Main attractions
The Laikipia Plateau has many hidden gems and heaps of reasons why you should plan a visit:
- To see Kenya and Kenya’s wildlife without the crowds of the more famous national parks.
- A chance to see some of Kenya’s endangered species, like the black rhino and the wild dogs.
- Several private conservancies offer a range of activities and some different options to view wildlife
- Excellent bird watching
- Some of Kenya’s best wildlife viewing in terms of variety of animals and number of animals.
Watch Kenya’s amazing wildlife without the crowds
Where the Masai Mara can sometimes feel a bit crowded, you will have a more exclusive safari on the Laikipia Plateau. Often only one or a handful of lodges and camps can be found on each private conservancy, which means you might not see another vehicle during your safaris.
See if you are lucky enough to spot some of the endangered species in Kenya like the wild dogs or black rhino
The Laikipia Plateau has good numbers of rhino as well as wild dogs. They are elusive, but can be found with a good guide and some patience.
Different ways of game viewing
Several private conservancies offer a range of activities as well as viewing wildlife other than sitting in a safari vehicle. The Laikipia Plateau offers you a chance to go on a night drive, take a walking safari, or view wildlife from the back of a horse.
Birdwatching on the Laikipia Plateau
The Laikipia Plateau offers world-class bird watching. Pick up a bird book and see how many of Kenya’s 1065 bird species you can tick off.
Some of the best wildlife viewing in Kenya
The Laikipia Plateau is large, more than 9000km2 or roughly the size of Wales, and this vast area is home to some of Kenya’s biggest populations of endangered species like the black rhinos and the Grévy’s zebras. There are no national parks or reserves, but instead, it consists of many private ranches and private conservancies with huge wildlife densities.
Private conservancies on the Laikipia Plateau
The conservancies on the Laikipia Plateau often offer additional ways to experience Kenya’s wildlife and to explore its stunning natural surroundings. Night drives and walking safaris are often offered, giving you a totally different experience to the standard game drives.
Some of the more famous private conservancies like Ol Pejeta, Lewa and Solio are well-known for their large rhino populations which are slowly expanding with the excellent private protection these conservancies offer.
Sosian is well-known for its amazing horse-riding safaris and the Laikipia Wilderness Lodge offers a good chance to spot the elusive wild dogs as they have two packs that frequent their ranch. Both groups of dogs are radio-collared due to the research done with these 2 packs.
One of the most accessible conservancies on the Laikipia Plateau is Ol Pejeta. It is not far from Nanyuki so you can quickly fly in, and is also within driving distance from Nairobi (3.5 hours). Ol Pejeta is world-famous for having the last three northern white rhinos in the world, it also has a chimpanzee orphanage and a blind black rhino called Baraka. They offer a variety of accommodation options, including camping for those on a smaller budget.
