Travel reviews by A & B from Corrales

"What I think of as the Kicheche magic began the moment Saruni and David picked us up from the airstrip. Our first game drive was from the airstrip to camp, and I felt as if I was in a dream. But it was definitely real! The camp itself is in a gorgeous setting, the staff is superb, the tents were the very definition of "glamping". And the food - oh my goodness. We were definitely spoiled - I gained 5 pounds on this trip. but it was worth it.

Something that made our time at Kicheche Mara extra special was a complete surprise. NJ had let them know that we were celebrating our 39th anniversary, so they arranged a private dinner for us. When we returned from the evening game drive, we were escorted to our tent. There we found the patio to our tent had been transformed. There were luminarias going up the steps and along the edge of the patio, a candlelit table with tablecloth, flowers, and a chilled bottle of sparkling wine. Our waitress served a superb meal (the butternut squash ravioli was amazing!). We sipped our sparkling wine while looking out at the fireflies, hearing the bell frogs and the quiet munching and rustlings of the elephants as they ate their dinner. Magic indeed.

But despite the amazingly high quality of every aspect of the camp, the heart and soul of this experience came from our guides. Saruni and David have a passion for the Mara that comes through in everything they do. Their knowledge of the wildlife, the land, and the people truly enriched our safari experience. Somehow they managed to keep up their energy, enthusiasm, and sense of humor for every ride. I was sorry to say goodbye to these two men."

"Kicheche Bush camp is aptly named, as it is in acacia scrub. Part of the tent is a screened in patio with comfy chairs. There's a hammock and a birdbath in our 'frontyard'. Very good birdwatching from our patio. As at Kicheche Mara, the staff, facilities, and food were amazing. Instead of the sound of elephants outside our tent at night, we heard buffalo.

And once again, our guides were exemplary. Patrick and Charles were able to find wildlife where I saw only scrub or rocks. They were able to tell us about every type of animal we saw, and in the case of some leopards and lions, the specifics of that individual. Patrick has a vivid and creative way of describing some things, which will stay with me always. One was his description of an old Cape buffalo as "a retired brigadier general". The other compared prey animals sensing a predator to townsfolk expecting the Government Inspector (which was a short story he read as young boy). I thought that was perfect. Both Patrick and Charles have a passion for what they do, and that comes through in their interactions with their many guests."

"Kicheche Valley is aptly named, as it perches above a beautiful valley. The tents are all on platforms, allowing a panoramic view of the valley below, and the critters cruising within it. As with the other two camps, the food, staff, and accommodations were above reproach. The gathering areas were especially nice. And the fire pit provided a wonderful spot to sit, have a refreshing beverage, and talk about the amazing things we'd seen that day. Or to just sit quietly and enjoy the incredible night sky.

One of the special things about this camp was the chance to go on a night drive. With a spotter armed with a red light, Johnson took us on a drive around the conservancy, pointing out the nocturnal activity of the animals. We were able to watch a bush baby going from tree to tree - it even looked right at us, showing its cute big eyes and round ears. We also saw black backed jackals, spotted hyenas heading out for the night, bat-eared foxes, white tailed mongoose, bush hares, spring hares, and one lonely lion.

I'm going to sound like a broken record here, but our guides Mika and Johnson were key to making this safari the amazing experience that it was. As with our other guides, both men have a depth of knowledge about the conservancy and its place in the ecosystem. They also were able to share information on individual leopards as well as lions - cubs' approximate ages, the relationships between lionesses, the changing hierarchy of the prides were we're watching. They got us into prime photography position (even though NJ was the only pro). They never left until they were sure we were ready. And it seemed that of the three camps, this one had the most challenging terrain or the trucks. Mika and Johnson navigated their way through all kinds of driving conditions without a problem. One memory that stands out for me is the time we spent watching a pride of around 14 lions (3 lionesses and the rest sub-adults) as the walked through the waving golden grass. Johnson kept patiently getting us into position to watch them as they made their way across the hills. Besides the skill and knowledge they showed, Both Johnson and Mika shared a joy in their work and a great sense of humor (a critical skill when part of your job is finding appropriate places for your guests to 'pick the flowers')."

"A beautiful hotel at the edge of Nairobi National Park. Very relaxing place to get ready for the trip hoe. The food was amazing, and I'm sure the 2 Dawas I had set me up nicely for the journey back home."