Kichaka Zumbua

7°29’9.6"S 35°9’27.8"E

99% (31 reviews)

Full review Our view Geographics Food & drink Special interests Children Wildlife sightings Communications Health & safety Activities Extras

Kichaka Zumbua: Our full report

Kichaka is one of Tanzania's top walking camps, and we were very excited to see the opening of Kichaka Zumbua ...

... in the remote north of Ruaha National Park, located close to the original tented camp. The owners Andrew "Moli" Molinaro and Noelle Herzog have wanted to establish a permanent camp in Ruaha for some years. Opened in late 2021, Kichaka Zumbua provides a luxurious base for exploring the wilds of Ruaha, with stylish suites, private plunge pools, and rooftop terraces.

Kichaka Zumbua is located vin an area the owners describe as being their favourite walking area. There are no other camps in this region and you are likely to see few other vehicles. There is a real sense of space and wilderness here.

By way of background, Moli and his partner Noelle had previously spent more than 6 years working at Jongomero Camp. There Moli gained a reputation for leading first-class walking safaris and also fell in love with Ruaha. He still spends what little free time he has training up the TANAPA rangers, who help to protect the park.

Moli and Noelle loved walking and wanted to explore the vast wilderness of Ruaha, much of which is still unmapped. A private mobile camp was the obvious answer for flexibility and quality of operation, so in 2013 Kichaka Expeditions was born. In 2021 this was a evolved into a more luxurious, permenant camp, Kichaka Zumbua.

Kichaka Zumbua currently consists of three luxurious suites, and there are plans to build additional suites in the future. A spacious bedroom area with a wooden balcony to the front is connected by a short pathway to a thatch-roofed bathroom, with an open-air shower and a beautiful bathtub with views across Ruaha. On the other side of the tent a separate structure provides a seating area with a private plunge pool, while a set of steps leads up to a rooftop terrace – perfect for evening sundowners. The suites have been designed with plenty of natural materials to compliment their environment.

There's a communal lounge and dining area and, based on our knowledge of Kichaka, we are confident the food will be excellent. One of our favourite aspects of Kichaka is the friendly, personal feel. The owners Moli and Noelle spend lengthy periods living at the camp and typically host communal meals which are very sociable and enjoyable.

The main reason for visiting Kichaka are the activities, and specifically the excellent guided walking safaris through untouched areas on the east side of Ruaha National Park. The guides will share their encyclopedic knowledge of Ruaha's flora and fauna with guests, and, if asked, will also include lessons on bushcraft skills, tracking, fire-lighting and the basics of bush survival. On our last visit here, we got close to several big game species during the walks with Moli: we tracked and found a male leopard, and shadowed a large heard of elephant for nearly an hour – all on foot. Activities are often conducted by Moli, and accompanied by a TANAPA ranger. The guides are always properly armed.

There is a healthy population of elephants in Ruaha and during a walking safari you may have the chance to approach them on foot. During a previous visit to Kichaka we shadowed a herd of elephants for more than an hour, with our guide's expertise and caution keeping us enthralled but always safe.

The other activity at the original Kichaka is fly-camping, and this is offered to guests staying at Kichaka Zumbua. You can do fly-camping between the 1st April and 30th November, the usual dry season in Ruaha. You might combine a few nights at Kichaka Zumbua with a few nights at the much simpler fly-camp, allowing you to explore the wildest corners of Ruaha. These tents are fairly basic, in order to be transported between areas, although they're still quite big – each is an unusually tall dome tent, about 4 metres x 4 metres and too high to reach with upstretched fingers. When they are being used, the camp staff move this fly-camp to a new location, so that guests are able to stay close to the game and explore untouched areas of the park. This is an adventurous experience and can be a great option if you're looking for a longer stay.

Our view

Kichaka is one Tanzania’s most remote and exciting properties. We loved the original Kichaka camp, and equally impressed with the new, luxury Kichaka Zumbua. This is an ideal option if you're looking for top-quality guiding and walking in a remote area, combined with beautiful accommodation and creature comforts.

