Kicheche Mara Camp
A classic tented camp in the heart of Mara North Conservancy
Kicheche Mara Camp is one of the few privileged safari camps permitted to operate within the private Mara North Conservancy. With just ten spacious authentic safari tents, this rustic bush camp offers a view of the plains teeming with wildlife and the Olare Orok stream. Kicheche Mara Camp provides visitors with all the contemporary conveniences they might want while maintaining an authentic bush atmosphere. Knowledgeable Masai trackers and guides are its strong foothold, as its love for responsible use of resources which earned them a Gold Level Eco-rating Certificate by Ecotourism Kenya.
Wildlife seen at Kicheche Mara Camp
The camp is set up around the Olare Orok stream, making it an excellent location for observing birds and other wildlife across the plains. Additionally, it’s the ideal starting point for bush walks, game drives, and other safari pursuits. Ideally, you could be able to see wildlife as soon as you step out from your safari tent.
Because this property is unfenced and in a wildlife rich region, large and potentially dangerous animals pass through it. When moving about the camp, kindly exercise caution and ask a staff member to go with you if you have any concerns. It is required that you only leave the tent with authorized resort guards when it gets dark.
Location and Access
This area is known as Acacia Valley, no not after our company name but for the habitat. The camp is hidden in a picturesque valley of Acacia trees. A scheduled one hour flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the Mara MARA NORTH airstrip followed by a 20-minute game drive from the airstrip will bring you to the camp. Flights are also available from Nanyuki, Naivasha & Mombasa. By road it will take 4½ hours from Nairobi.
Rooms
All the ten tents of Kicheche Mara are comfortably equipped without being unduly extravagant. Most of the furniture, including the bedframes, bedside cabinets, wardrobes and cozy seating, is made of wood, adding to the room’s muted earthy tones. Few brightly colored throw pillows and rugs give pops of vibrancy. The tents offer en-suite bathrooms with flushing toilets, hot and cold running water, and matching safari styled low-lighting. The camp offers triple and quad tents and also family suite having two separate bedrooms connected by a lounge with a relaxing sofa and a small table.
There are two main tents centrally located for lounging and for dining. Both have open fronts with stunning views down the valley. The lounge tent is furnished with well-cushioned wood-framed furniture arranged around coffee tables covered with reading material. The dining tent, with its huge table for communal meals and wildlife artwork on the back walls, has a same traditional safari vibe. There is also a small bar in the dining tent, which is a nice spot to unwind at the end of the day!
Food and Dining
All meals and drinks are included in your stay and are served al fresco in a clearing overlooking the plains or in the huge dining tent in the event of inclement weather. The cuisine is Western/European with a few African specialties thrown in for good measure, and sanitary standards are high. We can accommodate particular dietary needs, but please contact us in advance. Every day, mineral water is provided in each tent. Breakfasts and lunches are frequently consumed outside, as picnics while on game drives.
Activities and Facilities
There are various advantages of staying at a safari camp in the Mara North Conservancy that aren’t available to visitors staying in the actual Masai Mara National Reserve. The regular tourists are not allowed in this part of the forest, but the wild animals are abundant facing less disturbances from the safari vehicles. Here one can even go on Night Game Drives and Walking Safaris in the African bush. And you can always choose to go on a day safari inside the national reserve if you’d like.
Safari Acacia’s guests enjoy a lot of freedom in scheduling their game drives during their stay in Kicheche Mara. Early morning and late afternoon game drives are the greatest times to see wildlife, but you can tell us to plan game drives at other times as well. Bush breakfasts, picnic lunches, and sundowners can be arranged to enjoy in gorgeous spots inside the park to make the wildlife drives even more memorable. The game drives are conducted in specially designed 4×4 safari vehicles, Electric Safari Vehicles are also offered on request.
Another popular add-on is Fly camping (a night out in the wilderness under canvas with a guide), and hot-air balloon safaris are also offered.
3D2N Kinabatangan River Cruise, in Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort
Experience the best Kinabatangan river cruise and watch wildlife away from the hustle and bustle of mushrooming hotels and homestays of Sukau area, away from the cloud of tourist boats chasing animals on the river.
Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort is a unique resort located in the Lower Kinabatangan-Segama Wetlands (LKSW), a RAMSAR-designated wetlands conservation area. The LKSW is the first RAMSAR site in Sabah and the largest in Malaysia, on Borneo’s eastern coast. Our package include the speedboat transfer from Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty. You will arrive to this carefully hidden forest refuge, past local fishing settlements, and through the world’s most diversified mangrove environment.
As you travel through the nipah palm groves, you will come to the timber-built resort, which is wonderfully situated among the pristine mangrove trees.
Your enormous villas will provide unparalleled comfort in an untouched mangrove forest, as well as an unimpeded perspective of the world thriving within this unique ecosystem brimming with life.
Pricing:
USD 550 (MYR 2599) per pax, EX-Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty.
Accommodation:
On twin sharing basis in deluxe chalet of Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort.
