About 3 hours north of Nairobi opens the Laikipia plain, 2000 meters asl, a rangeland, reserves dedicated to the conservation of flora and fauna, places where research and studies are carried out aimed at the protection of endangered species .

In the Laikipia Plateau there are National Reserves, Forest Reserves, Wildlife Conservancy, Sanctuary and Ranch.

Some of the sanctuaries within Laikipia are justifiably very famous, among them Ol Pejeta is one of the best known and easily accessible for visitors. Known for its work with black rhinos, Ol Pejeta is the largest sanctuary for the protection of these critically endangered creatures in all of East Africa, making it an environmental conservation hotspot. The Lewa Conservancy is also noteworthy. Aside from specimens of rhinoceros, cheetahs and Grevy's largest population of zebras, the fantastic animal sightings are joined by an exceptional archaeological site that dates back 800,000 years.
Some of these Reserves are selective and exclusive, offering activities that are not allowed inside the parks, such as night game drives, walking safaris and horse riding.

A visit to a private ranch in this region is the ideal way to explore Kenya's wilderness away from the beaten path of the National Parks. The real attraction of Laikipia is the extraordinary feeling of freedom. Not simply the freedom given by vast open spaces, but the freedom of choice.

The accommodation in a private ranch offers numerous possibilities, both for carrying out activities and for absolute relaxation. The observation of wild animals tends to be a more intimate and adventurous experience.

The emphasis is on personalized services, you will have the opportunity to create your own program, turn at your own pace and discover the wilderness in your own way.

Loisaba Wilderness
Loisaba is an active ranch with 150 sq km of wildlife conservation and preservation, located just south of Laikipia National Reserve, bordered by the Ewaso Ngiro River to the east. The northern part is made up of a grassy plain, while the southern part is interrupted by valleys and escarpments.

Lodge:
Losisaba lodge, is a luxury lodge on the edge of the Laikipia Plateau with sweeping views. It has 7 French windows, with private bathroom and veranda overlooking the escarpment.
A self contained villa, Loisaba house, is built on the edge of the escarpment with two en-suite bedrooms, lounge, bar, dining room, private pool with beautiful views and private staff.
Loisaba Cottage, 9km from the main lodge, off the escarpment, offers three en-suite bedrooms, one bedroom with large outdoor bathroom and private pool. All guests have access to the main lodge's amenities, including the swimming pool, tennis, spa and souvenir/gift shop. The lodge also has the Koija Starbeds, located overlooking the water hole and the Ewaso Ngiro River, where guests can spend the night, covered and protected only by mosquito nets. In Loisaba Wilderness activities such as day and night game drives, bush walks on horseback or on camel back, mountain biking are possible.

Borana
Borana is a 140 sq km operational ranch, just north of Mt. Kenya and the equator, in the eastern part of the Laikipia Plateau area. It is a mixture of open area, forest and rugged hills.

Lodge:
Borana Lodge was built with local materials and dead wood recovered from the area, overlooking a dam where animals come to drink. The lodge has six cottages, all with spacious bathrooms, fireplaces and porches. The decor, with an African influence, is a little rough but with a pleasant style. The swimming pool with a wide view overlooks the waterhole. Borana Lodge offers activities such as day and night game drives, bush walks, mountain biking and horseback riding - the ranch has approx. 25 horses and offers rides for both novices and experts.
Laragai House was originally built as a good country retreat which can now, as a private home, be rented out. The building is located at the top of a 300m escarpment and more than ten guests can sleep in the house, with service personnel available. The interiors are spacious and furnished with a style ranging from Irish mirrors, thatched ceiling, rugs and rugs from Rajasthan, huge fireplaces and medieval weapons. Outside is the heated swimming pool, the tennis court and the airstrip.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, 182 sq km, is a private reserve on a former ranch (it used to be called Lewa Downs), north of Mt. Kenya. It is well known for being a sanctuary for rhinos, populated by both varieties, both black and white. There are five main biotopes found in the sanctuary, savannah, acacia forests, rocky gorges, mountain forest and swamps. It is all fenced but there are gates that allow animals to move around. The electrified enclosure surrounds both the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and the adjacent Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve, which together form 250 sq km of rhino sanctuary, which currently protects around 100 specimens. The sanctuary also protects the Grevy's zebra, which is highly threatened with extinction, maintaining 20% of the world population of 2,000 specimens. Population growth is offset by an increase in predation, both by around 40 resident or passing lions, and by hyenas and African wild dogs. The sanctuary also has a population of the rare sitatunga antelope (Speke's trelope), which lives in the swamps, originally relocated to Lewa. Other animal spice that can be seen are elephants, African buffaloes, reticulated giraffes, and leopards.

