Big Cats Kenya, March 2023 (group 2)

Visit the MAA TRUST in Olare Motorogi Conservancy, a great project our Kicheche Community Trust supports with focus on women empowerment and education. Only 10 minutes from camp, visiting the Maa Trust is a wonderful opportunity for guests to interact with Maasai women, watch and learn about their bead-work and learn more about The Trust’s efforts towards wildlife conservation through sustainable community development.

Early morning and late afternoon are the most productive hours for game drives and, our safari customised 4WD vehicles and a photographic vehicle give everyone a perfect view. Watching wildlife at close range, but without encroaching on their space, is endlessly fascinating and our guides’ instincts and experience provide superb photo opportunities of wild animals.

Game driving is available throughout the area and your program is arranged daily with your guide. The drives are conducted in open-sided and open-roofed customised 4WD Land Cruiser vehicles. Game drives are shared with other guests, though exclusive use of a vehicle is available at an extra charge. Our vehicles are superbly designed for photographers, all our fleet is open-sided with open roofs. Cameras can be rested on the roof, with supplied beanbags, or on the armrests lower down, to which we can mount simple platforms for larger lenses. For complete flexibility, it is recommended that you take a vehicle on an exclusive use basis at US$400 per vehicle per night in peak season and US$350 in regular and mid-season.

Guests can visit one of the local Maasai villages to see first-hand their way of life. A village guide or your Kicheche guide will give you an interpretive talk during your visit. There is sometimes dancing and traditional souvenirs are on sale. There is a charge of $30 per person.

Kicheche offers escorted walking safaris with overnight stays in a fly-camp in the bush. These excursions are led by one of Kicheche’s senior guides and an armed ranger. It is an outstanding opportunity to see the Mara from a completely different perspective and also offers some welcome exercise whilst on safari. You will explore the smaller aspects of savannah life – birds, grasses, and insects – and may even be lucky enough to encounter some larger game en-route.

Kicheche Community Trust support a number of schools and projects in the greater area. It is usually possible to pay a visit to them. Any educational gifts or donations that you can contribute are an enormous help to the pupils.

A different perspective is gained through escorted walks on the savannah. Our interpretive guides will point out the spoor of a leopard, the nest of a rare bird or signs of recent migration activity that would pass unnoticed by the eyes of strangers… Walks are included in our tariff.

This is a popular excursion in the Masai Mara. Balloons take off early each morning at sunrise and glide over the plains for approximately an hour before landing. Upon touchdown a champagne breakfast is set up before you. The excursion finishes with a game drive back to camp. Price is around US$505 per person and trips can be booked through your tour operator or with the balloon operator.

Early morning and late afternoon are the most productive hours for game drives and our safari customised 4WD vehicles give everyone a perfect view. Watching wildlife at close range, but without encroaching on their space, is endlessly fascinating and our guides’ instincts and experience provide superb photo opportunities of wild animals. We do not impose limits on our game drives and our game drives are usually extended or even full day affairs. Picnic breakfasts, lunches and sundowner drinks are popular options to include on game drives.

Our vehicles are superbly designed for photographing, all our fleet is open-sided with open roofs. Cameras can be rested on the roof, with supplied beanbags, or on the armrests lower down, to which we can mount simple platforms for larger lenses.

Watching wildlife at close range, but without encroaching on their space, is endlessly fascinating and our guides’ instincts and experience will provide superb photo opportunities of wild animals. Our safari customised 4WD vehicles are designed to give everyone a perfect view. Night Game Drives are offered to enable guests the chance to observe lesser seen nocturnal species. Our vehicles are fitted with a hand held spotlight and resident species include aardvark, genet, bat-eared fox, striped hyena, serval, honey badger, civet and zorilla.

A different perspective is gained through escorted walks on the savannah. Our interpretive guides will point out the spoor of a leopard, the nest of a rare bird or signs of recent migration activity that would pass unnoticed by the eyes of strangers…

Kicheche offers escorted walking safaris with overnight stays in a fly-camp in the bush. These excursions are led by one of Kicheche’s senior guides and an armed ranger. It is an outstanding opportunity to see the Mara from a completely different perspective and also offers some welcome exercise whilst on safari. You will explore the smaller aspects of savannah life – birds, grasses, and insects – and may even be lucky enough to encounter some larger game en-route.

Guests can visit one of the local Maasai villages to see first-hand their way of life. A village guide or your Kicheche guide will give you an interpretive talk during your visit during which there may be some traditional dancing. Village-made souvenirs are on sale. There is a charge of $30 per person.

Kicheche’s Community Project & Naboisho support a number of schools and projects in the greater area, it is usually possible to pay a visit to them. Any educational gifts or donations that you can contribute are an enormous help to the pupils. The Koiyaki Guiding school is within Naboisho, we sponsor two of the students each year and we currently employ many graduates as guides and trainee guides. Further details on our Community Project page.

This is a popular excursion in the Masai Mara. Balloons take off early each morning at sunrise and glide over the plains for approximately an hour before landing. Upon touchdown a champagne breakfast is set up before you. The excursion finishes with a game drive back to camp. Price is around US$505 per person and trips can be booked through your tour operator or with the balloon operator. Click on the local balloon operators listed below for more information: