Reviews of Kicheche Valley
Wildlife sightings and reviews
65 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kicheche Valley and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Kicheche Valley review"
One of our main reasons for choosing this camp was for night drives and this could not be organised for 2 of the 4 nights that weather permitted outings. It also took a discussion with the manager to rearrange meal times as required for these drives.
Food quality was excellent but very much targetted to fixed times rather than totally flexible around wildlife.
The guide was excellent, very knowledgable and very keen to educate us on the detail of all the ecology and animal life." See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
Kicheche’s accommodations are excellent. The tents are large and well-appointed. No bucket showers here. 24x7 in-room charging stations, new ceiling fans, fresh drinking water for your reusable bottle. Absolutely no complaints at all!
Kicheche honored my request for Twala as a guide again and I’m thankful they did! I had amazing sightings with Twala last year and I did again this time. Things were made much more difficult with the heavy rains, flooding, mud and all that that does to wildlife, making sightings that should be easy a bit more difficult. Never mind though, Twala still delivered….mother cheetah with 4 cubs, mother leopard with a little cub, mother lion with 3 cubs, large lion pride of 15+…the list goes on. I was spoiled for choice (it’s a tough call when you have to decide between cheetah cubs and leopard cub on the same drive!).
Twala is very personable and experienced. He knows the wildlife really well and knows how to find them even when rangers can’t! He also has an innate sense of how the cats in particular will move. I was well positioned for photos a couple times as we waited for lions to come out of deep bush or leopard to come down out of a tree. It only makes my photos that much better!
One “above and beyond” story though…on my first night, the camp inadvertently forgot to pack the gin for my sundowner. No worries, I will just drink my water, I said. Twala snuck away for a couple minutes while the rest of us were chatting and watching the sun go down and within 10 minutes another Kicheche vehicle pulled up with my gin. He didn’t have to make that happen, but he did. That’s the kind of thing that makes a difference.
A special note about the chef here…he does a wonderful job with feeding vegetarians! I ate better than I do when I cook for myself and with a lot of very inventive dishes. I hope to be motivated enough to try to replicate them myself.
I’m already planning next time, and Kicheche Valley is already on my itinerary." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
Another amazing camp: small, very personal, great staff again. Food was very good and copious - actually far too much food!
Game drives excellent: no Rhinos here but lots of cats and we were fortunate to see within a few minutes two Cheetah mothers with four cubs each. Great place for bird watching.
We did a bush walk which made a nice change from car safari." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
The conservancy can provide stunning sighting opportunities for sightings and scenery and every drive was expertly guided with enthusiasm. Every game drive was amazing and will live long in my memory. I enjoyed amazing sightings enabled by an expert guide who enjoyed his time in the bush as much as I did.
It can feel that there are too many vehicles at some sightings but the presence of the conservancy vehicle helps to address this. This is by no means on the scale of the issue in some National Parks, but there were a couple of times that we decided to withdraw due to vehicle volume.
Hospitality and the camp accommodation were perfect, the tents beautifully positioned, appointed and comfortable. The food and team were exceptional.
Kicheche properties are also fantastically welcoming for solo travelers." See all these reviews: 17n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
We requested Edward, our guide from Kicheche Mara last year, who is now working at Kicheche Valley. This meant that we again had a private vehicle. I think that this would have been the case anyway, given the two sets of photographic guests. It was lovely seeing him again and being able to relax, knowing that he would get us into a good position and not miss anything.
This conservancy feels the least wild of the three which we have now been to, as you can see the lights of nearby settlements. It is less open than Mara North and has more areas of trees and shrubs than Olare Motorogi, but they all have their charms.
There was a cheetah with five cubs very close to camp. This provided great photographic opportunities and was the only time where it felt crowded with vehicles.
Like Kicheche Mara, they offer spa treatments here, but I don't know when you are supposed to fit them in, as there is never any free time!" See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
"Kicheche Valley review"
From our greeting to departure we were treated like royalty. The staff was exceptional, personable and seemed truly happy to have us as their guests.
We loved learning about the culture and a few Swahili phrases. The behind the scenes tour of the camp is a must. We’d love to learn more about the sustainability and inside workings of running such a camp.
The personal touches like morning hot water bottles in the vehicles to everyone welcoming us back from a game drive with beverages and cold wet towels to wash the dust off goes above and beyond. The food was incredible (and plentiful) and the efforts to adapt to food allergies or dislikes was exceptional.
Even the detail of the nightly table settings made everything personal and special. Thank you for offering a gift shop area with the ability to purchase and support local Maasai women.
We can’t wait to come back! Minnie runs a great camp." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
"Kicheche Valley review"
The quality of the food, accommodation and the care shown by all the staff was fantastic.
Getting to know our guide Johnson was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. We really loved his knowledge, enthusiasm and his friendly approach. The game viewing was outstanding, particularly the lions." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya
"Kicheche Valley review"
The "tents" are beautiful and well-appointed with a modern design that convinces you this is not a tent! (but it is!) The most luxurious of our four camps and, at the end of an 11-day safari, much appreciated.
Minnie is the delightful camp manager who oversees a wonderful staff, always making sure every guest feels welcome and accommodated. And what a staff! We had the most fun here, with everyone joining in the festivities which included singing, dancing, and cake (!) for everyone to celebrate guests' special occasions. Just great!
The camp has a lovely location with beautiful views of the valley. The food was nicely presented and delicious, every meal, including our "picnic" breakfasts and sundowners in the bush.
Our guide Bernard was wonderful! He is a magical spotter and always seemed to know where the next exciting wildlife sighting would be. And there were many! He, too, is an accomplished photographer who helped us take advantage of the best light, and maneuvered us into the best spots for photos. He's passionate about conservation, wildlife, and the wellbeing of his Maasai community, an inspiration. We loved him and could not have asked for a better guide and daily companion.
We highly recommend the Kicheche Valley camp!" See all these reviews: 17n in Kenya
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