Chris McIntyre

Tanzania expert

Geographics

Location: Ruaha National Park, Tanzania
Ideal length of stay: We would recommend a stay of at least three nights – and preferably four or five if you’d like to do some fly-camping.
Directions: It's a two-and-a-half hour flight from Dar to Ruaha's main Mtemere airstrip, and then a leisurely three-hour game drive to camp, often with lunch eaten by the river en route.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Food quality: There is a maximum of 6 guests in camp at any one time, and so a huge amount of care is put into each individual meal. The quality and variety of the food at Kichaka is extremely good.

Breakfast will usually be served before the morning walk, and this will consist of a selection of fruit, cereals and toast followed by a full English for those who want it. This will usually be served in the main tent at camp.

Lunch tends to be quite light, consisting of a variety of salads, and some meat or fish cooked on the BBQ or on one of their gas stoves. It can be served anywhere in the bush and the staff will often set up a nice spot for lunch while the guests are walking. After lunch you will have the option to be driven back to camp or continue walking. During past visits we enjoyed sesame seed fried Nile perch, pork chops and beef fajitas. Dessert is normally light and fruit based.

Dinner is usually three courses and is often served out under the stars. The starter could be anything from beach prawns with garlic and parsley to aubergine, beef and pesto stacks (both were excellent!). On the last time that we visited, the main course served was fillet of beef, asparagus wrapped in bacon, mashed potato and peppercorn sauce on one night and turmeric Zanzibar fish curry served with naan and rice on another. Dessert was a delicious chocolate pot on one occasion, and cashew nut meringue served with a passion-fruit coulis on another.

There is a set menu due to the remoteness of the camp, but vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose-free menus are all available with prior notice.
Dining style: Group Meals
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Drinks included: Yes

Special interests

Walking safaris: Kichaka is known for its outstanding walking safaris which take place in remote regions of Ruaha. The two guides, Moli and Jaques, are both highly experienced and their enthusiasm is infectious.; See ideas for Walking safaris in Tanzania

Children

Attitude towards children: The camp will accept anyone over the age of 10.
Property’s age restrictions: You have to be at least aged 16 to go on walks.
Special activities & services: Child minding and kids meals can be arranged.
Equipment: The camp doesn’t provide any cots, high-chairs or special equipment for children.
Generally recommended for children: We would not recommend this camp to anyone under the age of 16 because to get the most out of Kichaka you need to go on safari walks.
Notes: The camp moves between very wild areas and is not fenced. We therefore recommend that only mature teenagers with an understanding of Africa consider visiting Kichaka. All children should be supervised at all times.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Kichaka Zumbua

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Kichaka Zumbua have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Hippo

92% success

Buffalo

85% success

Lion

67% success

Eland

62% success

Roan antelope

55% success

Spotted Hyena

36% success

Striped Hyena

25% success

Leopard

20% success

Sable antelope

13% success

Cheetah

10% success

Wild dog

10% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Communications

Power supply notes: Electricity and charging points in the suites.
Communications: There is sporadic mobile phone reception. There is weak wifi in communal lounge area. There is a satellite phone in case of emergencies.
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: The solar heated water is dug from the river and is fine to wash with, however guests should not drink it. Filtered water is supplied.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: First Aid Kits are carried by all the members of staff both on vehicles and in camp. The staff are all fully-qualified first aiders but in an emergency a medical evacuation would need to be arranged from one of the local airstrips.
Dangerous animals: High Risk
Security measures: There is a radio provided in every tent and there will always be a member of staff close by in case of an emergency.
Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers on all the vehicles.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Fly-camping
Guided walking safari

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible
Laundry facilities: This is a complimentary service and usually takes around 24 hours.
Money: There are no credit card facilities at the Lodge. However it is all-inclusive and so you should not need to pay for anything once you are there. You should however remember to bring some cash (US$ or Tanzanian shillings) in order to tip the staff at the end of your stay.