Laikipia Plateau Safaris

Laikipia District is a vast plateau, one of 71 districts of Kenya located on the Equator. It stretches from the Great Rift Valley to the magnificent escarpments which descend into the Northern Frontier District. The Laikipia plains are covered by open grasslands, basalt hills, lonely kopjes and dense cedar forests fed by the Ewaso Nyiro and Ewaso Narok rivers. This spectacular region is often considered the gateway to Kenya's wild Northern frontier country.

Laikipia Plateau Price Guide

Fill in the form below to receive our Kenya price guide or click here for a more specific enquiry:

How to get there

Laikipia is a sprawling wilderness and is accessible by road from Nanyuki, Eldoret, Baringo or Isiolo. Many of ranches and roads are privately owned. It is therefore important to note which of the ranches allow day visitors with their own transport. Most ranches and sanctuaries in Laikipia have their own airstrip, which can be used by charter aircraft. SUNSAFARIS can arrange transfers to Laikipia's ranches and sanctuaries.

Air

To/From Nairobi: Air Kenya has daily scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport to Lewa Downs or Nanyuki airports.

Activities

Laikipia is home to the world's only marathon which is run in a game park. Competitors run on the dirt roads within the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. This annual marathon offers gruelling challengers as runners battle the high altitude with one eye on the dirt road and the other on the spectators - elephant, rhino and cheetah. Other activities available in Laikipia are: camel treks, abseiling, rock climbing, rafting, canoeing, mountain biking, nature walks, animal tracking, visits to local manyattas and schools, but to name a few.

View all Laikipia Plateau lodges

Loisaba camp

Loisaba Lodge is situated in a private wildlife conservancy on the edge of the Laikipia Plateau, 70km north of Mount Kenya. Loisaba has 2 sets of Star Beds, Kiboko and Koija which is unique to the lodge. They are set on raised platforms to provide blissful sleep under the vast African sky with only the stars and sky for a ceiling.

Loisaba Camp

Lewa Safari Camp

Lewa Safari Camp is situated in the foothills of Mount Kenya in the privately owned Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The conservancy has gained a reputation for being a pioneer in wildlife preservation. A member of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum, the conservancy is a non-profit organisation whose objectives are to preserve wildlife within its borders.

Lewa Safari Camp

Laikipia Plateau National Park Introduction

Northern Kenya's Laikipia is a true wilderness. This area of Kenya is very sparsely populated where humans have had little effect on game patterns. Laikipia is the last stronghold of romantic East Africa with its vast open ranches shadowed by snow-capped Mount Kenya, and home to ethnically diverse communities including the Laikipiak, Maasai and Samburu.  The Kikuyu form 60% of the population with the balance composed of other ethnic communities including Mukogodo Masai, Samburu, Meru, Borana, Kalenjin, Somali and Turkana. Laikipia is the perfect place for an introduction to the harsh, yet stunningly beautiful landscapes of northern Kenya.

Laikipia Plateau National Park Game Viewing

Laikipia forms part of the Ewaso ecosystem which is larger than all of Kenya's protected areas except Tsavo. This ecosystem is home to the second largest population of elephant in Kenya. Laikipia is the one district that continues to record increasing wildlife populations. It hosts the highest populations of endangered species in the country. It has 8 rhino sanctuaries, which together hold more than half of Kenya's black rhino population. Laikipia is also a safe haven for endangered Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and the only viable population of Lelwel hartebeest in Kenya. The Laikipia region is ranked second to the internationally renowned Masai Mara ecosystem. Despite Laikipia's unique biodiversity, it is remarkably not a protected area. Laikipia's wildlife is entirely sustained by private and communal landowners.

Seasons

The district has a cool, temperate climate with both rainy and dry seasons. The long and humid rainy season starts around April and lasts until June. The short rains come during the warm months of November and December. From January to March it is hot and dry while July to October it is warm and dry. The warm dry season is the best for game viewing and personal comfort.