Lodge:
Lewa Safari Camp is a luxury tended camp, located in the northwest of the sanctuary. It has 12 tents with private bathrooms and surrounded by an electrified fence to keep animals away from the trees and the pool. There is a dining room in the main building, a bar, and a salt water swimming pool. At Lewa Safari Camp, day and night game drives, bush walks on horseback or on camel back, bird watching, picnics and fishing are possible.
Lewa House is a hilltop building overlooking the shrine. The entire structure is reserved exclusively. There is the central structure with dining room, living room and large veranda and three cottages with a total of six rooms. The standard is good and the style is a mix between modern African and traditional but light British. In the garden there is the swimming pool overlooking the savannah. The main activities consist of day and night game drives, and bush walks.
Lewa Wilderness, or Wildernees Trails, is located in the east of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, in an area with beautiful views. It is a private house that has 8 thatched roof cottages, scattered around the area. The rooms have private bathrooms, verandas and a fireplace for guests. In the central building there is the dining room, lounge and outdoor salt water swimming pool. The activity includes game drives, bush walks on horseback or on camel back, hiking and jogging with Masai warriors and visits to Masai villages.
Kifaru House is a private villa offering a good standard. The house has sitting and dining areas inside and a garden with a swimming pool overlooking Mt. Kenya. There are five cottages with double bedrooms, private bathrooms, stereo system, electric light and private verandas. The main activities consist of game drives, bush walks on horseback or on the back of a camel.

Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve
Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve, 55 sq km, north of Mt. Kenya, is part of a larger mountain forest. The forest offers a habitat for the black rhino and is a migration corridor for elephants, a resource for many streams and rivers that support the arid surrounding areas.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy, 365 sq km, west of Mt. Kenya, was originally a cow ranch and part of this was developed within Sweetwaters Game Reserve in 1980. In the early 2000s, the Conservancy was extended to its current extension. It is a fairly arid area, where the Ewaso Ngiro River is the main permanent water resource, and practically divides the territory in two, which is made up of savannah, acacia woods and riparian forest along the banks of the river.

The Conservancy is a reserve for the Big Five, which means that elephant, rhino, African buffalo, lion and leopard can all be spotted. The black rhino, which was originally introduced in a conservation project, now has approx. 80 specimens, becoming the largest sanctuary for the black rhino in East Africa.

The population has grown both with reproduction and with the constant move of rhinos to the Conservancy. The number of elephants varies according to the season and migration, but it is estimated a number of at least 300 stable specimens in the Conservancy. There are also about forty lions, 20 cheetahs and 30 leopards. Other species in the area include common and Grevy's zebras, hyenas, baboons, reticulated giraffes, Jackson's hartebeest and other antelopes. In recent years, African wild dogs are also often seen. More than 500 bird species have been seen in the Conservancy.
As Ol Pejeta is a private Conservancy, it is not subject to the rules and directives governing the activities in national parks and reserves, so we can do night game drives, bush walks etc.

