Reviews of Kichaka Zumbua

"Our whole trip had been planned around being able to go to Kichaka and we were very much looking forward to it. I needn't have been worrying that my expectations might have been too high! It really is somewhere very special and it is perhaps appreciated more and more as I think back on our three days spent there.

As it happened we were the only guests staying for our entire visit. While it might have been nice to meet other people it actually made our stay all the more special. We never saw another visitor or vehicle during our stay which brought home the remoteness of the place.

I had read much of Moli and his talent as a guide on walking safaris. You really need to be with him to appreciate just how inspirational he is. He dealt very well with the potential walking difficulties of my husband. We always felt safe with Moli and David the Park ranger even when we were fairly close to elephants and cape buffalo. Moli has a way of making everything he talks about so interesting and has a very wide knowledge of animals, plants, ecology, ethics and ecosystems. An interesting person to spend time with. We learned so much on our walks with Moli and am sure will remember this experience for ever.

Sam was our guide for our drives. He is a very special young man who looked after us very well, showed us many animals and plants, and gave us lots of interesting information.

Our tent at Kichaka was just so lovely. Luxurious touches without detracting from the feeling of being very much with nature. A difficult combination to achieve. I just loved the bucket shower and drop toilet.

The food at Kichaka was without exception extremely good. However the highlight at meal times was having the company of Moli, Noelle and Jaques. We had such great conversations and fun.

All of the staff at camp were wonderful. Friendly and very good at whatever role they played.

As you will have gathered we loved being at Kichaka and feel privileged to have had the experience." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania; 6n in Zanzibar

"We are very physically active people and so thoroughly enjoyed all the walking on these safaris. We were thrilled to be able to wear shorts and short sleeved tops while we walked (since it was the dry season, there are minimal insects). A few superficial scratches after pushing through bushes or river grass were not bothersome.

We loved getting to know interesting details about animals and plants, and seeing things "up close and personal". You definitely can get closer to animals in a vehicle (they don't perceive you as people in that big, square thing that stays on the road), but it was thrilling to "sneak up" on a herd of elephants, being downwind and not talking.

Moli and Noelle have created a true oasis in the bush, and accommodations are first rate! They seem to truly enjoy hosting people in their slice of paradise, and regaling them with hilarious stories. Their staff are second to none, and food and drinks were delicious. The beds are truly enormous and comfortable, and the entire camp is spotlessly clean.

We spent 2 days at fly camp, most of the time with Jacques, and enjoyed it immensely. He was tireless in giving me photography tips and helped me get some wonderful pictures of the night sky and the Milky Way.

We don't usually repeat trip destinations (the world's just too big!), but we're already planning to return in wet season to revel in the differences, and spend time in this beautiful area with super people. This was definitely our favorite camp of the 4 we stayed on this trip." See all these reviews: 15n in Tanzania

"If you want to experience an African safari like it should be, then Kichaka is the place! The simple, yet luxurious main camp is located in a remote part of Ruaha, on a ridge with a fantastic view of the Ruaha River below. The fly camp is located a ways away on the banks of the Ruaha itself. Wildlife in the area is plentiful and diverse, and just wild enough to let you know that human visitation is not that frequent. In fact in our 5 night stay we did not see a single other visitor!

Our daily walks with Owner/Guide Moli were fantastic. We had close encounters with herds of elephants, and saw lots of other wildlife and birds. But what made the walks special was learning so much from Moli about what we were seeing. From elephants to ants, Moli is a walking encyclopedia of the African wilderness, and shares his knowledge so effortlessly!

Camp hostess Noelle made us feel right at home, and dinner was always an opportunity to share conversation about the day and past experiences in a pleasant atmosphere. Meals were excellent. Staff was extremely friendly and helpful too. Although most of our walking and game drive time was spent with Moli, Jacques, the camp's other guide was also extremely personable and very knowledgeable about the area's wildlife and birds.

