Laikipia Holidays

Enjoy a safari experience with a difference on your Laikipia holiday. Here, untrodden paths and small-scale sustainable enterprises provide a refreshing alternative to the established safari giant of the Masai Mara.

You can explore the grasslands of Lewa Conservancy, one of the oldest in Laikipia. It’s home to 350 Grevy’s zebras, plus eastern black rhinos and southern white rhinos. Or, for an exclusive experience, search for cheetahs and hyenas at Borano Ranch, where visitors are restricted to just 32 at a time.

You can walk, cycle or horseback-ride among the wildlife at Solio Ranch, or see basking hippos at Sosian Ranch. Watch wild dogs hunting at Ol Doinyo Lemboro, or head to Lekurruki to see amazing birdlife and learn about the Mukogodo Maasai community. Alternatively, make tracks for El Karama Ranch, where you can enjoy a ranger-guided bushwalk among giraffes, standing in the shadow of Mount Kenya.

Want to discover one of the most important conservancies in Kenya? Visit the 90,000-acre territory of Ol Pejeta. On this huge private ranch, which stretches between the Aberdares and Mount Kenya, you’re practically guaranteed sightings of critically endangered black rhinos. And all the profits from the safaris are used to run sanctuaries for both rhinos and chimpanzees, creating a safe and protected home for these incredible creatures.

Ol Pejeta is also the last place on Earth where northern white rhinos exist, with the last two surviving animals – both female – live in their own private boma. Away from the sanctuaries, you can experience breath-taking game drives among thriving populations of buffalo, elephants, leopards, and lions. And there’s a great choice of both rustic and luxury accommodation.

Learn all about modern Maasai culture and daily life when you explore this trail-blazing conservancy. An amazing example of community-run tourism, Il Ngwesi’s wildlife sanctuary is owned and organised by a collective of Maasai villages. Their land was once set aside for livestock, but is now used for conservation.

You can see how populations of elephants, lions, leopards, and even black rhinos are thriving in a truly cared-for Kenyan environment. Take dawn and dusk game drives to search for the ‘Big Five’ alongside gazelle, eland, zebra and impala. Spend time learning about Maasai village life from the people who live it. And see how local farmers-turned-gamekeepers have introduced clever techniques for allowing the animals to live naturally, while protecting vulnerable species from predator attacks.

Game-viewing is strong all year round in the ranches, parks and conservancies of Laikipia. Temperatures are also consistent throughout most of the year – the mercury usually hovers between 20°C and 30°C in the day, before dropping closer to 10°C after dark.

The dry summer months, from June to September, are the most popular time for a Laikipia holiday. The roads are in their best condition at this time, and the thinner vegetation means animals can be more easily seen in the clearings and around water holes.

Rains can impede travel from October to December and March to May. But fewer visitors, lush greenery and the appearance of newborn mammals can make this an exciting time to visit. Alternatively, January and February usually see dryer weather – ideal for a New Year visit.