Kicheche Mara North

an outstandingly beautiful location

Kicheche Mara North is located in the Mara Confluence sector of the Maasai Mara of southwest Kenya.

Set in an extremely scenic and secluded position to the northeast of the conservancy, this lovely traditional tented camp lies in what is effectively a private valley, alongside the Olare Orok stream.

From the vehicle turnaround we first cross a small metal footbridge to reach the open-sided public areas, containing comfortable lounge and dining areas. Out front there is a nice campfire area.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Kicheche Mara North is in eight large guest tents, which are widely spaced down the valley, are very well presented with substantial wooden beds and other furniture and an indoor bathroom to the rear.

Four of the rooms are set up with three or four beds, making them ideal for families.

The camp features traditional bucket showers, with hot water being brought to your tent by the staff on request, an authentic safari feature which we always appreciate.

Activities

Kicheche Mara North provides the following guided activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the room rate …

• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Bush meals
• Cultural interaction
• Night vehicle safari

The Maasai Mara tends to feature in almost all safari trips to Kenya. As well as being the best known reserve, it is also the most productive for wildlife.

The usual stay duration is 4-8 nights split between two camps, less frequently 3-4 nights in just one camp.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit is generally considered to be the Jul-Oct dry season, when the weather should be reliably good and the wildlife concentrated around the permanent water sources.

The Nov-Jun green season may be much less dependable for weather, but remains really strong for wildlife viewing.

Visitor traffic is less of an issue in this private area, but you can expect the camps to be fully booked during the Jul-Oct and Dec-Jan high seasons. So there can be slight advantages to visiting during quieter periods.

Getting around

You’re most likely to arrive into the Maasai Mara area via the regular light aircraft services that operate from Nairobi, which means that you will travel around the area with a guide and vehicle from the camp in which you are staying.

If you’re staying in more than one camp in the greater Maasai Mara then inter-camp transfers are usually operated by the departing camp and generally pass through wildlife areas for most if not all of their routes.

It’s also possible to travel down from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara by road, which is quite a long and tiresome journey, but not without interest. The trouble is that the better lodges in the Mara will offer you no discount for having your own guide and vehicle along, so you end up paying for both, which works out more expensive than flying down.

one of the three best private concessions in the Mara