hard to find fault with any aspect of the camp, it has to rank as one of our favourite in the Mara." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya

"Please see previous review. [Ed: see below]" See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya

"We had been wanting to stay at Kicheche Bush Camp for a long time. The camp has been managed for many years by Darren and Emma and dog Frankie however they are moving on to a new venture and, at least for a few months, the camp is being managed by Thorban and his partner Coco and dog Inca. Thorban has previously worked as the relief manager so there is a high degree of continuity from the old management to new. We were there during the hand over week before Darren and Emma departed. Thorban and Coco were very friendly, professional, and had everything running very smoothly. I am sure that if they choose to stay for the long term they will make a great success of the camp.

It should also be noted that the camp now has wifi in all tents and running hot water to replace bucket showers has been installed. We weren't aware of this before staying. I suppose wifi is inevitable these days and perhaps a more disciplined traveller than us can turn their phones off. It's good to be able to contact family and friends but the ability to really switch off and enjoy being on safari is harder and harder to achieve.

The camp consists of the mess tent with comfortable sofas and chairs, pictures, tables and a desk for photographers to edit their photos at. The rooms are very large tents. There is a porch area with comfy chairs and guide books for reference. In the main area of the tent is a huge bed. During the day the walls of the tent are opened to just mesh so the tent is very well lit and airy with good views of the surrounding bush. There is a plumbed shower with hot water 24/7 and plenty of storage space for clothing. The rooms are cleaned every day while guests are out and also turned down in the evenings when insect spray is also used. During the hours of darkness guests must be accompanied by an askari who we found to be very friendly and helpful. The 6 tents are positioned 3 on each side of the mess tent with an askari for each 3. From the path between our tent and the main area we spotted a hyena one evening in the askari's torch light and a bushbaby. One evening, shortly after returning from our afternoon game drive during darkness, a spider moved suddenly in a corner of the tent causing Liz to exclaim a startled 'ooh' at only moderate volume. Within a few seconds the askari was outside our tent calling through to us asking if everything was ok. His hearing and quick response was impressive and reassuring. We found all the staff to be very friendly and very professional.

Thorban and our guide Charles went above and beyond to secure us a PCR test when heavy rains meant we were struggling to get to the nurse who would test us. We eventually found a crossable bridge but we were aware that Charles was driving long distances to try every route for us and back at camp Thorban was calling other camps to try and find a back up option for us if we couldn't get across the river.

Food at the camp was excellent. Tea/coffee and cookies was brought to the tent at 5.15 each morning before we went on our morning drive at 6am. Breakfast was a cold picnic by the side of the vehicle at around 9am every day with cereal, scotch eggs, pancakes, fruit etc. Lunch was buffet style outside back at camp. Dinner was 3 courses served in the mess tent around a large table so all guests could chat to each other. All accompanied by good wine.

We were guided by Charles who has been a guide at the camp for over a decade. He was excellent at spotting the tiniest movement or shape under a distant bush which turned out to be a fantastic sighting. He was very knowledgable and relaxed. Over 5 nights we saw the following on multiple occasions (some almost daily): lion, cheetah with cubs, leopard, elephant, buffalo, plains game, hyena etc.

My only issue, which I raised with Thorban, is a complicated one and not a simple issue for a camp manager to rectify. Kicheche Bush Camp, as well as attracting regular tourists such as ourselves (including guests that return many times), also attracts professional photographers or at the very least 'hardcore' photographers who spend a considerable amount of time each year in the bush. This results in different expectations and attitudes to game sightings. As a result a leopard, laying in plain view in a shady spot, is a magical sighting to the likes of us but simply down time to the professional who is waiting for 'action' to happen. There may be several vehicles in close proximity at the sighting from different camps. I was disappointed and frustrated to find that at these sighting the 'professionals' would hold conversations between themselves, across the vehicles, at a volume that meant everyone present had to listen to them. These were the bored conversations of professionals waiting for what they were really there for to take place e.g. the leopard going hunting, while us tourists were trying to enjoy the magical sight of a leopard laying in plain view. These conversations would be as mundane as what camera kit they were carrying/thinking of getting. It was the clash between tourists and professionals who had different expectations/experiences of the sighting and the professionals who had seen this a thousand times before, in my opinion, lacked respect for the tourist who was perhaps experiencing this for the first time. Every safari goer should know a game sighting should be enjoyed in silence. Communication, where it has to take place, should be in a lowered voice. There is no excuse for bored conversations at a raised volume between vehicles and the 'hard-core' of all people should know this. The safari guides clearly felt unable to intervene and I sympathise with them. These photographers are staying at the camps for weeks every year and are no doubt the major source of income for the camps. These people have built up long-standing relationships with the camps/guides and so at this stage can not be 'instructed' in safari etiquette in the way a first time tourist can be which is disappointing and not a simple issue to resolve. Thorban listened to my concern very attentively and agreed that it was an issue. It is however an industry wide issue and not something Kicheche will be able to resolve on their own and would have to handled very sensitively.

