Choose comprehensive Kenya safari packages to the nearly 10 000 square km Laikipia Central Highlands for some extraordinary sight-seeing and wildlife viewing that is completely different from the huge game reserves so famous in Kenya. Make this your bucket list adventure for a Kenya safari and stay in top of the range camps and lodges where every comfort is at your fingertips.
The Central Highlands are just that – central to the Kenyan landscape, its history and culture. Most British and European settlers pioneered settlements and farms in this rural beauty near Mount Kenya, but they were invading the land belonging to the Kikuyu people who had farmed the land for decades before this. Years later, the Mau Mau rebellion took the region by macabre storm.
When you drive through the area today, you see cultivated fields on the hills, where the rural people are back and loving their land below the peaks of Mount Kenya, near Aberdare National Park. It’s a beautiful area to explore and tourists can stop over in luxury lodges that were once old cattle ranches – walk with the Masai warriors and learn more about the rich cultures that make Kenya such a trending destination in Africa.
The Laikipia Plateau is home to many Laikipia Masai and Samburu communities and about 10% of Kenya’s black rhino population is found here in Lewa- as well as greater kudu, reticulated giraffe, Cape buffalo, impala, elephant, klipspringer, zebra, eland, dik dik, waterbuck, lion, and leopard.
The Great Rift Valley and its lakes form the western boundary of the Central Highlands. In the north, find highlands covered in lush verdant rain forests. Drive east through warm, desert-type, dry habitats and be part of a great combination of landscapes for rich wildlife viewing. A wonderful stopover point for journeys into the north of Kenya, Laikipia stretches from the northeast of the Great Rift Valley to the northwest of the slopes of Mt Kenya. Find it conveniently tucked away about 150km from Nairobi, the capital.
Discover this melting pot of cultures and home to the Maasai, Mukugodo, Kikuyu, Samburu, Meru, Europeans, Turkana and Pokot. These tribes have successfully worked together to rebuild this beautiful area to its glorious state. Laikipia was once a patchwork of ranches now transformed into a significant wildlife reserve – almost as rich as the Masai Mara.
Head to Laikipia East, embracing the Lewa Wildlife Reserve, Samburu, Shaba and Buffalo Springs, plus Meru National Park. If you go north, you will see how Laikipia was once the hub of cattle ranching but is being restored to its former splendour. In Laikipia South you find Nanyuki, gateway to the Central Highlands, and the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Visit the Rhino Sanctuary, the most important place for rhinos in East Africa, its population of over 100 black rhino having to be under constant guard. The last remaining Northern White rhino also stay in a special boma guarded by rangers.
The Central Highlands is known for its breath-taking scenery, world-class accommodation, high volumes of wildlife and few visitors. Seek out half of Kenya’s black and white rhino populations, the second largest elephant concentration in the country, African wild dogs and lions too.
Photograph plenty of what remains of Grevy’s zebras in Laikipia as well as the unusual, reticulated giraffe, Beisaoryx, Gerenuk and Somali ostrich. Bird lovers get ready – spot some of the estimated 1,100 bird species in this birder’s paradise. Choose to experience unforgettable walking safaris, horseback safaris, game drives and mountain bike treks.
Arrive between July – October and January for front row seats to some amazing game viewing. July to August can be very cold, while December to March is the warmest months and the driest. The region is a great all-year game viewing area so whenever you visit, you are likely to experience excellent game viewing.
Pack up the entire family for a safari holiday to Kenya that they will never forget. Intrepid journeys into Africa introduce your kids to the biggest classroom in the world, nature! Game viewing, nature walks, river cruises and camping under the stars are all part of a safari adventure your family will talk about for years down the line!
Bring your children into the true wilderness of Kenya, our top African safari destination of all time – so check out the luxury lodge and bush camp accommodation where children are made to feel at home and book your special family package today.
Plan a Kenya tour and safari with Voyage2Africa, the African travel experts, and enjoy signature experiences to the premier wildlife destination south of the equator. We bring you thrilling adventures in the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park, the Great Rift Valley, Mount Kenya National Park and even Nairobi. We offer you the best of the best safari accommodation in Kenya, in lavish lodges, family resorts, modern hotels, eco villas and rustic wild campsites in nature. Bring your camera and you hat, your binoculars and your sense of spirit to an African land that is home to humankind.
