Laikipia Plateau
Home to some of Kenya’s wonderfully different creatures.
What to expect…
Ol Pejeta Conservancy has the highest concentration of black rhinos anywhere in Kenya and also is home to the world’s last two remaining Northern White Rhinos - both females and part of a concerted conservation drive to bring them back with fertilised embryos after the last male, Sudan, died in 2018.
Elsewhere, follow ‘herds’ of white rhinos as they graze on the open, fertile plains of Solio Game Reserve or visit their rhino orphanage under the gaze of Mt Kenya.
Further to the north, in the more arid areas lies Laikipia Wilderness Camp which for the last few years has become famous for its resident black (melanistic) leopard but is ideally suited for families wanting to explore the wild and for those seeking an adventure and Kenya’s more unheralded creatures like greevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes and more dik-diks than one would think possible.
When to Visit
Much like elsewhere in Kenya, the rains tend to arrive in April and May making traversing the area difficult if not impossible. Much of the soil is of the black cotton variety so you want to avoid the wetter months where getting stuck is all but certain. Straddling the equator as it is, traditional ‘seasons’ mean very little here and it is at a higher elevation than the Mara making it cooler too.
June through October will be drier and have good game viewing and access but August and September will be busier given the peak tourism season in the Mara and have high-season rates. November and December are excellent (although Christmas time can be busier) as are January through Feb.
I enjoy March as the season begins to turn and the storm clouds build again but the rains can come early so early March is better to mitigate this.
JAN
Excellent
FEB
Excellent
MAR
Very Good
APRIL
Mixed
MAY
Mixed
JUN
Good
JUL
Mixed
AUG
Mixed
SEPT
Mixed
DEC
Very Good
OCT
Good
NOV
Excellent