Sweetwaters Chimpazee Sanctuary, 1 sq km, in Ol Pejeta is a chimpanzee sanctuary with about forty specimens, opened in 1993 with Lonrho Africa, Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) and the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). These monkeys are not part of the natural fauna of this area, but were brought here from other areas, from war zones and traumatic situations.

Lodges and tented camps:
Sweetwaters Tended Camp is a good tented camp, located in Sweetwaters, with around forty tents. Each tent accommodates two people and has a private bathroom and veranda overlooking the waterhole, where the animals arrive to drink. There is also a restaurant, bar, souvenir / gift shop, and swimming pool. The camp has internet access and conference facilities and equipment. All activities are centered around wildlife, so day and night game drives, bush walks on horseback or camel and bird watching.
Ol Pejeta House & Pelican House are private houses with four bedrooms, plus two more in the cottage, all with private bathrooms. There is the dining room and the garden with the swimming pool. Activities offered are day and night game drives, camel bush walks, bird watching and visits to the Sweetwaters Chimpazee Sanctuary.
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a tented camp on the bank of Ewaso Ngiro, in the middle of the bush, with no permanent structures. It has six tents with private bathroom, veranda and solar energy. Offers day and night game drives, bush walks and visits to Sweetwaters Chimpazee Sanctuary. You can also follow various eco-conservation activities, such as "locating" rhinos and lions, using the equipment of radiolocation, monitoring elephants and other animals.
Porini Rhino Camp is a beautiful tented camp with its own safari atmosphere, amidst the acacias, on the banks of a seasonal river. It has six spacious tents with private bathrooms and solar power. The camp offers day and night game drives, bush walks escorted by rangers. There is an airstrip nearby.
Kicheche Camp is a new camp located in the central part of Ol Pejeta, with six custom designed and made tents. It offers day and night game drives and bushwalking activities.

Lolldaiga

Lolldaiga, 202 sq km, is an operational ranch 30km northwest of Mt. Kenya, with nature ranging from savannah, open forest, cedar hills, olive groves and rocky ridges. Of mammals, you can see baboons, Grevy's zebras, elephants, dikdik, gerenuk, klipspringer, impala, waterbuck, greater kudu, oryx, eland, African buffalo, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, African wild dogs and others. More than 275 bird species have been observed.

Lodge:
Lolldaiga Farm House is a 1940 building, in a beautiful garden of red cedars and wild olive trees. It has two rooms in the building and one room in a cottage, all with private bathroom and solar power. The main house has a dining room and lounge with a fireplace. Possible activities are game drives, bushwalking, hiking, horseback riding and visits to archaeological sites. You can also take part in the work and activities of the farm.

El Karama Ranch
El Karama, 60 sq km, is a private ranch with a nature, where the Ewaso Ngiro flows, mixed with forests, plains and swamps. There are more than 75 species of mammals, including elephants, hippos, buffaloes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, reticulated giraffes and Grevy's zebras. African wild dogs have also appeared lately. There is a rich variety of birds with more than 350 species.
Lodge:
El Karama Lodge. You are hosted in a stone cottage with dining room, living room, private bathroom and outdoor kitchen. Activities offered day and night game drives, bush walks, bird watching and horse and camel rides.

Ol Lentille Conservancy
Ol Lentille, 59 sq km, is a conservancy in the northern part of Laikipia Plateau. Ol Lentille is a mixed area of grassy hills and valleys with acacias and African olive trees. Some of the rare mammals that can be seen are African wild dogs, striped hyenas, greater kudu, leopards, and klipspringers.

Lodge:
The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is built on a wooden knoll and features four private luxury villas, each of which can accommodate two to six people. All villas have a dining room, lounge, bedroom(s), kitchen, bathroom, fireplaces and private staff, but each have unique features and designs. The general standard and design is very good. The Sanctuary also has a beautiful swimming pool, library and a beautiful terrace with a GPS controlled telescope for observing the sky. The activity offered consists of day and night game drives, day and night bush walks, horse and camel rides, mountain biking and quad biking.