*Private transfers, private boat cruise can be arranged.
Day 1:
12.00PM – Board our boat for the journey to Abai, Kinabatangan. On the 1.5 hours cruise, Berhala Island, the
prominent sandstone cliffs of World War II historical site, can be photographed from the boat. The boat journey
continues towards the mangroves and villages of Abai.
This cruise also offers us views of the different types of vegetation found along Sabah’s mighty Kinabatangan River.
Photo opportunities shall vary from the usage of telephoto lenses for wildlife such as Macaques, wild Orang utan,
Proboscis monkeys and the unique mudskippers, to wide-angle lens for landscape shots of Nipah palms, stilts of
Rhizophora trees and mangrove forest.
1.30PM – Upon arrival at the Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort, Check-in. Lunch while your skipper conducts a
briefing on the upcoming activities and advice you on recommended gears to prepare.
4.00PM – Afternoon refreshment of coffee, tea and local Banana Fritter ‘goreng pisang’ shall be served
4.30 PM – We set off for the afternoon river expedition in search of wildlife. This time in a smaller open- topped river
boat. We hope to photograph wild Orang utans, Pygmy elephants, Proboscis monkeys and other wildlife.
6.30 PM – As we head back to the resort, capture amazing shots of the river landscape at dusk…a chance to put those
filters to the test! If weather is good, we should be able to see and photograph fireflies at a very challenging lowlight
condition.
8.30PM – After dinner, we shall take a night stroll along the boardwalks on a lookout for nocturnal animals and
interesting insects. Overnight at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort deluxe chalet with air- condition
Overnight at Kinabatangan Wetlands Resort at Deluxe Chalet
Day 2 :
6.30AM: Early morning cruise to observe more wildlife and birdlife. We shall cruise to the nearby ox- bow lake,
Danau Pitas, to explore the area. Enjoy your packed breakfast while admiring the natural surroundings.
8.30AM: We continue on to visit the local fishing village, Kampung Abai. Interact with local Orang sungai from
river people and observe the daily activities in this tiny fishing village.
10.00 AM: Return to the KWR Resort for Breakfast
4.30PM – 6.00PM: We set off for another afternoon cruise in search of the mangrove specials, river sceneries,
village landscapes and more wildlife. On good weather, we may even get to see firefly colonies which are found at
certain parts of the river. Cruise back to KWR for dinner at the common area.
The day shall be spent river cruising in the early morning, late afternoon and a night river safari after dinner.
8:30PM-10:00PM: After dinner, we shall take the night river safari on a lookout for our target specie, Return to the
lodge for overnight.
Day 3:
After breakfast, you are free to explore the nature board walk around the lodge area, make sure you bring along
your binoculars, and look for any tree moving!! There may be…..wild orang utan! Silver leaf monkeys, birds and
many others!
10.00AM: Check-out and Return to Sandakan by boat. The 1.5 hours cruise shall pass fishing villages along the
coast. Also a good chance to photograph Sandakan town from the seafront. Sandakan was also known as ‘Little
Hong Kong’ in the olden days. Transfer to Sandakan Yacht Jetty, upon arrival at Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty we
will continue for 25 minute drive to Sandakan for airport for your onward destination.
Package includes:
- Scheduled Arrival and Departure Transfers from Sandakan Yacht Club Jetty.
- All National Park Permits and Entry Fees, Guide charges, Still Camera charges etc.
- Three full meals daily.
- Guided tours and activities as mentioned.
Package excludes:
- Personal spending money for drinks of any kind.
- Any food item not mentioned.
- Laundry, phone calls or any personal charges.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Malaysia Tourism Tax of MYR 10.00 per room/ per night is to be paid by the guest at hotel.
Kicheche Mara Camp, More Information
- accept credit card payments (AMEX, VISA and MASTER CARD) or cash (EURO, USD, GBP and Kenya
Shilling). There is a safety deposit box at camp where all valuables can be kept. - Included on the prestigious IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas, Mara North Conservancies is one of the largest conservancies, bordering the Mara National Reserve.
- Electric safari vehicles are available on request, for more environmental friendly safari experiences. As one of the Mara’s first electric vehicles, there will be no diesel combustion engine, gearbox, fuel tank, or carbon emissions! The solar panels installed at Kicheche Mara power it.
- A combo offer on Kicheche Laikipia and Kicheche Mara Camp in family suites is possible for an unforgettable Luxury Family Safari experience, one of the motto of Safari Acacia Team.
- Lighting is supplied 24 hours; charging facilities available in the tents, however, the solar system does not allow hair dryers.
- Wifi is available in the lounge area.
- Village trips are arranged to learn about the Maasai way of life and see the camp’s work at the local schools in action.
- We highly propose visiting the Rhino Sanctuary in Olchoro Oiroua.
- We can schedule a dawn hot air balloon safari and see everything from the sky at first light leading to a champagne breakfast!
- A daily laundry service is included in the fee. Please keep in mind that this is a bush laundry and cannot handle delicate items of clothing.