About this hotel
General information
Kichwa Tembo means “head of the elephant” in Kiswahili. The camp lies in the western Mara along the Saparingo River at the foot of the Oloololo escarpment, where riverine forest gives way to open plains. Its concession, leased from Maasai landlords, borders the Masai Mara National Reserve and is explored almost entirely by the camp’s own guests. This is where the &Beyond story in Kenya began, and many of the team come from the Maasai communities nearby.
The style is classic safari with a fresh, contemporary edge: 34 canvas tents set among manicured lawns, where warthogs graze freely, plus three family tents, for up to 68 guests in all. Interiors draw on Maasai motifs, leather, timber, linen and locally made pieces. The camp suits couples, families and groups alike, with spaces for small conferences, and weddings and blessings can be arranged. Three meals a day, house wines, local spirits and beers, two safari activities a day and laundry are included.
Location
The camp sits in a quiet western corner of the Mara, on a concession along the reserve’s western boundary below the Oloololo escarpment. The Mara River runs close by, so during the Great Migration, usually from July to October, the herds cross within easy reach. Scheduled light aircraft fly twice daily from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the Kichwa Tembo airstrip in just under an hour, and charters are possible; from the strip it is a short game drive to camp, with the transfer included. The Mara can also be reached by 4×4 from Nairobi.
Spa
There is no spa building: therapists trained in Healing Earth, a natural African wellness brand, give treatments in the privacy of the guest tent, at an extra cost. Every tent has a yoga mat.
Sports & leisure
Game drives run twice a day in six- and eight-seat semi-open vehicles, across the reserve and the concession, with Big Five sightings and predators throughout the year. Other experiences:
- guided bush walks on the concession, with lessons in tracking – walking is not permitted inside the reserve itself;
- night drives with a spotlight to find the Mara’s nocturnal species;
- at an extra cost, a dawn hot-air balloon flight of about an hour over the plains, followed by champagne and a bush breakfast;
- a visit to a traditional Maasai village (extra cost; craft sales go straight to the community) and a look at Wild Impact projects, from schools to protecting the Nyakweri Forest;
- birdwatching, picnics in the bush and sundowners beside the Mara River.
Each tent gets a pair of SWAROVSKI OPTIK binoculars for the stay, an illustrated guides’ journal and an area map with a checklist of star birds. A private vehicle can be booked ahead at an extra cost. The Safari Shop stocks local décor, Kenana Knitters toys and beaded Maasai jewellery from the Saparingo community.
For children
The WILDchild programme gives young guests Maasai bow-and-arrow contests, fire-making the traditional way, beadwork with Maasai women, traditional games and storytelling, guided forest walks looking for tracks, birds and butterflies, and a football match against the camp team. Members of staff who are good with children can look after them at an extra cost.
Restaurants & bars
Meals centre on a split-level dining area built around an interactive kitchen and an organic vegetable garden, the shamba, where guests can pick produce with the chefs and watch it turn into lunch or dinner. Service is buffet and live kitchen, and halal and other dietary requests are met with notice.
- Tusker Bar – the camp’s hub, named after the Kenyan beer, for high tea before the afternoon drive and fireside drinks with the guides; Maasai dancers perform before dinner every other night;
- boma – an open-air circle around the fire for dinners under the sky;
- private dining, bush breakfasts and dinners, and packed picnics for full-day drives.
Swimming
A generous rim-flow pool (unheated) sits beneath shady trees among the lawns, looking out over the Mara plains.
Rooms
There are 34 tents – 26 Superior Tents and eight Superior View Tents – plus three Superior Family Tents, set 6–10 m apart among the trees and finished in canvas, leather, linen, timber and Maasai details.
Private veranda, daybed, coffee station, floor fan, sealed tent (no mosquito net needed), indoor shower, separate WC, telephone, hairdryer, safe, Wi-Fi, UK-type sockets with USB, and beds that convert to twins.
Superior View Tent
One of eight tents with the widest views over the Mara plains and the Oloololo escarpment; bedroom, bathroom with shower, separate WC and private veranda. Sleeps two.
Superior Tent
A tent among the trees: some look through the canopy to the Mara, some sit deeper in the forest for birdwatchers, others face the escarpment. Bedroom, shower room, separate WC and veranda; sleeps two.
Superior Family Tent
Two tents joined by a connecting walkway, each with its own bathroom, daybed and veranda. Sleeps two adults and two children, or three children on request.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.