The Laikipia and Lewa regions lie to the north of Mount Kenya and offer visitors diverse habitats and an exciting range of bush activities – everything from camel treks to cultural visits, and mountain biking to micro-flights. About the size of Wales, the Laikipia Plateau is an area of sweeping plains and rugged gorges, beautiful country where thorny acacias and wild palms mingle with candelabra trees and gigantic rocky kopjes. Privately owned, this former ranch land is now devoted to game sanctuaries. Visitors have individually prepared schedules of walks, drives, picnics and, depending on the lodge, fishing, horse-riding, and camel treks.
Laikipia is home to about 10% of the total Wild dog (aka Painted wolf) population, estimated at about 5,000. Now listed as Endangered, the Wild dog is susceptible to diseases found in domestic dogs, and has been persecuted by humans for many years. Sosian is the lodge to visit for Wild dog, as they work closely with the Laikipia Predator Project, which monitors and collects data in order to protect Wild dog and African lion.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
South of Laikipia, the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy has become a model for wildlife conservation on private land. Comprising open savannah, acacia forest, rocky gorges and ravines, mountain forest and swamplands, Lewa is home to an equally rich diversity of wildlife and over 450 bird species. Its resident mammals include the reclusive, aquatic Sitatunga. It is also home to a fifth of the remaining Grevy’s zebra popluation and increasing numbers of Reticulated giraffe, as well as the Critically Enangered Black rhinoceros.
Lewa offers a smorgasbord of activities: game drives, night drives, guided bushwalks, visits to prehistoric sites, treasure hunts for children, bush breakfasts and dinners, cultural visits, Lion tracking, helicopter trips and horse-riding, fishing and mountain biking nearby.
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