Travel reviews by The Rileys from Cincinnati

"Four Points Nairobi Airport was located very close to the airport.

The hotel is gated and our car was thoroughly checked by security and a K-9 before being granted entry through the gate, which made us feel secure at this location. The staff were very hospitable and the breakfast buffet was outstanding. Rooms included robes and slippers. The aesthetic is modern and chic. There's a very nice gift shop that included native African art items.

I would recommend this hotel and definitely would stay again at this location."

"The public areas and grounds are lovely. The pool looks very nice.

Very comfortable seating in the lobby and balcony overlooking the pool. Live entertainment nightly. Staff were gracious, especially a kind woman in housekeeping who helped me when I was ill.

Very limited food options on the restaurant and room service menus. The room is very basic but functional. Compared to the grounds, which I would rate as good-to-excellent, the rooms are equivalent to a 3-star hotel in the U.S. at best. Guests get two bottles of water free daily.

I personally would not stay here again and don't recommend it. I believe there are newer hotels in the city that may have a more extensive menu and more modern, upgraded accommodations."

"The Mountain Gorilla View Lodge was amazing! Such a beautiful location. Very nice accommodations. The rooms are basically individual villas with a large sitting area and fireplace, king bed and very large bathroom with a shower. Each night, a staff member comes to your room to make a fire for you. Such a nice touch!

The staff was excellent and made every effort to make our stay enjoyable. The buffet-style meals were delicious with an excellent variety of choices and great desserts. The views of the mountains are lovely and it's very close to the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, which you really should visit if you have time.

We really enjoyed the leg massages after the Golden Monkey and Mountain Gorilla treks! A local drum troupe provided entertainment. The gift shop has a good selection of local art. The gift shop also rents gloves and gaiters so you don't have to bring your own if you need them for the treks.

Highly recommend and would absolutely love to stay here again."

"We stayed at 3 Kicheche camps during our trip, with Kicheche Laikipia being the first. We lost two days at camp due to getting food poisoning in Kigali. The staff, especially Tobin and Naftali, were so gracious and welcoming upon our arrival. They made sure that we had a chance to select bland menu choices when the regular menu might include foods that would upset our recovering tummies. They asked each morning and evening how we were feeling. We felt very cared for in this situation.

The tents are spacious, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. I loved that the Kicheche tents were decorated in what seemed to be very native African colors and prints. Hot running water and flushing toilets were such a luxury! The hot water bottles in our beds in the evening and in the vehicles - along with a warm poncho and blankets from the tents - made the morning and evening drives more enjoyable. It gets cold when the sun is down in Laikipia!

Ol Pejata Conservancy is simply gorgeous. Within 10 minutes of leaving the air strip when we arrived, we were parked in the shade watching 8 lions rest and play. Simon was an amazing guide who was fully committed to providing us with the best animal viewing experiences possible. He is very knowledgeable and answered tons of questions about the animals, camp, the conservancy and so much more. We were really lucky to see a striped hyena and a pair of mating lions during our visit. So many different animals and the density is astounding.

One of the best features of Kicheche Laikipia is the watering hole. There were always a variety of different animals hanging around getting a drink, but the best sighting was when we were eating lunch and tower of 18 giraffes came along for drinks. It was such a great lunch show!

We highly recommend Kicheche Laikipia and can't wait to return!"

"Kicheche Valley is fabulous. Each tent is situated so that you have privacy and the animals are often right in camp. We saw giraffes, zebra and hyena in the areas around camp. The view from the dining tent is beautiful, looking out over the valley. The tents are really comfortable and roomy. Very clean, Pottery Barn-like aesthetic. Again, the hot water bottles in the morning and evening were so appreciated!

I was lucky to get to celebrate my birthday at Valley Camp. The camp staff - Joyce, Jocelyn and others - honored me with a native dance and a birthday cake. Joyce gave such a sweet welcome and celebration speech. Minnie made each guest feel special and shared a little bit about each one of us. The staff is wonderful. Minnie works very hard to make sure that every detail is flawless. Joyce just exudes joy. Her smile is contagious. She and Jocelyn were very attentive and so gracious. One day we returned from the afternoon drive to find that Nelson had carved sticks for us to use to roast marshmallows over the fire (a much-loved camping tradition in the U.S.A.). Elijah always made sure we were comfortable and that services were to our liking. The chefs made masterful meals and take such pride in what they prepare. An absolutely fantastic experience.

Our guide was Mica and he was amazing. He has extensive guiding experience and great instincts. We spent a day in the Reserve to see the crossing. What a different experience than the conservancies! We're really glad that we were able to see the crossing while we were there. The first group of more than 2,000 wildebeests and zebra crossed while about 300 cars jockeyed for position. Mica kept us safe through that wild ride and didn't risk our lives for the best viewing spot. The cars actually ended up separating the herd and a smaller group retreated to wait for another opportunity. We explored a bit more of the river after that large crossing and thought we'd be headed back to camp but Mica knew that it was a matter of time before the rest of the herd made the crossing. Within about 10 minutes of that herd crossing, Mica took us back to the original spot and got us in an amazing front-row spot. It was a really special experience to be there for the crossing.

Mica took great care to get us in great animal viewing positions for photographs, too, even for birds. He really watched and listened to our surroundings to give us unique experiences. On our last morning, we were trying to find a leopard and he noticed a bunch of birds were warning of a predator in a small tree. He maneuvered around and watched and waited until he saw the reason for the ruckus - a pearl-spotted owlet. Mica made sure that our experience wasn't just about the large animals - we saw such a variety of birds, both in the Reserve and Naboisha, as well as mongoose. We learned about the different animals and their behavior.

Kicheche Valley Camp is a must-visit. It was simply perfect."

"Kicheche Bush Camp is a top-notch photography-focused camp. We had such interesting conversations with these well-traveled guests who shared their experiences with us. Dido and Sharon were very attentive. Dido joined us for dinner each evening and made sure that our every need was met. The tents are comfortable and very spacious. The shower is huge! One of the best parts was hearing the lions roar every night and morning. I miss the sounds of the African night.

Our guide was James, who is not only a top-level guide but also an award-winning photographer himself. He knows Olare Motorogi Conservancy so well and can answer any question about the animals, knows the great viewing spots and is just a great person. He made our experience extra special, including our visit to the Masai village. After we saw all of the amazing birds in Laikipia and Valley Camps, James made a special effort to find new birds we hadn't seen or to get us in perfect photo spots for birds doing interesting things. I would never have expected to enjoy watching bee eaters and lilac breasted rollers, while my husband and James snapped away, instead of only watching the big animals. We saw so many animals during our safari, had a luxury experience at Bush Camp, and absolutely can't wait to return!"