Travel reviews by Andreas from Switzerland

"We (2 adults, 2 teenagers) had a fantastic 4 nights at Kicheche Laikipia. The length of time gave us an opportunity to experience all facets of the reservation, gain deep insights through our guide, enjoy the camp and interact with the lovely staff. Great care was taken to use all the precautions against Covid.

Andrew, the camp host, is amazing. He speaks like an English academic and has knowledge like a professor. He gained his knowledge through many years of training as a guide. We spent much time talking with him about wildlife in Ol Pejeta and Africa. When talking about Ol Pejeta, he explained the connection with Fauna and Flora International and we came to the conclusion that background and details about this showcase reservation are not easy to get. Perhaps, this could be a hint to Expert Africa to be more elaborate on what is so special about Ol Pejeta.

Josphat was our guide. He is very knowledgeable and has a great sense of humor that built a good connection with the family. The only slight reservation we have is that the night safari felt a bit too much like hunting down animals (rather than getting to a good position and then observing without intruding).

The service at the camp was immaculate, the family tent in good condition, and the food was very creative and flavorful. The low quality of the mountain bikes however did not inspire us to take a ride. The water level in the lake was too low to consider canoeing.

In addition to the night drives (that few other camps offer), we had a peek at the endangered rhino sanctuary and the rescued chimps sanctuary (both not directly accessible due to Covid precautions)."

"We (2 adults, 2 teenagers) had a fantastic 4 nights at Kicheche Mara. The length of time gave us an opportunity to experience all facets of North Mara, gain deep insights through our guide, enjoy the camp and interact with the lovely staff. Great care was taken to use all the precautions against Covid.

The concept of this camp being embedded in wildlife is fantastic. On the one hand animals are roaming by and even through the camp which is why at night we were always accompanies by staff. On the other hand, it offers old-fashioned luxury making one feel very cozy and at home (even high speed WLAN).

Carys, the camp manager, is a very caring host with an interesting family history in Kenya and Tanzania. The staff struck us as polite and knowledgeable, and they are conscious and proud of their Masai heritage.

The North Mara is beautiful and being adjacent to the Serengeti gives an impression of boundless wilderness. While farmers are leading their livestock into the reservation, this is in line with traditions and ensures that the reservation's concept is broadly accepted.

Our guide was Saruni. He is very knowledgeable about wildlife and has a great sense of tracking animals. For example, on the last day he spotted a baby leopard on a tree. We went on to explore the park and returned to the spot in the evening in time for the mother to return and greet her child!

We very much appreciated the staff's motivation and attention to our welbeing. The general feel in our family tent and the main tents was excellent, and it was hilarious to see (or hear) the wildlife passing by. As a slight caveat, while we support the Eco concept it was unpleasant that cold days were coupled with cold water in the tent - we would have appreciated that the staff proactively checked.

We much appreciated the possibility of visiting the market on Thursday, especially as it gave us a genuine cultural experience. Other than that, the intense, varied safari schedule interwoven with sundowners and the occasional breakfast (at the rive with hippos, giraffes and crocs) where sufficient to make us sleep like a rock."

"We (2 adults, 2 children 12 and 15) spent 6 nights to relax after our safari. This was a great addition to our schedule, and we greatly recommend that visitors spend a few days there instead of only visiting safari camps and hushing out of the country thereafter.

The information and photos on the internet had set high expectations, but our experience surpassed those. The generous park-like setting with many trees full with birds and monkeys is marvelous, the buildings and rooms are exceptionally well designed and influenced by traditional, local styles, decorated with African art, but with modern comfort and much attention to detail. The staff, headed by Anna, was overwhelming in how much they cared, considered our wishes, repositioned the locations of our meals, surprised us with cocktails during the day and invited artists and musicians.

The place with its two pools, sandy beach and comfortable furniture are already a good basis for spending days there. We made good use of the morning gym classes (facing the ocean) and sea kayaks, and other local activities would have been available. Trips to Diani Beach are further away and require transportation. We also visited the well run Kinondo Kwetu Health Services center supported by the Kinondo Kwetu foundation.

On the last day, we had the opportunity to meet the Andersson family and were amazed to hear that they conceptualized Kinondo Kwetu by themselves and how much they care about their employees and the people in the village nearby.

As we were going to thereafter leave Kenya, we much appreciated that a nurse came to the camp to take samples for the Covid tests and thereafter mailed us the results. The staff was very careful to heed the health precautions."

"This is a beautiful, peaceful place. After the long trip from Europe, we enjoyed the hospitality and joyfulness of the staff. Thank you to Katie, Peter and Babylon for looking after our needs, for long, interesting conversations and for keeping the children entertained.

The primary purpose of the trip was to visit the Victoria Falls, followed by seeing local culture. We did not take advantage of the adventure entertainment offered in the area as it was primarily geared towards adults and exceedingly expensive. Between activities, we found the Stanley Safari Lodge wonderful for relaxing, gazing into the landscape and watching spectacular sunsets."

"We were glad to have the family house even though it did not provide the same luxury as the chalets. However, apart from being a safe and quiet place, it is not particularly interesting.

We used Pioneer Camp as stopover for visiting another town and as conveniently located close to the airport."

"This was the undisputed highlight of our travel to Sambia and Malawi. Already the arrival was breathtaking for a family that had not been on safari before: hippos and crocs bathing and splashing in the water only some meters away, and monkeys chasing each other on the roof.

Having peeked at other lodges, we appreciated the safeness, shielding and size of Robin's House. The hospitality and elegance of our serving staff Loti and Phelix was outstanding, and the kitchen chef Nixon world class.

We were extremely lucky to have had Obi as our guide. He has a deep knowledge of the park, the animals, their favorite locations at different times, and the ecosystem. Furthermore, he is a great teacher who taught us much about animals and plants. Finally, he is also a skilled driver who can steer the Toyota Landcruiser as if he was a ballet dancer. We heard that Obi has career ambitions and wish him best luck in the future!"

"This is a large property beautifully located in the national park.

Apart from Saturday, we had the place almost to ourselves, the kayaks and motorboat as well as other facilities were readily available. Guy is a good host and chef, very attentive and helpful, the staff cheerful and always ready to fulfil our wishes.

We particularly enjoyed talking to Louise who runs a small souvenir shop and produces craft work together with orphans."