Six octagonal tents follow a wooded hillside in Naboisho Conservancy, each raised on its own wooden platform and turned east across acacia woodland and open savannah. The land is privately owned by the Maasai, on the border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The camp is built into the hillside, not set apart from it, so from every tent the view runs uninterrupted down to the valley floor below.
Even the caracal and the serval, both seldom seen, turn up here.
Lion, cheetah, leopard and elephant move through the surrounding country as a matter of routine. Even the caracal and the serval, both seldom seen, turn up here. The open plains to the north form an elephant corridor and carry large herds of plains game, while through the dry months the resident wildlife is drawn to the country nearby. The camp lies within easy reach of both.
More than 500 Maasai landowners co-own Naboisho, leasing it under an arrangement that channels tourism revenue straight into household income. The conservancy caps both visitor numbers and vehicle density across its area. That is why a sighting here rarely involves another vehicle, and why the conservancy can permit what the adjacent national reserve cannot.
A longer route can end in a night at a simple fly-camp.
Guides can leave the track to follow a cheetah on the hunt, something forbidden inside the national reserve, and drives run on after dark in search of nocturnal species. Walking safaris go out on foot with an armed guide. A longer route can end in a night at a simple fly-camp. Visits to nearby Maasai communities are arranged as conversations and shared time, never staged for an audience.
Paul Goldstein and Greg Monson founded Kicheche Safari Camps, and chose to work only within private conservancies: Mara North, Naboisho, Olare Motorogi and Laikipia. Kicheche Valley Camp belongs to that collection. Over years the two built the working relationships with Maasai landowners and conservancy committees that the newer camp now operates within, and the teams who run it are Kenyan, with a direct hand in how their conservancies are funded and managed. Nothing here was assembled for a single season, and it shows in the way the camp belongs to its hillside.
The six tents are spaced well apart along the slope, each raised on its own wooden platform beneath a canvas structure. Inside, natural wood, earth-toned fabrics and simple lighting keep the attention on the view and not the furnishings, and every tent opens onto a private deck facing the valley. Solar power runs the whole camp, the lighting and the hot water in each en-suite bathroom, and waste is handled through eco-friendly systems of the camp’s own. Nothing here is louder than it needs to be.
At night lions and hyenas call somewhere out in the valley, and birdsong returns by dawn
Coffee comes to the tent before first light, drunk on the deck as the valley colours in. A long game drive follows, then brunch back at camp and a rest through the heat of the day, before a second drive into early evening that usually ends with a sundowner stopped on high ground. At night lions and hyenas call somewhere out in the valley, and birdsong returns by dawn. Meals draw on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and are eaten together in the open-sided mess tent, or outside by the fire when the evening allows.
The camp’s lease and conservation fees flow directly into the Naboisho model, supporting the income of the landowning Maasai families and keeping the surrounding rangeland intact as a single, connected habitat. Across the wider Kicheche group that work extends into community education and conservation initiatives elsewhere in the Mara ecosystem. Walking safaris are restricted to those twelve and older, and the camp suits couples, small groups and families with older children more than very young ones.
accommodation
Six elevated, octagonal en-suite tents rise on wooden platforms, spaced along the hillside for privacy. Each holds a large bed in king or twin configuration, a writing desk and a private deck facing the valley. The bathroom brings a flushing toilet and a solar-heated hot shower, with robes, slippers and fresh water provided.
activities
Game drives go out morning, afternoon and full-day in open 4x4 vehicles, with off-road driving and night drives permitted across Naboisho Conservancy but not inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Escorted walking safaris, with the option of an overnight fly-camp, run from camp for those aged twelve and over, and visits to nearby Maasai communities can be arranged.
conservation
Kicheche Valley Camp pays lease and conservation fees into the Naboisho model, which funds direct payments to more than 500 Maasai landowners and keeps a large stretch of rangeland connected for wildlife movement. The camp runs entirely on solar power with eco-friendly waste systems. At group level, Kicheche supports community education and conservation initiatives across the Mara.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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You fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to an airstrip in the Naboisho Conservancy, about forty-five minutes to an hour by light aircraft, and the camp meets you for the short drive to its wooded hillside. We arrange the flights and timings, and if you prefer to fly on your own timings we can arrange a private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, direct to Naboisho.
The bush planes take soft bags of around fifteen kilograms per person including hand luggage, so a duffel is best. A road transfer from Nairobi takes five to six hours if you prefer to travel overland.
The Maasai Mara sits at around 1,500 to 1,800 metres, below the altitude at which malaria risk falls away, so both the CDC and TravelHealthPro treat it as a malaria area and antimalarial tablets are usually advised. The risk is lower than on the hot, humid coast but it is real, and it rises after the rains.
Because this is a health matter and guidance is reviewed regularly, please confirm the current position with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and take the usual care against bites once the sun is down.
Days are warm and the mornings and evenings cool, so open-vehicle game drives at dawn can feel cold. The long rains fall roughly March to May and shorter rains around November, greening the plains; the dry months in between are clear and dusty.
Pack neutral colours, a warm fleece and a windproof layer for early drives, sun protection and a hat for the day, and a light waterproof in the green season. Closed shoes for any walking, and binoculars are worth bringing.
July to October is the migration window and the busiest at the crossings, while the green months around November and from March to May bring lush plains, calving and far fewer vehicles. Naboisho keeps its resident game close the whole year.
The open plains to the north form an elephant corridor and carry large herds, while in the dry months the resident wildlife draws in nearby, so the camp sees strong game in any season.
The escorted walking safaris at Kicheche Valley run for guests aged twelve and over, walking with an armed guide, so younger children join the game drives instead. That age line is set for safety in big-game country and is fairly typical of the Mara conservancies.
Game drives, which children can join younger, go out morning, afternoon and full-day, and the conservancy allows off-road driving and night drives that the reserve does not. Tell us your children's ages and we will plan the activities to suit each of them.
Naboisho is co-owned by more than five hundred Maasai landowners, and it caps both visitor and vehicle numbers, so a sighting here rarely involves another vehicle. On this land the guides can follow a cheetah off the track and drive after dark, both forbidden in the neighbouring national reserve.
Escorted bush walks with an armed guide are on offer too, with the option of an overnight camp out, and the reserve stays within reach by day for the migration. That combination of quiet, freedom and reserve access is the reason to base in the conservancy.
rated five stars by our clients
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
