Environment

Activity:
The highlight of this trip is going on game drives in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, where we hope to photograph some the ‘Big 5’ and countless other fascinating species. First of all, by visiting this protected area, we must pay park fees which go towards community and environmental initiatives in this area. We are very mindful of the environment and local groups we encounter anyway and maintain a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy. This includes separating waste immediately and returning it to Nairobi for proper disposal. In order to minimise plastic waste, we also encourage clients to re-fill as singular water bottle from our 20 litre tanks carried in our vehicles and at camp. Your guides will also be trying their best to ensure photographic opportunities but never at the expense of the wildlife.

Conservation:
Our local operators are trustees of the Kicheche Community trust, which runs several programmes for the benefit of people and wildlife. For communities to prosper within and in the vicinity of wildlife conservancies it's important for these communities to be protected from the wildlife and vice versa. In 2012 Kicheche Trust donated half for the construction of 5 predator free bomas (small groups of housing). The trust also part sponsors the Naboisho Lion project in Naboisho Concervancy, Masai Mara, which helps to protect and monitor local wildlife. By travelling with us, you are not only raising awareness about animal welfare but contributing to these vital projects.

UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

Community

Accommodation and Meals:
We will be spending 6 nights in at one of the Kicheche luxury tented camps, all of which are predominantly locally run and locally staffed. So by choosing to stay here, we are supporting employment opportunities for communities in surrounding areas. Kicheche Mara Camp and Kicheche Bush Camps have also received a gold and silver award respectively from Ecotourism Kenya for their environmental policies and community work. Most meals are supplied and we are keen to source ingredients from as nearby as possible as a means of generating income for small businesses within the region and producing fresh, authentic food for clients. Breakfasts and lunches often include freshly baked biscuits, fruit, cakes and hot drinks.

Community:
The Kincheche Trust runs several community projects which clients are welcome to visit as an optional excursion. These include schools where classrooms have been built, teachers and students have been sponsored and thousands of material and monetary donations have been made. Local healthcare is also supported by the Trust, who have been helping the Aitong (Mara) clinic for several years now. Donations made in the past include medicine, medical books, maternity and dental wards, water pump and tanks, upgrading of the existing solar system, medical training seminars and much more. Future projects include setting up a job and IT centre.

Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.