Kicheche Mara Camp

Rooms

Overlooking the valley and Olare Orok stream, each of the tents is spacious and comfortable, featuring double or twin beds and an en suite bathroom with flush toilet, basin and safari-style hot water bucket shower. Lighting is solar powered and available 24 hours a day, and there are luggage racks to store your belongings. The rustic wooden furniture, patterned rugs and cushions create a warm, homely feel, while large windows allow for plenty of natural light; the sides of the tents are also able to open up during the day. There are furnished verandas outside each tent where you can relax with a drink or a book while looking out over the bush.

Location

The camp is located in the Acacia Valley, within the Mara North Conservancy. It has a prime location for game viewing, with the annual migration seeing thousands of zebra and wildebeest arriving from the Serengeti — the nearest game crossing point is an hour’s game drive away. The camp is accessed via the Mara North airstrip, which is a 20-minute game drive away.

Food and drink

There is a communal dining tent with open sides, although nearly all meals are eaten outside beneath the acacia trees. Picnic breakfasts and lunches can be made up for you to take out on game drives, and sundowners can also be enjoyed while out in the bush. The fully-stocked bar has a selection of wines and other beverages.

Families

Children can stay at the camp, with triple and quad family tents featuring one double bed and either one or two single beds available. However, no child-specific activities are offered here and the camp is unable to provide baby equipment. In addition, as the camp is unfenced, children must be supervised at all times.

Facilities and activities

The camp’s lounge has a library with a range of reference books, a selection of board games and cards. Cameras and phone batteries can be charged in the dining tent, and a daily laundry service is available. Activities are centered around exploring the conservancy’s rich wildlife, with knowledgeable guides leading game drives and walking safaris. You may also visit a local Maasai village and school to learn more about the culture and way of life in the Masai Mara.

Environmental and social responsibility

Kicheche Mara aims to benefit the land, wildlife and community around the camp by supporting health and education in the area through the Kicheche Community Project, which has helped to fund a headmaster for the school and rebuild the Olkimitare Nursery School. The project also gives medicine and bandages to the Aitong Medical Clinic, and has helped to install a pump to provide clean water. Guests from Kicheche have helped support the Aitong Academy with donations of money and equipment. The camp helps to provide long-term employment for the local community, and preserve the wildlife, by offering a scholarship each year to Koiyaki Guiding School, and providing traineeships for the guides in camp.

To minimize its environmental impact, the camp uses solar panels to generate electricity, and water dispensers are included in each room so that plastic drinking bottles can be reused. Water is heated using recycled charcoal dust pellets, and all non-biodegradable waste is removed from the region and taken to a collection point in Nairobi.

Local excursions

Sunrise hot air balloon rides over the Masai Mara can be arranged through a local operator, allowing you to spot game from above and take in some incredible views of the landscape below. The balloon ride is followed by a champagne breakfast.