Laikipia is a high plateau in central Kenya, straddling the equator between the slopes of Mount Kenya and the rim of the Great Rift Valley. Laikipia County covers about 9,500 sq km at elevations from roughly 1,700 to over 2,600 metres, and rather than one national park, it is a connected mosaic of private conservancies, community-owned group ranches and working cattle ranches that together protect one of Kenya’s most important wildlife landscapes.
The plateau at a glance
- Roughly 9,500 sq km, between Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley
- Coordinated by the Laikipia Conservancies Association, linking private, community and livestock land
- Home to over half of Kenya’s black rhino population, spread across several fenced sanctuaries
- Holds more than 70 percent of the world’s remaining Grevy’s zebra
Wildlife
Laikipia supports more than 2,000 elephants moving between Mount Kenya’s forests and the drier Samburu lowlands, alongside lion, leopard and cheetah. It is one of the few places left in Kenya where African wild dogs still hold a viable population. Reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx and gerenuk are common across its drier stretches, and more than 500 bird species have been recorded across the landscape.
Major conservancies
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy — around 364 sq km, home to East Africa’s largest black rhino sanctuary and Kenya’s last two northern white rhinos
- Lewa Wildlife Conservancy — over 250 sq km, a UNESCO World Heritage Site focused on rhino and Grevy’s zebra conservation
- Loisaba Conservancy — roughly 57,000 acres combining cattle ranching with a working wildlife corridor
- Borana Conservancy — adjacent to Lewa, sharing an unfenced boundary and wildlife corridor
- Community conservancies such as Il Ngwesi and Ol Lentille, owned and run by local Maasai and Samburu communities
Things to do
- Game drives across open plateau country for elephant, rhino and predators
- Walking safaris, horseback riding and camel trekking, more widely offered here than in Kenya’s national parks
- Night drives for nocturnal species, including a chance of wild dog
- Conservation experiences such as rhino monitoring and community conservancy visits
Practical information
- Reached by road from Nanyuki, or by scheduled and charter flights to airstrips across the conservancies
- Best visited in the dry seasons from June to October and January to March
- Access to each conservancy is generally arranged through its lodges and camps, which include conservation fees
Laikipia’s mix of private and community conservancies makes it one of the most flexible parts of Kenya for tailored safaris, from horseback riding to rhino tracking. Offmap Safaris can combine a Laikipia stay with Lewa, Samburu or Mount Kenya. To start planning, visit Plan My African Safari, message us on WhatsApp at +256 701 243 304, or email [email protected]. See also our notes on health and safety and responsible travel.