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Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara
Kicheche Mara

Reviews of Kicheche Mara

Wildlife sightings and reviews

94 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kicheche Mara and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Aug-2018, 65 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Kicheche Mara.
Lion

100% success

Leopard

68% success

Cheetah

91% success

Wild dog

4% success

Buffalo

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Spotted Hyena

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Eland

92% success

Striped Hyena

6% success

Black Rhino

5% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 41-50 of 94
Duration
Arrival date
Dr G & Dr E
UK

"Kicheche Mara review"

3 nights Arrived 17 Sep 2022
"Our favourite part of the trip! It was so nice to be somewhere so green after the dust of our first two parks. The sightings were excellent and our guide worked really hard so that we had good positions at them. It was clear that they had extensive photographic experience. Some sightings had lots of vehicles, but they were well organised and respectful. Another first here, a hyena kill.

Tents are well appointed and spaced. I have never been provided with wellington boots on safari before - they were used every night, along with the umbrella....

One of the reasons that I like safaris is that there is usually no internet or cell phone reception. However, every camp we went to in Kenya had wifi. So with that in mind, it was inconvenient, bordering on annoying, that this was only available in the communal areas, as we spent so little time in them! It meant that any internet activity had to be at lunch/pre-dinner time, which, when the meals are communal, was tricky. Now that they have three more tents, communal dining is an issue as there are really too many guests to sit at one table. The food was varied and good, but we had been spoilt by our previous two camps.

It was very clear that the ethos is for game viewing first and foremost, everything else fits around this. So sundowners were taken in the vehicle, rather than as the whole African experience, which I wholeheartedly agreed with. This was due to an excellent cheetah sighting on the first night, but the weather on the next two....

Game drives were action packed, as were the photographic opportunities. Lions were everywhere. We will return." See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

3 sightings

Eland

4 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

5 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr C.
West Horsley

"Kicheche Mara review"

4 nights Arrived 8 Aug 2022
"A very different camp and vibe.

Very beautiful and tranquil. luxurious and more tailored towards comfort and a tourist experience of being looked after and waited on. Some very lovely touches with own water bottles, hot water bottles, ponchos, morning coffee and cookies to our tent. Great areas to chill out in the shade, plenty of board games and other activities like archery. I liked the shop area of locally made products. Food portions smaller but we preferred that as 3 courses and very little waste.

The drives were fantastic. We had one guide Jimmy, the whole stay, great fun, friendly and very knowledgeable.

One tricky part for us was the tent situation. We had. 2 separate tents for our family of 5 which we knew in advance but we didn’t realise how spaced out they were bearing in mind it wasn’t safe to be outside without a night guard Present once dark. It was our choice to put the kids in one ( our eldest is 18) and us in the other but still it would have been helpful to have known this in advance so we could have planned the sleeping arrangements.

We opted to visit a local village on market day. Well worth it, very interesting and educational experience for all. This was about 120 dollars extra which was ok to spend but having this pointed out in advance would have been helpful. It was mentioned in the tent leaflets but it also needs pointing out by the staff.

Possibly one less day would have worked as well but we had a fantastic time. The wildlife spotting, time spent watching their behaviour, the close proximity to the animals; breakfasts on the savannah and sundowners were all absolutely incredible and unforgettable experiences." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya; 5n in Zanzibar
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Black Rhino

1 sighting

Buffalo

6 sightings

Cheetah

2 sightings

Eland

4 sightings

Elephant

7 sightings

Giraffe

8 sightings

Hippo

5 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Wildebeest

6 sightings

Zebra

6 sightings

Mr V
Birmingham

"Kicheche Mara review"

3 nights Arrived 14 Jul 2022
"The camp was in a nice open situation, although the tent furnishings were sparser than the sister camp in Laikipia. I consider that the camp is a little too large, now with 9 tents, including 2 family tents. Dining is now split into three separate areas. It’s all a bit remote from a normal safari experience. However Peter, the acting manager, was the lynch pin front of house role, which he knew back to front. He made sure everybody felt welcome.

I have criticism of the Conservancy policy of allowing 5 vehicles next to animals; its gone up from 3, and it does lead in my view to harassment. It’s a pity the guides think it necessary that everyone has the same experience. Our guide David was excellent and knowledgeable; he arranged a walking safari, and indeed was sensitive to the request not to follow the other vehicles and do something different.

The unrestricted landscape and views were great. Again animal sightings were good, including lion hunting, two magnificent male lions, a Cheetah family and an elusive leopard." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

1 sighting

Eland

8 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr R.
Oldham

"Kicheche Mara review"

1 night Arrived 24 Jun 2022
"Excellent camp and location." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Cheetah

2 sightings

Eland

1 sighting

Elephant

2 sightings

Giraffe

2 sightings

Hippo

2 sightings

Leopard

2 sightings

Lion

2 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Wildebeest

2 sightings

Zebra

2 sightings

Mr + Ms D
Santa Cruz

"Absolutely the best of the four camps we stayed in"

4 nights Arrived 22 Jun 2022
"This was absolutely the best of the four camps we stayed in while in Kenya! Andrew, the manager, has put together a tremendous staff along with a great chef and fresh garden grown produce.

The rooms were beautiful with elephant sightings each day. The public spaces were accommodating and welcoming. Plus it has the great advantage of being in a wet area, with some light rains while we were there. As a result everything is green and the animals are thriving.

