Reviews of Kicheche Laikipia
Wildlife sightings and reviews
67 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kicheche Laikipia and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
100% success
5% success
66% success
19% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
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100% success
100% success
100% success
89% success
24% success
17% success
3% success
0% success
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Cheetah
Multiple sightings
Eland
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
The Conservancy in my view was a bit small, as the vehicle did come up against the perimeter fence. That said there were excellent sightings of lion on a recently killed Zebra, and two southern White Rhino males locking horns over a female.
This indeed is the place for Rhino, both Southern White and Black Rhino. There is also the opportunity to go and set the last two remaining Northern White Rhino.
The food here was excellent, although I am not so sure about the fence round the camp." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Eland
4 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
6 sightings
White Rhino
8 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Black Rhino
5 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
3 sightings
Eland
3 sightings
Elephant
7 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
White Rhino
8 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Food and drink were good; staff was very attentive and efficient. Think there are only 6 rooms/tents, so not quite as fancy as Tortillas but nice.
Guide - had Peter as our very excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and fearless in going after the perfect view point of an animal." See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
The camp does a great job of providing support for the surrounding community and really follows the students that clients can adopt. A student is followed from primary school all the way up to college. If a student is not doing well or faltering, a tutor is brought in to rectify and assist the students. I chose this camp because of its committment to the community.
I saw so many rhinos, and ellies and other animals with William. This is a really fun camp. The food is also delicious - I had a spun sugar dessert one evening. I was given so many choices for my meals and there were always flowers nearby and on the tables. There were two fireplaces for warm eating. The lighting in the tents was great: I also appreciate the robes, and the flashlights and leaving the tent open for me at night. The hot water bottle is also a great touch at night. Thank you Louise." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
At Kicheche Laikipia we usually didn’t have early breakfast in camp. We started with coffee in our tent and then went straight to the safari vehicle. Right after leaving camp we had a great morning view of Mount Kenya with the sunrise. About 9:00 am each day our guide Simon would find a scenic spot and set out breakfast for the three of us. The camp was only partially full so we had a vehicle to ourselves.
The tents are very spacious with a comfortable bed, large double vanity, shower and flush toilet. The tent is open on the front in the bedroom during the day with netting and flaps that drop down at night. By the time we returned at mid-day the staff had opened up the front of our tent. We had no problem with bugs of any kind in our tent.
Meals were excellent with plenty of variety, delicious salads, soups and vegetables in addition to plenty of beef and chicken. Deserts were delicious too. Lunch was served in a tent near the waterhole. Dinners were served in the main tent, which also has a comfortable seating area. One evening we enjoyed a meal of all local dishes that included a variety of stews and vegetables. It was our favorite dinner.
Early in the morning and after dark we were escorted to and from our tent by one of the staff members. Time spent around the campfire with a glass of wine before dinner was a highlight.
One day we went to the Ngare Ndare Forest and hiked to a couple of waterfalls and then after a picnic lunch, and some bird watching, we did the canopy walk. It was quite interesting and fun. It was about a two hour drive to get there and it was interesting to drive through the town of Nanyuki. We flew into a different airstrip so had not seen Nanyuki yet. Another afternoon we visited the Endangered Species Enclosure and saw the last two Northern White Rhinos that exist in the world. We also took photos at the marker for the equator which we had crossed twice that day.
The camp is in a private area where self driving is not allowed so the only time we saw other vehicles is when we went into the more open area. Even then we rarely came across anyone else. Game viewing was very good with a lot of black rhino and white rhino. We also saw some baby jackals who came out of their den to visit with us. One afternoon we watched a female lion hunting; she ultimately was unsuccessful after a try at some zebras and then a close call for a warthog. That was quite exciting! Simon is one of the most detail-oriented guides we’ve ever had on safari. We learned so many details about everything from whistling acacia to lizards to rhinos. He is a stellar guide." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania; 10n in Rwanda; 8n in Kenya
Black Rhino
10 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Eland
4 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Spotted Hyena
6 sightings
White Rhino
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
The jeeps are perfectly equipped: ponchos, hot water bottle and portable coffee mug were very welcome! Lovely guiding by Peter.
Good sightings on every game drive" See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
Black Rhino
10 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Eland
10 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
10 sightings
White Rhino
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
The camp itself has a great view over the dam and the wildlife that visit are forever changing. We extremely enjoyed our lunch sitting out watching the elephants and giraffe, among others, go by.
The fires in the main tent are lovely to come back to after your afternoon drive, especially in the rain! The tents are great, with a nice seating area & hammock to enjoy the view. The hot water bottles at night were very much appreciated as it was quite cold and rainy.
The food was the best of the trip, a real effort was made to accommodate my vegetarian diet in different and interesting ways. We loved everything we were given and even asked for some of the recipes when we left.
Without a doubt Simon our guide was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and extremely friendly and easy to get on with. We really enjoyed our game drives with him. He is a great ambassador for the Kicheche brand. It is very evident that he has a passion for his job, his country and the animals. He takes great pride in what he is doing and went above and beyond to make our experience one to remember.