We have been on 4 trips to Africa, and stayed at quite a few camps, almost all of them excellent. But Kichaka was simply the best experience that we have had." See all these reviews: 18n in Tanzania

"Our family group of 6 had 3 nights at the Kichaka main camp and 1 night fly-camping, though the latter title rather under plays the standard of service and comfort that Moli, Noelle and their team provided. The main camp is on a ridge with breathtaking views out over the bush. Very comfortable facilities, delicious food and excellent hospitality; Noelle and her staff provide a well run camp as a base for the safari adventures.

The walks with Moli were a wonderful experience; his enthusiasm, passion and knowledge were inspiring. Within 2 hours of setting off on our first morning walk we were following a pair of young bull elephants. This ended with our group observing one of the elephants at a distance of about 15 metres. A memorable experience for us all, particularly for the "safari novice" in our group who was 2 hours into her first safari. On another occasion we followed Moli's instruction - boots and socks off - and waded into the river to watch 3 elephants coming into the river to drink and then wander across to the other bank. Magical moments standing on a sandbank mid-stream as the elephants drank and then walked across in front of us, all with the backdrop of the cries of fish-eagles. The walks were not just about elephants, though they are Moli's great passion, there were many other wonderful experiences - sightings of other game, the scenery, the birds and their calls, the smells as we walked through wild sage. It is a complete immersion in the African bush.

Moli's careful guiding and skilful reading of situations meant that we always felt that we were in safe hands. He was ably assisted by the Park Ranger who accompanied us on all our walks.

The night fly-camping was at a beautiful location on the banks of the river. The standard of service and food remained outstanding even though we were "fly-camping".

The pattern of activities over the 3 full days we were with Kichaka was a walk in the morning (a certain level of fitness is required to be able to enjoy this), lunch followed by a rest and then another walk or a game drive in a vehicle in the late afternoon. Kichaka operates in a part of Ruaha that is well away from other camps and so there is a real sense of remoteness in the experience. The whole adventure with Moli, Noelle and their staff was fantastic." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania

"Kichaka is definitely not for everyone, but boy, did we enjoy every moment. The camp is situated high up and overlooks the river - which I found amazingly peaceful.

The focus here is not on physical luxury and enormous amounts of food - although the tents are more than adequate (beats most of the brick and mortar four wall bed and breakfasts I've stayed in), the bucket showers were nice and warm and we never did 'run dry' during a shower even when washing long hair and we definitely didn't go hungry. In fact, it was rather nice to have simpler food after a week of quite elaborate food.

The jewel in the crown, however, is the time spent bush walking. It was amazing, even in such heat and Moli is a master at making sure you are never in the sun for too long before he stops under some amazing tree and hypnotises you all with fabulous tales - ask about the termites - it should be a TED talk!

Obviously, to cope with the walking you need to be mobile and, especially if you are not very tall like me, able to do a little bit of clambering but the pace is not fast. In addition to animals, Moli finds shade and ensures you drink plenty of water. Top tip - if you get hayfever make sure you have antihistamines if you are visiting when the grasses are tall and pollen around.

The guiding here is on a completely different level and I could not begin to compare it with anything else I've encountered in my previous six trips to Tanzania. If you like being out in the bush, visit this camp." See all these reviews: 18n in Tanzania

"This is the ideal standard for a camp. The location, the level of service, the level of luxury, absolutely everything is perfect to a T. Moli and Noelle have really put together something terrific. I will always use this camp as the standard for future safaris -- if I can even bring myself to go anywhere else!

Moli is a guide unmatched by anyone else. His passion, depth of knowledge, sense of humor, and story-telling abilities made every venture a remarkable experience. It broke my heart to have to leave, and I joke to my husband that if we ever win the lottery, we are going to book six months at Kichaka.

His staff are friendly and attentive. The food is divine. The rooms, though they are just tents, are supremely luxurious with an incomparable view. He has the perfect location. I thought that being in an area where animals are not so habituated to animals would affect our viewing experience, but it actually heightened the experience when we did see game. To experience a wilderness so untouched by man is moving. And yet, we had absolutely no wants, as it was still a luxurious place to be. It's pretty cool how far they have to go to get supplies, but somehow it all works out.

