Kicheche Mara Camp

The double tents at Kicheche Mara Camp consist of a large double bed, covered in crisp bed linens and with an authentic wooden frame. Access to the tent is through wide canvas doors, which can roll up to the whole height of the tent, allowing natural and fresh air to fill the space and creates a sense of immersion in nature.

The view outside the tent is outstanding, with green grasslands, wondering animals, sunrise or sunset all being able to be viewed from the comfort of your own bed. Each tent comes with their own ensuite bathroom, complete with walk in shower. A private decking area at the front of each tent is the perfect space to relax and unwind, on director style chairs, at the end of a long day exploring.

A selection of family tents are available at Kicheche Mara Camp. Families can chose from tents with;

• 1 double bed and one single bed
• 1 double bed and two single beds
• Family suite: two separate bedrooms, one double bed and either two or three single beds

All canvas tents are spacious and filled with natural light from the wide netted windows and the rolling doors at the front of the tent. All tents have ensuite bathrooms with a walk in shower. Guests can relax with a fresh African breeze floating around the room. A neutral colour palette made up of browns, beiges and greens decorate the room creating a sense of being at one with nature.

Authentic rugs and fabrics dot the rooms, however the focus in on what the tent is surrounded by. With a private decking area guests can spend some family time watching for meandering animals or watching the spectacular sunset.

Twin and triple tents which consist of either two single beds or three single beds are available at Kicheche Mara Camp, which are suitable for groups of friends. Wide netted windows fill the space with natural light whilst keeping the tent free of bugs and mosquitoes.

Guests can place themselves in the heart of nature being surrounded by luscious grasslands and dotted trees and with a natural colour palette throughout the tents. Ensuite bathrooms include a flush toilet, basins and a walk in shower with a canvas screen for privacy. Private decking offers the ideal space to sit and watch the world rolling by, and bathe in the warm tones of the stunning sunsets.

Dinner is usually served in the canvas dining tent, around one large wooden table. The tent is open sided so guests won’t miss any views over the rolling plains whilst dining on flavoursome and thoughtful meals. Many of the vegetables are sourced from the camps own vegetable garden and menus are based on traditional Kenyan cooking. All meals can be tailored to suit specific dietary requirements, and many of the meals can be taken as picnics, to enjoy underneath euclea tree with a stunning view of the valley.

On offer at Kicheche Mara Camp are game drives in customised, comfortable open sided 4WD vehicles. This is one of the best ways to see wildlife at close range without disturbing the animals. Being located in a private conservancy means drives can go off road, for a chance to see untraversed areas of the bush.

This is an unmissable experience and a traditional part of the African safari experience. Guests can be reassured they will leave with having sighted some animals, such as elephants, buffalo, impala, and lion. Guests will be accompanied by a Silver qualifier guide who is knowledgeable of the Mara Conservancy.

For an exhilarating experience in the African bush, take a walk in the bush. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to explore the bush on foot, accompanied by a knowledgeable silver rated KPSGA guide and an armed ranger for your safety.

The knowledgable guides will be able to point guests to nests and rare birds, which would otherwise go unnoticed. Guests can keep an eye out for birds, track animal footprints and marvel at the micro-ecosystems of the bush.

Child friendly activities are on offer at Kicheche Mara Camp, younger guests can learn how to start a fire without matches, learn how to make bows and arrows and how to launch a spear. Catching and releasing local butterflies and insects is an activity suitable for the whole family – and once young members have completed all the activities they will be presented with the Kicheche Kids Club Certificate of Completion.

Spend a night in the very heart of the African bush by wild camping – an unforgettable experience. Escorted by a professional armed ranger, walk to your campsite and set up camp. Cooking under the stars is a unique experience and a great way to bond with your guide. This is an activity that will leave guests with long-lasting memories and a sense of peacefulness, disconnected from the modern world.

Conservancies are one of the best ways to help conserve and protect the local wildlife and Kicheche understands this. They are founding members of three conservancies within the Maasai Mara which covers 150,000 acres of habitats and ecosystems.

The founder of Kicheche, Greg Monson, “serves as Chairman of Olare Motorogi conservancy and Treasurer of Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association” which both support the growth and protection of the wider Mara ecosystems. 25% of the turnover from Kicheche properties goes straight into wildlife conservation and $250 per guest is allocated to community projects and wildlife conservation.

The Kicheche Community Trust has stated their mission is “to encourage the preservation of the environment whilst improving the welfare of the community through improved health and education facilities.” Partnered with the local communities, they support sustainable and traditional ways of life which are harmless to the environment.

The four pillars which the trust revolves around are health and family care, education, community empowerment, and conservation. To fund the trust, Kicheche donates $5 per night per bed and all these fees go directly to the trust.

The money donated to the trust has allowed them to build and maintain school classrooms, supply stationary and school books and sponsor primary school teachers too. Currently, over 150 girls have been trained by the Kicheche Community Trust in personal hygiene and menstrual health education which is an important need in the community.

And to help prevent monthly school absences reusable sanitary towels and menstrual cups are provided. Several graduates are now employed as guides at Kicheche Camps, and the trust “sponsors students to the Koiyaki Guiding School on an annual basis.” Guests at Kicheche Camps can help by donating equipment such as pens, pencils, exercise books and paper.

The local CMF clinic in Aitong, Maasai Mara is supported by the Kicheche Community Trust. Medical books and medicines have been donated over the years and a dental ward and maternity ward have been added as well as keeping the solar power system, water tanks and water pumps up to date and working. The local Nanyuki Children’s Home, in Ol Pejeta, is also supported by the trust, helping to give preschool and nursery children the best start to their education.

To help develop an environment where community members can have more say over what is important to them is one of the aims of the trust, they have “a wide range of revenue earning projects and self-help groups” to do just that.

They also help to empower women from local communities by training them in clerical and store keeping which helps them to secure long term employment. HR workshops are held for “the youth to better their job searching skills.” Available to purchase from local self-help group of Maasai women are Christmas crackers made out of reusable materials such as newspapers and magazines, all the proceeds of which go to the women directly.

Mara Predator Project: with the aim to educate people on the importance of predators within the Greater Mara Ecosystem, the Mara Predator Project helps enhance the community members and landowners understanding of the role of these predators so they can fully appreciate how important it is to preserve them and use “sound scientific information to inform wildlife conservation strategies.”

Continuing their aim for conservation, Kicheche have partnered with Mara Elephant Project to help bring light to the work they are doing in reducing levels of poaching. Guests can be involved in this process by helping to track some of the collared elephants. Kicheche Community Trust are wildlife conservation champions and are “at the forefront of working with locals to secure wildlife habitat and manage conservancies better.”

Kicheche Mara Camp is The Long Run accredited. The Long Run is an organisation of ‘nature-based tourism businesses committed to driving sustainability.’ As part of this organisation, Kicheche Mara Camp is sustainable in the ‘4Cs’ – conservation, community, culture and commerce – and contribute positively to the biodiversity of Kenya and the local regions.

Being a low density tourist area means that there is only 1 tourist bed per 700 acres, helping to protect the wildlife and land, as well as giving guests an exceptional experience. Kicheche Mara Camp is built to blend into the land but also to not damage the land, and all evidence of camp life could be removed in one rain cycle.