Set against the backdrop of majestic Mount Kenya, Laikipia encapsulates so much of what is good about modern conservation and offers some of the best wildlife viewing in the country.
The vast Laikipia plateau extends from the lush foothills of Mount Kenya to the Great Rift Valley, covering an area roughly the size of Wales
A bastion of biodiversity at the forefront of Kenya's conservation efforts, with more endangered animals than anywhere else in the country
Home to half of Kenya’s black rhinos and half the world's Grevy's zebras
Opportunities to see some of Kenya's last remaining African wild dogs and maybe even a rare black leopard
Activities include day and night game drives, horse riding, camel trekking and guided walks
With wildlife densities second only to those found in the Masai Mara, Laikipia is a bastion of biodiversity and has become one of the country’s most important areas for conservation. Extending over a vast 9,500 square kilometres, its semi-arid plains and acacia-covered hills comprise a patchwork of tribal lands, privately owned ranches, wildlife conservancies and small-scale farms. A number of conservancies in particular stand out.
Ol Pejeta is home to the largest black rhino population in East Africa, as well as two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos. It also offers chances to track lions at night using radio receivers and boasts a chimpanzee sanctuary for orphaned and abused chimps from West and Central Africa. Both black and white rhinos are likewise a draw at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which also provides a refuge to all the Big Five and around 20% of the world’s Grevy’s zebras. The family-run Solio Game Reserve is another breeding centre for black rhinos and is beautiful of itself. As is Segera Ranch, whose broad savannahs – cut through with river valleys and riverine woodland – embody the Laikipia landscape. Though a working cattle ranch, wildlife is prolific here, with everything from big cats, buffalo and elephant to Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe. It’s a similar story at Borana Conservancy, where guests can gallop on horseback beside herds of giraffe and may even cross paths with rare African wild dogs.
Laikipia is also home to some of Kenya’s most exclusive and authentic lodges, which offer all manner of memorable experiences, from night drives and walking safaris to horse riding and camel trekking. And unlike in Kenya’s national parks, where off-road driving is prohibited, Laikipia’s guides delight in taking visitors almost within touching distance of the region’s fabled wildlife.
A contemporary luxury lodge and the only guest accommodation in the incredible 45,000-acre Solio Game Reserve, one of the most successful rhino breeding sanctuaries in the world.
An impressive camp in the north-west corner of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, home to thriving numbers of lion, leopard and elephant, as well as highly endangered species such as black and white rhino and Grevy’s zebra.
Twelve-room tented camp perched on the edge of an escarpment, with views extending for hundreds of miles across the plains of Laikipia.
Rustically designed to complement the surrounding environment, the Star Beds are poised on a rocky kopje, looking out over an undulating valley and a permanent waterhole regularly visited by wildlife.
Enjoy the exclusivity of the 57,000-acre Loisaba Conservancy, with unhindered views across the Laikipia Plateau towards Mount Kenya.
A five-bedroom exclusive-use home in Laikipia's Borana Conservancy that caused both the Telegraph and Conde Nast to ask the question: "Is this the most beautiful holiday house in Africa?"