Kitich Camp - Mathews Mountains, Kenya, East Africa

Kitich Camp in the remote Mathews mountains, is a rarely visited area in far northern Kenya. It is nestled in a verdant grove of fig trees, indigenous flowering shrubs and prehistoric Cycad palms. Kitich Camp faces a bank of the seasonal Ngeng River and is surrounded by thickly wooded hillsides and craggy peaks. The people of the Mathews are the pastoral Samburu and Soyei, who used to gather in the upper valley of the Ngeng River for feasting, singing and dancing.

Here they were always assured of water and grazing for their cattle, and honey for making beer, they called it Kitich 'the place of happiness.' Kitich camp is a lush oasis amid arid surroundings. Wildlife find refuge in the Ngeng Valley, away from the competition of domestic animals. Elephant, Lion, Leopard, greater Kudu, Waterbuck, forest Hog and Buffalo are among the species found here, together with over 100 species of birds.

Everything about Kitich Camp has been left as natural as possible without sacrificing important creature comforts. Kitich Camp is a permanent tented camp of six luxury tents, each featuring its own verandah and view. Bathing is a traditional safari bucket shower.

Because of the absence of roads, there are no game drives at Kitich Camp. Instead you can enjoy walks in the forest in the company of an armed ranger. Several walks range from the very gentle to the vigorous. For example, you can take a forty minute hike to a natural swimming pool in the forest, or an easy twenty minute stroll to an isolated fishing hole full of Catfish and Barbel.

Conservation Projects

The people of the Mathews Range are the pastoral Samburu and Soyei who used to gather together in the upper valley of Ngeng River for feasting, singing, and dancing. Here they were always assured of water and grazing for their cattle and honey for making beer. They called this area 'Kitich - the place of happiness'. Kitich Camp is a lush oasis amid arid surroundings and is one of the real conservation successes of Kenya.

A grass roots approach that has resulted in a win-win situation for people, wildlife and the environment. The wildlife find refuge in the Ngeng Valley away from the competition of domestic animals. Elephants, Lions, Leopards, greater Kudus, Waterbucks, giant forest Hogs, Buffalos and wild Dogs are among the many species found here, together with more than 200 birds' species.