We had rain most evenings in the conservancy which only had a minimal impact on us. Wellington boots and umbrellas are available in the tents to be used and were very welcome.

I would thoroughly recommend Kicheche Bush Camp. The camp is well run with every amenity you could want. The staff are excellent. The guides are fantastic and the game is plentiful and diverse. We loved it." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya

"Kicheche Bush Camp is a photographer’s paradise because of the landscape and the abundance of wild animals - cheetahs and leopards in particular. Lions were abundant and we spent time at a hyena den watching several generations of a family play with each other. The other draw for photographers are the Maasai guides who know the animals’ behavior so well and are skilled at positioning their safari vehicle for the best photographs. We had the good fortune to have Nelson as our guide and he is the best. This was our first visit to Kicheche Bush Camp, though the camp gets many repeat guests.

Bush Camp is surrounded by an acacia forest, so don’t be surprised to see one or more giraffes nibbling on the trees outside your tent. And we regularly heard lions and hyena calling throughout the night. The central dining area, and what amounts to a large living room with comfy chairs and sofas, is located in a large central tent built on an elevated foundation. Several low tables and chairs are set on the covered front porch. A small curio shop is located in an adjacent part of the tent and has additional seating. The camp has only six tents, which are located in a line with the dining area in the middle of them.

Our tent was situated on the ground, not a platform, and was very spacious with a large sitting area and large bedroom area. The double vanity, flush toilet and shower were spacious. Large tent flaps let the breeze blow through during the day and were rolled down at night. The beauty of these tents is that we were perfectly comfortable and cozy but we were still able to hear the sounds of the night. Because the camp is not fenced, one of the Maasai askari accompanied us to/from your tent in the evening and early morning.

Our days began with the delivery of coffee and biscuits to our tent. We left camp by 6 am to see the sunrise from our safari vehicle. By 9:30 Nelson had found a picturesque spot for our picnic breakfast. By mid-day we were back in camp and ready for a delicious lunch under an acacia tree. We especially enjoyed our unhurried lunchtime meals and the chance to visit with Abraham, one of the the Maasai staff. By 4 pm we were ready for the evening game drive and sundowner before returning to camp to a delicious three-course dinner.

Several evenings we enjoyed time around the camp fire with a glass of wine before dinner. Other evenings we experienced torrential rains that precluded all but a mad dash for the dining room. Heavy rains caused the cancellation of our plans for a hike to the fly camp with an overnight stay. Our stay in the middle of February (the short dry season) was preceded by very unpredictable and wetter than normal weather. A silver lining of the very heavy rains one night was watching a large herd of zebra crossing a swollen river the next morning. The river was raging and the crossing was very dramatic. As usual, Nelson had us in the right place at the right time. We can’t thank him enough for the high-quality game viewing experiences. In addition to the big game mentioned above, we saw countless small game including birds and even a dung beetle in action." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania; 10n in Rwanda; 8n in Kenya

"Another great stay at Kicheche Bush Camp, meeting many old friends from previous stays.

My final stay with long term camp hosts Darren and Emma before their departure on a new venture and I wish them all the best for the future. Charles is a great driver/guide who found fantastic wildlife and photographic opportunities.