Ol Pejeta is a great conservancy, we loved to see so many Rhino. We enjoyed our visit to the chimp sanctuary, which Simon recommended we incorporate into a game drive.
The visit to the Northern White Rhinos was insane. It was probably the highlight of the trip for me. I didn't know what to expect but I didn't think we would be the only people there and that we would get to drive into the enclosure in our jeep. We had the sole attention of Najin & Fatu. It was a spectacular experience to hand feed and touch them. Najin put her whole head, giant horn included, into the jeep for another carrot. She then decided to use the bumper as a horn sharpener to Simons dismay!
I would without hesitation recommend KL and hope to return one day soon and we want to say a big thanks to Simon, Louise and the rest of the team for giving us a great stay." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya
Black Rhino
5 sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Eland
5 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
7 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
White Rhino
3 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
Great game, great food, great staff and great manager!
Weather was relatively chilly and wet but this was unimportant!" See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya
Black Rhino
Multiple sightings
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
2 sightings
Eland
2 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
4 sightings
Spotted Hyena
10 sightings
White Rhino
Multiple sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Kicheche Laikipia review"
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)." See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya
"Senior Africa Specialist"
Black Rhino
4 sightings
Buffalo
8 sightings
Cheetah
3 sightings
Eland
1 sighting
Elephant
8 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Hippo
1 sighting
Lion
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
White Rhino
4 sightings
Zebra
8 sightings
Holiday styles & special interests in Kenya
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Kenya.
Other lodges in Laikipia
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Laikipia Wilderness
Laikipia Wilderness is a rustic owner-managed bush camp, in excellent wild dog territory, offering outstanding guiding.
Lewa Safari Camp
Lewa Safari Camp is a comfortable and homely tented lodge, located in the Lewa Conservancy and offering a relatively exclusive safari away from mass tourism.
Sosian
Sosian Lodge is a distinctive, estancia-style ranch house on a former cattle ranch, with great opportunities for riding, relaxing and seeing wild dogs and other savannah wildlife.
Lewa Wilderness
Lewa Wilderness is a comfortable, fenced safari lodge with nine cottages, great views and a huge range of activities.
El Karama Lodge
El Karama is a comfortably rustic, very personal, riverside eco-lodge on a game-rich private ranch in Laikipia, an hour’s drive north of Nanyuki airport.
Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge
The community-owned Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge sits atop a small hill in the remote Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, a two-hour drive north of Lewa Conservancy in north-eastern Laikipia.
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a simple camp, with comfortable tents, delivering an authentic wilderness experience backed up by good food and guiding.
Borana
Borana is a comfortable and striking lodge on the Borana Conservancy in eastern Laikipia, offering pleasant accommodation with good food and service and a very wide range of activities.
Solio Lodge
Solio Lodge is an exclusive and luxurious bush lodge set in the private Solio Game Ranch in southern Laikipia.
Porini Rhino Camp
Porini Rhino Camp is a small, simple, well established tented camp, with a keen focus on sustainable and low-impact tourism.
Lewa House
Lewa House is a very comfortable, boutique safari lodge located on the Lewa Conservancy, north of Mount Kenya.
Sirikoi
Sirikoi is a small, very high-quality safari camp with excellent service and food and a wide selection of activities.
Loisaba Tented Camp
Loisaba Tented Camp is a luxury safari base of tented rooms, ranged along a ridge in the Loisaba Conservancy, facing Mount Kenya. The camp was completely rebuilt in 2016.
Kifaru House
Kifaru House is a small, stylish safari lodge in the Lewa Conservancy, with beautiful views across the landscape.
Tassia Lodge
Tassia offers a unique wilderness experience in a remote location: come here for cultural interaction, stunning views and something a bit different.
Loisaba Star Beds
Loisaba Starbeds is a simple camp of 4 rooms with pull-out, open-air 'star beds', located near a dam in the Loisaba Conservancy, in northwestern Laikipia.
Sandai
Sandai is a pretty, owner-run homestay, set between the Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya, offering a range of activities at extra cost.
Karisia Walking Safaris
Karisia Walking Safaris operates camel assisted, multi-day walking safaris from its main camp, Tumaren, set in a remote part of Laikipia.
Sabuk Lodge
Sabuk Lodge is a charismatic and remote lodge in western Laikipia on the high, rocky banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River.
Sweetwaters Serena
Sweetwaters Serena is a large, older tented camp – the largest camp in the Laikipia region – in the eastern part of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Sanctuary at Ol Lentille
The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is an unusual safari lodge in northern Laikipia, consisting of three exclusive villas, and offering a huge range of activities.
Governors' Mugie House
Governors' Mugie House – a substantial, luxury safari lodge – is one of only two properties in the Mugie Conservancy in northwestern Laikipia.
Thomsons Falls Lodge
Thomsons Falls Lodge is a simple hotel dating back to the colonial era, located above the falls of the same name, near the western Laikipia town of Nyahururu.
Ekorian's Mugie Camp
Ekorian's Mugie Camp is a pleasant, family-friendly safari camp in a remote location in northwestern Laikipia.
