The Laikipia plateau in central Kenya is the last stronghold of romantic East Africa. The Laikipia is home to ethnically diverse communities including the Mukogodo Maasai, Kikuyu, & Meru, who live side by side with Turkana, Samburu & Pokot. These indigenous people have joined in a partnership with the farmers & ranchers to create a conservation & wildlife haven that spans an area of over 9,500km², & forms part of the 40,000km² Ewaso ecosystem. The Laikipia plains stretch from the Great Rift Valley to the magnificent escarpments which descend into the Northern Frontier District. Fed by the Ewaso Nyiro & Ewaso Narok rivers,
Laikipia’s abundant plains have long nurtured exceptional diversity, with traditional resources still very much the mainstay of the community: from wheat farming & livestock ranching to wildlife conservation & now a cherished haven for big game. Increasingly acknowledged as one of the most important areas for biodiversity in Kenya, Laikipia continues to record rising or stable wildlife numbers, in contrast to a declining trend throughout much of the country.
Wildlife population densities in the Laikipia region now rank second to the internationally renowned Masai Mara ecosystem, whilst the diversity of large mammals is higher than in any other part of Kenya. Diversity is the key to Laikipia’s attraction as a tourist
destination – there is something for everyone. From wildlife conservation, activity holidays, to simply retreating from the world, it’s all here. Laikipia offers diverse scenery from the edge of the Great Rift Valley, to the peaks of Mount Kenya, with dusty plains & verdant grasslands, interspersed with rocky hills, rivers, & waterholes. The Ewaso ecosystem is home to the second largest population of elephant in Kenya (6,000+) & Laikipia hosts the highest populations of endangered species, such as black rhino (half of Kenya’s total population), Grevy’s zebra (70% of the world’s population), reticulated giraffe, & the only viable population
of Lelwel hartebeest in the country, as well as Africa’s only expanding population of wild dog. Laikipia’s biodiversity is globally unique, yet remarkably Laikipia is not a protected area, & Laikipia’s wildlife is entirely sustained by private & communal landowners.
Given the exclusive nature & outstanding quality of Laikipia’s accommodation options, the remarkable integrity of the ecosystem with its immense wildlife populations, & the fact that the plateau is home to more endangered species than anywhere else in East Africa, it is not difficult to imagine that the Laikipia will increasingly be seen as Kenya's foremost destination.