Even two weeks after getting back, I can't stop thinking about that place." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 4n in Rwanda

"This is the most amazing place we have ever stayed. The luxury, beauty, excellent service, and great food at the lodge contrasted bizarrely and yet wonderfully with the complete isolation and unparalleled access to truly wild land. We have no idea what miracles Noelle works to make this happen when she is a nine hour drive from the nearest store, but we appreciated the results!

We had expected fantastic hikes in the bush with very knowledgeable guides, but even our very high expectations were exceeded. Moli and Jacques were extremely informative and clear, and the combination of drives and hikes gave us a broader and deeper understanding of Ruaha than we could possibly have achieved in a more centrally located camp.

We especially appreciated Jacques' authenticity and deep passion for the bush -- and his delicious gin and tonics!" See all these reviews: 9n in Zanzibar; 7n in Tanzania

"Surely one of the greatest (if not the greatest) trip we have done to date. Kichaka is all and more what we were expecting it to be, and our expectations were high. Moli is indeed the best guide I have ever had the pleasure to meet, combining unmatched practical experience, deep scientific knowledge, great presentation skills and most engaging personality. Noelle was also a very charming and helpful host and a joy to be with. We had also the opportunity to spend a couple of days with Jacques as a guide and host at the fly camp, and he too was truly great both as a guide and a travelling companion.

Ruaha is a great place where to see wildlife and live the bush, teaming with wildlife but with very few people (and basically no one else in the Kichaka area). We manage to see many lions, leopard, buffalos and (hundeds of) elephants...both whilst walking and from the car, but we also had wild dogs, hyenas, roan antelopes ....and both greater and lesser kudus on a daily basis.

We tend not to go back to places we have already visited, but we will certainly make an exception for Ruaha and Kichaka Expeditions" See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania

"Moly and Noelle can hardly be topped !

Moly offered best guidance, scientific explanations on all aspects of the surrounding nature brilliantly performed and still well understandable: the walking tours offered information on all kinds of natural interrelations as well as innumerable details of flora, fauna and geological facts, but they were also highly amusing and deep and moving experiences. We could not have been better cared for !

At home" Noelle was the perfect host: her kitchen left no wishes open - veggies f.e. were always offered .......... and she also entertained perfectly !

The fact that the camp is small as well as really very remote ( apart from the rangers we met litarally nobody !) only added to the fascination of this stay !

We would always highly recommand Kichaka to everybody who looks for African impressions that reach under the surface and go deeper as well as beyond the usual safaris !!" See all these reviews: 21n in Tanzania

"Our week at Kichaka was one of the highlights of our lives. We have done walking safaris before but not in such thick bush and not with the intent of getting as close as possible to elephants. It's incredible, sometimes scary and definitely addictive.
Moli did the longer morning walks and Jacques, his number 2, the afternoon walks or drives. Both are accompanied by a very good Tanapa ranger so you do feel safe behind their 2 guns and 2 pairs of eyes.
Moli is amazing: we've heard many explanations of particular animal behaviour but no one who has had the depth of knowledge of Moli or his infectious enthusiasm. It was informative, fascinating and also a lot of fun: we laughed a lot over the week.
So we walked to within 5 metres of an elephant, watched them for 10 minutes and then left without it ever knowing we were there. That was very exciting. And that's the target every day though of course they have to work with the animals and conditions which present themselves..
Jacques, a Zim pro guide, was also very good and a fascinating man who seems to have done a bit of everything over his life
The camp is lovely; I guess relatively simple but all very nicely done and with very attentive staff. Nothing is too much trouble. We said we wanted to swim in the Ruaha and so that was arranged and Jacques and the ranger ensured it was safe for us to do so: no crocs or hippo in sight.
The food was good. Showers/loo/washing are slightly separate from your tent which can make nocturnal loo trips exciting when you can hear lions are around.
The camp's position on a hill above the river is fantastic with sweeping views down and along the Ruaha River. It is very remote and feels like that: you could be the first (or the last) people on earth. We didn't see anyone else the whole week were there apart from some lion researchers. The absence of people and vehicles means the animals are quite skittish; Moli likes it that way and it makes the close encounters you get feel even more special.
It's a very small camp and feels very intimate. We cannot praise it enough." See all these reviews: 8n in Zanzibar; 7n in Tanzania