Catering and camp staff generally superb as always." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"This is a really good camp with top class management, house staff and guides. It's not in the prettiest area but it is right out on its own in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, so its six guest tents and two mess tents really make you feel you're in the middle of nowhere although in very safe hands. Animals regularly wander into camp, especially at night, (lion, hippo and elephant whilst I was there), and there are almost always giraffe and zebra browsing the surrounding woodland.

The food was good, homely fare with some choice at lunch and more of a set (and posher) menu at dinner. Meals were usually eaten at one big table - outside at lunch, inside at dinner although you can opt to eat separately if you prefer.

The room was very comfortable with great wi-fi and lots of sockets to charge camera batteries, iPads etc. There are also newly installed 'proper' showers, rather than the bucket shower I was expecting (and secretly looking forward to).

I saw amazing wildlife - including cheetah, lion and leopard - far more often and in greater quantities than I'd imagined possible.

My only criticism would be that things sometimes felt a bit too organised. Safaris are tiring and a bombardment on the senses. I had one day when four things happened all at once - a drive to the other side of the conservancy for my PCR test, a sighting of two adolescent cheetah cubs being taught how to hunt, i.e: teasing a week-old impala fawn that was bleating for its mother, elephants outside my tent so I couldn't go to bed and then very heavy overnight rain. All good safari experiences. No complaints there, but when my tea arrived at 5 am next day, I decided I wouldn't go on that morning's drive but would try to catch up on sleep. At 7 I felt much better. It was light by then but still raining, so I used the thoughtful wellies and umbrella from my tent, ignored the distant lion roars and squelched my way to the mess tent to find some tea.

I didn't know there was never anyone there until 8 am. The place was deserted and I felt a bit abandoned and frankly, scared. I returned to my tent and blew the 'emergency' whistle. Nothing. I waited fifteen minutes and squelched back to the mess tent, then wandered down the path that I thought led to the staff tents. Blew the whistle again and the manager screeched to a halt beside me in his Jeep, clearly concerned that something dreadful had happened.

I did get breakfast but was told 'no one has ever missed a drive' (which I now know to be untrue), then left to my own devices until lunch at 1 pm. No suggestion that I might like to go for a walk with one of the staff (although I did do exactly that when a buffalo and her calf shot across the main pathway and William, who was serving breakfast, said it was being chased by a lion and he'd seen the start of the chase whilst having his tea. Lions won't come into camp in daylight, even for a buffalo calf, so William then took me fifty meters and still well within the camp boundary to point out where the lion had been).

I've written about this incident with the encouragement of Richard Trillo and because I hope Kicheche will put a contingency in place for any future guests who might decide to catch up on sleep. All that was needed was for someone to acknowledge me, stick a note through the door of my tent to say they hoped I was feeling better, and mention that the mess tent wouldn't be open until 8, after which I'd be welcomed for tea/breakfast.

Other than that one small incident, I loved my time at Kicheche Bush Camp and would definitely return were I not so intent on first visiting their Laikipia and Mara camps." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya; 2n in Zanzibar

"As with Kicheche Mara, this was our third stay at Kicheche Bush. Although it’s the least picturesque of all the Kicheche camps, the Olare-Motorogi Conservancy in which it is situated typically produces memorable sightings.

In our experience, this camp has drawn a high percentage of experienced safari enthusiasts, due, in no small part, to the efforts of its well-regarded longtime managers, Darren and Emma, who, sadly, are leaving to pursue another opportunity. We were grateful to see them once more before they embark on their new adventure. The fact that we ran into other repeat visitors (now friends) that we knew from our previous stays here should illustrate the loyal following that this camp has engendered over the years.

The guides here have all been with this property for multiple years, as well, and they are experts in their field. Our guide, Nelson, was very dedicated and extremely personable." See all these reviews: 17n in Kenya

"Kicheche Bush Camp is renowned for its excellent guides and the amazing wild life, particularly large cats. As always, it did not disappoint!

The tents are large and comfortable with charging facilities and solar-heated warm water showers. The staff are attentive and efficient, and the food is very good.

If wildlife viewing is your number one priority, this is definitely the camp to go to." See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya