Reviews of Kicheche Bush Camp
(99%) From 20 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
| 
A wonderful camp
Having travelled extensively in Africa, this was my first time in Kenya - and I was blow away by the Mara. The rains had already begun, meaning everything was a sparkling emerald green - and the wide open vistas, so different to what I was used to from Zambia, were spectacular.
The game - especially cats: a showoff leopard, Fig, and large prides of stunning lions (those manes!) - just leaps off the landscape in front of you. Nelson was an excellent and friendly guide, and Aki was a charming host back at camp. Tents were spacious and well-equipped, including brollies and boots for the downpours (being caught in one of these on our evening drive, just as we were watching a pride of lions, was a highlight), and food was very good. The camp is especially good for photographers, with specially adapted vehicles offering loads of space for kit and well-trained guides.
Highly recommended.
Kicheche Bush Camp review
The camp was very luxurious for a camp with real beds and nice linens, flush toilets, running water and bucket showers. The food was excellent which we didn't expect at a camp. The host, Aki, was very friendly and welcoming, the guides were very friendly and knowledgeable and the entire staff knew us by name as soon as we arrived.
The wildlife viewing is outstanding here. Our guide Johnson was tenacious in trying to find what we wanted to see; and he succeeded wonderfully. So many lions, and the leopard Fig, and cheetahs. We got to see the cheetah hunt and catch an impala which was a highlight of the trip to watch the cheetah hunt.
We would highly recommend taking the hot air balloon ride although it will take a little over an hour to reach the take off site from Bush camp. But well worth it.
Great stay at Kicheche Bush camp
Aki was in charge as relief manager whilst Darron and Emma were in Nairobi. The camp was well run and extremely comfortable. It was busier than the other Kicheche camps I visited but everything was perfect. Patrick was an excellent guide and good companion.
Read more about the whole safariBest camp of my stay
Loved Kicheche's remoteness. Darren and Emma and their great staff made our days there very memorable. They organised a dawn balloon safari for me, and we had a very good early morning walking trip. Charles, our guide, was superb, knowledgeable and keen to help us enjoy our game viewing. As it's in one of the concessions, this was less crowded than the Mara itself.
it was interesting having photographers, professional and keen amateurs, in the camp, and to be allowed to look over their shoulders in the evening to watch them processing the days' shots. Tempts me to do a trip with Paul Goldstein and improve my holiday pics.
Kicheche Bush Camp never fails to impress
I love Kicheche bush camp - fabulous tents, fabulous cooking, fantastic service, 24/7 wi fi in its own tent [spacious and comfortable] and terrific safari experiences
Read more about the whole safariA totally different experience
This was our first visit to a 'bush' camp and we were aware from the information received it would be different to what we have previously been used to at safari camps/lodges. The tented accommodation is adequate, each positioned well apart from the next so there is no disturbance from the neighbours and just a short walk to the camp lounge/mess area. It's an unfenced camp so there are animals which do wander through, mostly at night, but we did not encounter any.
For us it was an interesting experience but we did miss the usual home comfort facilities ie. hot water and a decent shower. Bucket showers can be arranged at a time to suit the guests but it's a rather crude arrangement and most of the water from our shower head leaked from one side. We also found the lighting to be too subdued especially in the bathroom area; I had to hold a torch so my wife could put in her contact lenses. There is no mains power and lighting is available for certain periods. Guests are woken each morning with tea delivered to you your tent plus a jug of hot water for a minimal wash.
That aside, the food (no bush food served which we appreciated), hospitality, and game viewing was some of the best ever experienced. This camp is situated in a conservancy which has advantages; unlike the Maasai triangle there is relatively fewer people and therefore a lot less vehicles so game viewing is a far better experience. On one game drive we saw, including a group of 3 mothers with their 8 cubs, a total of 25 lions. On another, 5 male leopards in one group - which was most unusual. On another drive, our first kill - a female cheetah bringing down a gazelle. Just so much game!
Much to our surprise the camp has just introduced satellite Wi-Fi so phone and computer facilities available.
All the staff are to be congratulated on their endeavours to ensure guests are so well looked after in every detail.
Kicheche Bush Camp
We liked this lodge the best of all because of the area it sits in.
Emma and Darren were so helpful and welcoming. What made this lodge the best of the 3 we stayed in was the excellent location - there are wonderful hills around, which makes for great viewing and marvellous game drives.
Our guide, Charles, was truly excellent and we much enjoyed the Bush Walk with him. This is a quiet area. Even over New Year there were very few other cars and being in a conservancy they have a very strict rule on numbers able to enter the conservancy. So very often you could be alone looking at game.
Excellent safari
Well looked after, often had exclusive use of vehicle/guide
Read more about the whole safariKicheche Bush Camp is the cat's whiskers!
Kicheche Bush Camp really is the cat's whiskers.
Darren and Emma are the best camp managers we have ever come across and going back to Kicheche Bush Camp is like visiting old friends. As would be expected in a well-managed camp, all of the staff are friendly, helpful and diligent.
Wildlife viewing is very dependant on the quality of your guide but as all Kicheche guides are silver-badged and know the best angle for viewing and photographing the animals a good experience is assured.
But the stars of the show are the big cats and you will see plenty of their whiskers thanks to the expert guiding. There aren't many places where you can almost guarantee regular and good sitings of leopard and cheetah but this is one of them.
We hope to return!
One of the things that attracted us to Kicheche Bush Camp was reading about how many of their guests are repeat visitors -- they must be doing something right! After spending 4 nights there recently, we would have to agree and we hope that someday we will be able to join the ranks of repeat guests. They just seem to do everything to make a wonderful experience for their guests.
We enjoyed a warm welcome from managers Darren and Emma and their exuberant new puppy Frankie. Their presence in camp, including joining us at meals, made us feel a part of the bush camp family. The camp offers some of the best food we have ever had on our four safaris. It was fresh, varied, and absolutely delicious -- especially the variety of breads that they offered at each meal. They offered an updated take on safari meals, including made-to-order pizza for lunch one day and the Kenyan tradition of Indian curry for Sunday supper.
Our wonderful guide Nelson consistently found amazing things for us to view on our game drives. We watched lots of lions, lion cubs, leopards, cheetah, and hundreds of thousands of wildebeest who were staying in the area because the rains brought ample green grass. He even spotted an aardwolf twice in the daytime, and a caracal (which unfortunately hid in the grass to avoid being photographed.) A special memory was an afternoon drive to a hyena den to watch the young ones play. What an unexpected delight to discover that hyenas can actually be adorable! We chose not to spend a day driving to the Maasai Mara Reserve because the wildlife was so abundant in the conservancy. Nelson was always very skilled at positioning our vehicle for optimal photography, including some amazing sunset opportunities.
The only negative thing that we found was that because of the presence of several other camps in the conservancy, there were times when the game viewing felt a bit crowded. That occurred primarily when finding leopards with their kills, so it was easy to understand why everyone wanted to be there. But we could often find other animals on the hunt with no one else around, so it definitely did not spoil our experience there.
Overall, this is one of the best camps we have ever visited and we recommend it highly.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
