Access & Location: Kichaka Expeditions Lodge

Kichaka Expeditions is situated in a pristine and secluded region on the eastern flank of Ruaha National Park, distanced from other safari camps or lodges. Access is via light aircraft to Msembe Airstrip (a 1.5-hour flight from Dar es Salaam), followed by a 3-hour game drive to the camp, with a picnic lunch on route.

If you are interested in walking safaris, Moli and Noelle’s Kichaka is very amazing. This is definitely one of the premier walking camps in all of Africa.

Accommodation & Facilities At Kichaka Expeditions:

Kichaka Zubua, the principal and most opulent camp of Kichaka Expedition, is situated on a ridge in the eastern section of Ruaha National Park. Three expansive domed tents are situated on elevated platforms with primitive thatched roofs, each offering breathtaking views of the Ruaha River Valley. Design components encompass abundant stone, organic textiles, wooden furnishings, and sisal rugs. The bedrooms remain fully open throughout the day to offer relief from the heat, but they are closed at night to exclude insects. Inside, you will discover a double or twin bed, bedside tables equipped with reading lights, a ceiling fan, a writing desk, and baggage racks. Each spacious en-suite bathroom includes an exquisite stone bathtub offering breathtaking views of Ruaha National Park, an outdoor shower with hot water and a flush toilet. A compact plunge pool adjacent to the bedroom is perfect for refreshing oneself between safari excursions. Kichaka Zumbua’s communal area is divided into three sections: a cosy lounge with breathtaking views, an information centre suitable for leisurely reading, and a dining room. Lunch is frequently savoured amid the wilderness during safari excursions, and the camp additionally organizes exhilarating outdoor meals beneath the stars at night. Ultimately, there exists a central pool offering panoramic vistas and a fully supplied ‘Star Bar’, encouraging guests to gather around the fire and appreciate the expansive starlit skies. Kindly ready to unplug, as the camp lacks mobile phone and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Kichaka Kidogo is a minimalist, lightweight fly camp intended to enhance a visit to Kichaka Zumbua for guests with a minimum five-night reservation. Situated along the banks of the Ruaha River, three basic dome-style tents are equipped with cot beds, each featuring a short-drop toilet and a bucket shower. This is a true, nature-centric expedition camp experience, where meals are prepared outdoors over an open campfire, inviting guests to congregate with a refreshing beer. Charging for electronic devices is facilitated by solar electricity. Kichaka Wild is a seven-night special expedition offering four river or woodland locations on the periphery of Ruaha National Park. Personally guided by Andrew Molinaro, this presents a remarkable opportunity to engage in one of the planet’s last authentic wilderness areas, embodying the essence of exploratory adventure. Kichaka Wild can host a maximum of six people in three dome tents, each equipped with a bucket shower and a short-drop toilet.

Activities At Kichaka Expeditions

Kichaka Expeditions specialises in walking safaris conducted by Andrew Molinaro or one of the skilled guides, all educated by Moli, ensuring exceptional safaris rich in comprehensive knowledge. Visitors traverse the most isolated regions of Ruaha, experiencing remarkable wildlife.

• Game drives: Dynamic game drives explore secluded, little visited areas of Ruaha National Park, renowned for its remarkably diversified environment and one of the largest numbers of elephants globally. Guests frequently spend entire days in the wilderness with a picnic lunch. Notable features include four of the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. Additionally, remain vigilant for smaller predators including the cheetah, serval, caracal, wild dog, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and several species of antelope!
• Walking safaris: Guided walking safaris are a primary attraction of Kichaka, offering some of the most distant on-foot safaris in Africa within one of its wildest parks. Moli is an exceptional walking guide with comprehensive knowledge of the region’s ecology and fauna. This is a distinctive opportunity to explore a large, little examined wilderness, away from conventional routes. By traversing new paths daily, you will investigate animal tracks, flora and their therapeutic applications, as well as the region’s remarkable avifauna. Various levels and distances are offered, contingent upon the ages of your party. You will have the opportunity to acquire bush skills, including trace and spoor identification, fire lighting, and fundamental survival techniques.
• Night drives: Game drives frequently continue into the nocturnal hours, when the major predators become active. Each drive is unique, often revealing entirely unforeseen and indelible experiences — one may encounter civets, genets, porcupines, and the delightful pangolin. Be advised that there is an extra $100 Tanapa fee per individual for this activity.
• Birding: Enthusiastic ornithologists will find satisfaction in Ruaha National Park, which boasts nearly six hundred documented species. Bring binoculars and remain vigilant for raptors, bateleur eagles, Tanzanian red-billed hornbills, herons, and black-collared lovebirds, among others.
• Stargazing: Vast, pristine evenings devoid of light pollution render Ruaha National Park an exceptional locale for stargazing. The camp possesses a strong telescope that readily reveals Saturn’s rings – an astonishing spectacle.
• Wildlife photography: The guides at Kichaka are enthusiastic photographers capable of providing numerous tips for capturing ideal animal images. If you are inexperienced in photography or seeking guidance on camera positioning, please advise us, and we will notify your guides.

Note: This property is unfenced and situated in a wildlife region, allowing for the passage of large and potentially hazardous animals. If you want to remain here, remain vigilant while traversing the camp and solicit a staff member to accompany you if you have any apprehensions. All guests are accompanied after dusk as a standard procedure.

Ruaha Safaris:
Ruaha National Park in southern Tanzania derives its name from the Hehe term for ‘river.’ The Great Ruaha River traverses this conservation area and is essential for the fauna and communities beyond its periphery.

Ruaha, the second-largest national park in Tanzania, is an extensive wilderness area inhabited by several wildlife species. The safari’s limited visitor count imparts a sense of seclusion and exclusivity. In the dry season, the savannahs appear golden and are interspersed with baobab trees, while hazy hills extend across the horizon. The yearly precipitation fosters verdant meadows and prompts the ancient baobabs to flower. Ruaha offers a distinctive crossover environment, accommodating animal species from both Southern and Eastern Africa, hence establishing a singular game viewing location.