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OVERVIEW:
Kicheche Laikipia is a great option for wildlife enthusiasts, combining conservation and a variety of safari activities. It’s an intimate camp in a prime game-viewing location. Guests enjoy both day and night drives, walking safaris, and mountain biking, as well as unique opportunities to visit the rhino sanctuary and the anti-poaching canine unit. This is also a very comfortable little camp, with plenty to engage safari-goers of all ages. Highly recommended! Accommodation at Kicheche Laikipia is full board and includes meals, local alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, picnics, shared game-viewing drives, laundry, escorted bush walks, and mountain biking.
ACCESS & LOCATION:
Kicheche Laikipia Camp is located within the 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya’s Laikipia region, at the foothills of Mount Kenya. The camp is approximately 30 minutes by car from Nanyuki airstrip, which is served by scheduled or chartered light aircraft flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport.
ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT KICHECHE LAIKIPIA:
Kicheche Laikipia is an intimate camp with just six comfortable tents, including a 2-bedroom family suite. The interior style is warm and homely, with splashes of burnt orange in the textiles, cosy rugs, Egyptian cotton linen, and reclaimed wood furniture. Potted plants, throws, and atmospheric lighting add further touches that give the camp its unique home-away-from-home appeal. Adjoining the bedroom, each rustic-luxe bathroom comes with twin ceramic basins, a flush toilet separated by a curtain, and a shower with hot running water. Every tent’s private veranda offers guests a relaxing spot for sitting out in the evenings with a drink or sinking into a hammock for an hour or two between activities. The family suite accommodates a maximum of five guests in two en-suite bedrooms, connected by a lounge with a small table for private dining. An exclusive-use vehicle is provided for game drives, giving families an extra degree of privacy and schedule flexibility. Wi-Fi is available in all the suites, so you can stay connected if you choose!
Kicheche Laikipia’s main lounge and dining areas are housed within a spacious mess tent, beneath the shade of trees and overlooking the dam. The lounge features cushioned sofas and leather pouffes gathered around a statement coffee table. A bookshelf, plants, and fresh flowers also add a homely vibe. The adjoining dining space features a large wooden table surrounded by matching chairs, where guests enjoy hearty meals at night. Unusually for a tent, this area boasts a fireplace, making it an inviting gathering spot for drinks during those cooler Laikipia evenings. The canvas sides fully retract during the day, allowing guests to take in uninterrupted views of the surrounding gardens. Dining also takes place outside, where meals are savoured under the warmth of the Kenyan sun. Finally, a separate tent houses a boutique shop, where you can find mementos, bags, belts, and silver jewellery sourced from Nairobi. For active guests, the walking track around the camp within the fence line provides ample space to exercise in a safe environment.
ACTIVITIES AT KICHECHE LAIKIPIA:
Activities at Kicheche Laikipia focus on the wildlife of Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
- Game drives – Game drives take place during the day and at night, using the lodge’s custom-built 4×4 Land Cruisers. Guests can expect to see lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, and plenty of plains game. The vehicles are fitted with handheld filtered spotlights, so by night, you might see some unique residents, such as aardvark, genet, bat-eared fox, striped hyena, serval, honey badger, and civet.
- Walking safaris – Safari walks provide a wonderful way to get to know the area in the company of an expert guide who’ll point out key details along the way. You might come across a leopard spoor, interesting animal tracks, the nest of a rare bird, or signs of recent migration activity. The opportunities for small detail discovery are endless on foot!
- Rhino enclosure visits – Two remaining rhinos live in the 700-acre rhino enclosure, and visitors have the remarkable opportunity of meeting them during a stay at Kicheche Laikipia. Please note that this experience incurs an additional cost.
- Mountain biking – Starting with a short game drive, venture into the bush for a 3-hour mountain biking excursion along a dedicated track. A great way to keep fit while enjoying nature from a unique perspective.
- Ngare Ndare Forest visit – Depart from camp in the morning to the beautiful Ngare Ndare Forest, where you’ll enjoy a guided walk to the waterfall and natural pool, birdwatching, a canopy walk, and a picnic lunch. Please note that this excursion incurs an additional cost.
- Anti-poaching dog unit – Visit the anti-poaching dog unit to meet the dog keepers and learn what it takes to look after the specially trained canine team. This experience has a minimum age of 12 and incurs an additional cost.
- Chimpanzee visit – Visit the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place to see chimpanzees in Kenya. Learn about the chimps who live here and what it takes to care for them at the sanctuary.
- Fly camping – Spend the night at a private fly camp in the heart of nature. Small dome tents for two people are equipped with camp beds, bedrolls, and a washstand. Basic bathroom facilities will be set up for you, including a long-drop toilet and hot bush showers. It doesn’t get more adventurous than this!