Guide - Saruni was amazing = totally fearless in going up hill sides, fording streams to get the best viewing of a great assortment and quantity of animals. His knowledge level was also first rate.

Wonderful place and experience." See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs L
Hinckley

"A great place to stay"

3 nights Arrived 10 Jun 2022
"A driver from Kicheche Mara arrived punctually to collect us from Little Governors. The driver coped very well with the difficult boggy conditions in the Mara. We were warmly welcomed on our arrival at Kicheche Mara by the manager Andrew and some of the staff. The tents at Kicheche are well spread out and they all have wonderful views. We had been allocated the tent farthest from the reception area. Andrew kindly offered to move us to a nearer tent once the guests occupying it had left. We accepted and when we returned from our game drive that afternoon everything had been moved to the more convenient tent.

Meals at Kicheche Mara were very good and we enjoyed the food. Lunch was served outside and we sat with other people. However the communal dining for the evening meals was suspended and we had individual tables. Andrew explained that the reason was that some people were still uncomfortable being in close contact with others indoors.

Our driver/guide was George and we were again fortunate to have the vehicle to ourselves for the whole of the time we were there. George was an excellent guide. We saw lots of wildlife including excellent leopard, lion and elephant sightings. The cheetahs were elusive and had not been seen by anyone for a few days. George excelled at getting us into really good positions for photography. He was obviously a keen photographer himself and on occasions I was happy to let him take over my camera and take some photos for me!

We were in an electric vehicle for most drives and drove over some incredibly rough terrain. Using EVs is an interesting innovation, although as the animals are not yet used to the different engine sounds, some of them are more wary than they are of the diesels. We did have to return early from one drive as the vehicle was running low on charge due to driving over the rugged terrain. It was actually quite nice to have a bit longer in camp that day as the game drives are usually long: 5-6 hrs in the morning, (taking breakfast out with us), +3hrs in the evening - all very worthwhile.

On our last morning we managed a game drive with breakfast before flying out of Mara North." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Eland

7 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

2 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

6 sightings

Spotted Hyena

7 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs B
Belfast

"Kicheche Mara review"

3 nights Arrived 19 Feb 2022
"This was our second trip to Kicheche Mara camp having first visited in Feb 2020 just prior to the start of the Covid pandemic. It was great to be back in such familiar surroundings and to be greeted by the camp staff in such a welcoming manner. There's no doubt of the impact that Covid has had on on the tourist volumes in Kenya and the Mara.

Saruni, who was our guide in 2020, picked us up from the airstrip and excelled himself as always by getting us up close and personal with a cheetah mother, cub plus dead impala on the way to the camp. Regrettably we learned that this particular mother's original litter was 6 cubs and only one was now left. Cheetahs really do have a hard life.

As we have come to expect from Kicheche, the camp was very comfortable and efficiently run by Andrew and his team. Food was excellent, from the picnic breakfast, through lunch to the communal dinners in the evening. Tents were very comfortable and spacious with solar powered showers.

Peter was our guide for the three night stay and proved himself more than capable of locating the wildlife in the area despite the tall grass and somewhat inclement conditions. We had some spectacular sightings of lions, both young and old. Watching the older lionesses attempting to cross some fast flowing rivers was an interesting sight, given their aversion to getting wet." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Cheetah

3 sightings

Elephant

2 sightings

Hippo

2 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Wildebeest

1 sighting

Zebra

1 sighting

Matt
Warrington

"Kicheche Mara review"

7 nights Arrived 19 Feb 2022
"Kicheche Mara was everything i had hoped for and more.

Wonderful and caring staff, excellent food, superb guide/driver, accommodation of the highest of standard, it is hospitality at its very best.

The location could not of been better, watching elephants from the veranda of your tent just shows how well immersed the camp is within its surroundings. Waking up in the morning to hear that hippos and elephant have wandered past your tent whilst you sleep only adds to this wonderful experience

The vehicles are superbly maintained and perfect for wildlife viewing and for photographers.

Guides are all of the highest standard and work so hard to enable clients to get the very most out of their time at camp. They understand photographers and position their vehicles perfectly for light and composition, working tirelessly so you come back with a smile and memories to last a lifetime." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

10 sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

9 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Steve H
Cumbria

"Kicheche Mara review"

4 nights Arrived 8 Feb 2022
"Another fantastic stay at Kicheche Mara camp.

Amazing wildlife with driver/guide Dominic, in particular several cheetah families with cubs of various ages and leopard with young cubs. So many lions. Amazing knowledge of individual cats/prides. Superb catering again. Andrew was a wonderful host as Camp Manager, ably assisted by the rest of the team.

Yet again an unforgettable experience." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

10 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Ms K
Florida

"Kicheche Mara review"

3 nights Arrived 27 Jan 2022
"I was glad to have experienced this camp, which was new to me. It was well-managed and had the advantage of a bonfire, which I like.

I was initially placed in the honeymoon suite, which was 1/2k from the main camp, making it difficult to deal with short times between activities.

I thought it was unwise to place a 75-year-old woman traveling alone in that tent, but managed until the toilet stopped working and I was moved to another, closer one." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

3 sightings

Cheetah

2 sightings

Elephant

2 sightings

Giraffe

3 sightings

Hippo

2 sightings

Lion

5 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Wildebeest

4 sightings

Zebra

5 sightings

Showing 41-50 of 94
99%
94 reviews of Kicheche Mara by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
88
5
1
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0
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