Kicheche Bush Camp

As with our previous visits to the Kicheche camps in Kenya. our recent trip was no exception. Yet again Kicheche deliver in all aspects of hospitality, food, comfort and the full authentic safari experience. The company have done a wonderful job working hand in hand with the local Masaai community to ensure the success of the conservancy concept. This camp is professionally run by Dido, Millie, Emma and their team. The accommodation we had was excellent, very comfortable with all the amenities you would see in top hotels. Food as we have come to expect from Kicheche was top class, it was nice to see that the pizza ovens are still in use!!. Our guide Josphat was superb, Some wonderful sightings of all the large cat species. Never ceases to amaze us how the guides manage to see things with the naked eye that we can't even with binoculars!! I'm not sure what else we could add other than to say that we would not consider looking anywhere else other than Kicheche when returning to Kenya.

Fantastic guide. James has vast knowledge, is an award winning photographer so gets you the best angles for photos. He seems to know what the animals (whch were plentiful) were going to do next so we saw both a lion kill and a successful leopard hunt amongst many fantastic sightings. The tent was well furnished with multiple charging points. and daily laundry service. The dining area was nicely set out and the food, top class - nutricious and filling. (Buffet lunch and communal seating in the evening with a 3 course meal and inclusive drinks). The manager, Dido (pronounced Dee-doh) and his team were wonderful - attentive and helpful. No frills just a great safari experience which was exactly as our Travell Agent was asked to provide.

We visited three different luxury tented safari camps and this was the absolute highlight by far. When we return (we really want to), we're only booking Kicheche properties - it was that special - for a bunch of reasons. The game driving is spectacular - the conservancy concept (which Kicheche helped pioneer in partnership with 277 local Masai tribes landowners) restricts the number of accommodation beds (94 beds total across five light-footprint camps) and visitors (effective one game-viewing vehicle for every 2,100 acres) to large chunks of the Masai Mara. This means you get closer to the wildlife, almost no other cars, meaningful income to the local tribes and sustainable land and wildlife conversation efforts to reverse the shocking population declines in the 80s and 90s. Amazing. Unlike the other two places we visited, the drivers are associated with Kicheche which supports a high standard of experience. The food was the best we've had and was served in a communal setting with other guests and staff which was super nice. My wife was sick for one day and I was stunned when they they proactively served all our meals in our tents and provided medication after noticing we didn't turn up for lunch. Add to this the breakfasts, sundowner drinks and impromptu "bar" they assembled out as part of the game drives. On top of this, I was in crutches for the whole trip (due to a rugby 'mishap' in NZ) and everyone went out of their way to make sure I didn't miss out on anything. The people were truly special. I can't wait to visit all the other Kicheche properties.

Kicheche Bush Camp in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy provided us with an amazing safari experience. The location is idyllic and so well placed to go on exciting game drives. The hospitality from the entire staff was outstanding…everyone was so cordial and kind. Camp managers DiDi, and Sharon were beyond hospitable made sure we had an unforgettable stay. The tents were large, very well appointed and had every amenity we could want…in room WiFi, hot running water with good shower pressure, very comfortable bed. The complimentary laundry service was great. Our clothes came back super clean and smelling fresh. The game drives were superb. Our guide Benjamin knew the conservancy like the back of his hand and guided us with a skill and knowledge that amazed me every time with his knowledge of animal behavior and the local landscape. The meals were all fantastic…kudos to the wonderful chef. All beverages included with fine wines and top shelf liquors to choose from. I really enjoyed the communal dining as it allowed us to mingle with te pother guests. The post safari bonfires were a nice touch as was the tea and hot cocoa in the morning included with wake up call prior to the early morning game drive. Kicheche Bush Camp can’t be beat either for the quality and standard of the tented camp or the quality of the game drives. I highly recommend Kicheche!

What an intimate and special place! We were greeted when we arrived off of our plane by our amazing guide Benja. He whisked us away for four incredible days of getting up close and personal with lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hippos, the list goes on. His knowledge of the animals and passion to honor them left us humbled to spend time with him. He spotted so many animals and we had such a fun time searching and exploring the area. The camp is so wonderful. Dido our camp host was so funny, engaging and so committed to making sure our experience was perfect! He greeted us after every drive, spent time with us and joined us for meals. It was great! My husband has lost his voice and Abraham the resident herbalist made a special tea for him twice a day which did the trick! Abraham is a beautiful soul that we had the honor of meeting. Michael James kept our tent so well organized and always folded our clothes special for us. He greeted us at the crack of dawn each morning with our coffee and tea. He is a gentle and kind person. I could go on and on about the food and the chef Ali and his team. The food was spectacular! We were so well fed! The spices, different flavors and variety were so enjoyable. It was the best food we had the whole trip and we had some good food. This camp was magical in every way!

We’ve been to Kicheche Bush Camp before and loved it. This stay was another fantastic, positive experience. The staff have an uncanny ability to quickly make you feel like old friends, whether it’s your first visit or you’re a return guest. All of the staff were great but particular thanks to Kennedy, Charles, Abraham and Robert, who made us feel like special friends or family. The food was delicious and plentiful, the drinks generous and well thought through - I particularly enjoyed some of the healthy soft drinks, mocktails and cocktails of the day. The guiding at Bush Camp is another standout. This time we were guided by James Nampaso, who is himself a keen and gifted photographer and gave excellent advice on opportunities for particular shots, always thinking about how best to position our vehicle to make the best of those opportunities (always with an overriding focus on the wellbeing of the animals). When I asked he also gave me good advice on optimal camera settings, which was appreciated after too long away from any safari photography. Bush Camp has developed since we were last there, pre-Covid pandemic, and those developments make things even more comfortable without losing the boutique Bush Camp experience. Dido and Sharon seem to be a great management team, relaxed, easy-going but extremely guest-focused and caring (picking up most ably from their much-loved predecessors Darren and Emma). Many of the staff talked about how Kicheche supported the team during the very tough years of the pandemic, keeping people on when other camps did not, which seems to say a lot about the culture of this lovely place.