kicheche compared to porini
 

well the safari bug definitely bit us hard! we went on our first family safari with 2 teens end of june/early july and we all loved it! my husband was so apprehensive about the trip and he was perhaps bitten the hardest! I knew it would be amazing, but just not how amazing

we did sanctuary at ol lenttile for 4 nights (luxurious soft spot to land with amazing cultural interactions and activities) and then 3 nights kicheche lakipia and final 4 nights at kicheche mara. we were very happy with guides, private vehicle, accomodations, level of service, comfort and food. unfortunately, kicheche is not offering any deals for next summer (we had a 3 for 4 and some kids discounts) so our safari planner is suggesting ol lentille again (we want this) and then porini lion and cheetah, the new camp. these are different locations from mara north where kicheche mara is located.

we never did get to see a leopard last trip so that is high on our list. kicheche set a high standard. how does it compare to porini?

we spent to little time in our tent as we went out at 6:15, were back 12:30 for lunch and then back out from 4-7 ish. I do want comfortable.

kicheche had warm ponchos in the jeeps. food was excellent as was service. will I get this at porini?

thanks all.

For sure. Its hard not to be bitten.Psychotropic addiction. My last trip to Africa was my 25th.Some years had me visiting twice. Often countries now considered unsafe to travel. That apart.

Talking about what get one back, I realised is an unfulfilled dream . In your case it's the elusive leopard. In my case it was the painted wild dogs. It was on my third visit I found them.

Coming to the point. Why don't you look at South Luwangwa Np in Zambia. A sure shot for leopards.In the three days, got to see 10.Including one on a kill.A baboon. These cat also have trusted humans. I was as close as 15 feet!!!

Luxury? You'll be seriously spoilt.

plambers, I dropped you a private message on Safaritalk. please read and get back to me with any questions.

I can't imagine a family NOT enjoying Porini Lion. I went with a teenager and he loved it. Yes, tents are very comfortable, food and service were excellent. (I was also at Porini Rhino).

We saw leopards in Olare Orok conservancy, with the Porini spotter and driver/guide.

Yes, we had ponchos in the jeep, though i don't recall the mornings being cold in June in Olare Orok..though it was very cold in the Laikipia area.

imho, you should seriously, seriously, consider Samburu in addition to the Mara region for your next trips.

Note: It really helps for general knowledge, both now and in future, if answers are given here as well as via "private message." Otherwise, we could share our email addresses, communicate privately, and learn nothing from each other. I see this or any group forum as a source of both general information and personal answers

I am more than helpful here CaliNurse and "overshare" my experiences on an almost daily basis, you ought to have seen that by now, so that comment really offends me. I have something of a personal concern to share with plambers that really isn't for the eyes of the forum, if you must know. Plambers hasn't been back to ST for a while and I didn't think she was checking there any longer which is why I told her to go there. That's the only other way I have of talking to her directly about something not for public eyes.

Gosh, offended? "If you must know"? My goodness.
I've seen your past posts, of course, both heer and on other forums, and know how helpful they can be, but I stand by my point. Since you're usually "more than helpful" I and no doubt others would 've been interested in your reply to the actual question asked by the OP-- in addition to, instead of merely, a reply that you sent a private message on another forum.
I hope this explains my reasoning.

Hi Plambers,

I am delighted that you enjoyed Ol Lentille and your trip to Kenya. It's too bad that Kicheche isn't offering the specials for next year. Depending on who you book with and their relationship/purchasing power with certain camps, you might be able to negotiate 2017 specials for 2018. It doesn't hurt to ask!

Porini has great camps, but they are a bit more basic compared to Kicheche. Their food is also a bit more basic as well, but the value is undeniable. It's great value for money!

I may have mentioned Spekes Camp to you in a previous post, but they are tucked away in the Reserve and offering a pay 3 stay 4 special. I'd say their accommodations are on par with Porini and less in cost (however, not in a private conservancy). Great thing about Spekes is that they offer a private vehicle and guide with each booking.

Although a much larger camp, you may want to consider Kichwa Tembo. Again, great value for honey and high specification camp, but a larger property with about 40 rooms.

If you are seeking leopard, I've had great luck at Sarara Camp in the Namunyak Conservancy. Sarara also has decent dog sightings - remains one of my all time favorite camps in Kenya.

However, if you are open to other destinations and you want to maximize your change in seeing leopard, I'd say you are best off going to South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) in Zambia or the greater Kruger ecosystem in South Africa (Sabi Sands or Timbavati). Most SLNP camps are quite rustic which may not work for you. The high spec camps/lodges are quite high in cost if you get yourself away from the busier Mfuwe sector. SLNP will combine well with Lower Zambezi National Park (LZNP). If you are seeking best value for money, I'd say South Africa will stretch your dollar the furthest. You'd enjoy Kambaku River Sands combined with something like Mashatu (Tuli area of Botswana) or Marataba. Mashatu Tent is exceptional value for money (so is the more posh main camp). Lots of predators in Mashatu - amazing product with lots of active safari options.

Finally, you may want to consider green season Botswana and doing something like Kwando's 5 Rivers (Kwara+Lebala or Lagoon) or Ker and Downey (Shinde + Okuti or Kanana). You'd have decent chances of seeing leopard there and green season rates are $500/person/night or there about. The value here is also undeniable. K&D product has a bit more creature comforts, but Kwando probably has better game viewing.

Lots of great options out there! If you are seeking specials, make sure you leverage your tour operator for the best deals!

-Kota Tabuchi

Hi Kota. we need summer (June-august) bc of kid's school schedule. we were considering botswana over christmas bc of reduced rates but we summer is preferable. we were looking at the & beyond camps you referenced.

i considered sa but it seems they are on much more of a schedule. we loved going out at 6:15 and coming back 12 ish for lunch and then back out 4 to 7. kicheche had no set schedule and that is now what we are used to. i also loved their vehicles that could be open on sides and top and always were except when we saw the wild dogs in the rain - we had the canvas on top of the jeep.

i know about speeches but really want to stay in the olare motorogi conservancy bc there are so many leopards there! we will ask kicheche bush again and may look into richard branson's camp bc both kids would be free and they have a 4 for 3 offer.

our flights are almost half to kenya (or at least they were last year) and we really loved kenya. initially, i wanted to repeat the whole trip but it was so amazingly perfect, we could not duplicate that.

we are considering liakipia wilderness, and then the owners of lwc have a mobile camp in mere, and then down to mara.

i was concerned about the lack of cultural interactions, the scheduled feel of south africa and the lack of open feel that the mara provides. am i accurate?