Itineraries

The Laikipia Ride:

The ranch land of the Laikipia plateau covers 25000 square kilometers, and is unmatched in Kenya in terms of wildlife diversity. Ranches, all privately owned, have until now depended on livestock as their income. There has been a massive commitment by the ranchers to conserve this ecosystem. Fences have been uprooted and wildlife has the freedom now to roam this big landscape. Communities that border this area are the Laikipiak Maasai and Samburu. In turn they are following the lead of conservation, and the last part of the ride is staying with them at Tassia.

Day 1: Mark will collect you off your Nairobi/Nanyuki flight at 9:40am. Have a quick cup of coffee at ‘Barney’s’ and then drive to El Karama Ranch west of Mt.Kenya. We should arrive in time for an early lunch at Murray Grant’s cottages, on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiru (Water that is red) river.

Murray is a personal friend, who makes his living as a sculptor. A few of his casts, will no doubt be seen in the dining area. Murray’s parents, Guy and Lavinia, own and run El Karama. Guy’s main focus on his ranch is his Saihawell cattle. Lavinia is a well known author in Kenya.

After lunch, the horses will be made ready for an afternoon ride. Elephant are pretty much guaranteed here plus the great variety of plains game. A night game drive to try and seek out, the nocturnal side of life.

Day 2: After an early breakfast, we set of in an Easterly direction, cutting back across El Karama, over the Southern tip of Ol Jogi Ranch (owned by the Wildenstein family) and onto Mogwooni .Jackie and Mandy Kenyon own and run Mogwooni.

The finest herd of Boran cattle, which are indigenous to Kenya, are bred here. Jackie has a ‘zero’ tolerance of wildlife on this smallish ranch, which is all so evident as we ride through. We then ride back onto Ol Jogi briefly, before moving onto Enasoit Ranch. Owned by Hauval Astrop, and managed by Peter and Karen Glover. We will stop for lunch ( which we carry in our saddle bags) and a siesta in ‘the valley of plenty’.

During the cooler hours of the afternoon, we follow an old elephant trail, climbing up into the Loldaiga hills and finally to camp.

Day 3 and 4: Do exactly as we want, riding, driving or walking around this scenically diverse ranch. The Loldaiga’s are covered in’Pencil Cedar’, are a stark contrast to Laikipia plateau below us. Until the late 80’s, this ranch was elephant free, and has a known population of wild dog who often den amongst the hills. Robert Wells, who owns this ranch, will hopefully have dinner with us on one of the two nights we have here.

Day 6: We move again today after breakfast, with lunch in our saddle bags, in an Easterly direction. Dropping out of the Loldaiga’s across the drier Northern sector of the ranch and on to Ol Naishu ranch.

Owned by Jeremy Block, whose family started the famous Block Hotels pre independence. We will lunch and siesta on a bluff over looking Borana. Our afternoon ride to camp, set on a dam surrounded by wild olive trees, takes us through a spectacular valley, often full of ‘ele’s’.

Night game drive a must here. Michael and Nicky Dyer who own and run Borana, will hopefully join us for dinner.

Day7: We leave our camp behind today, and after breakfast, ride down the incredibly majestic Sieiku Valley enroute to Tassia. A drop, of 2000ft, through montaine forest, eventually ending on the valley floor, and follow the dry Sieiku river bed.

Lunch will again be carried in our saddlebags, and a cold drink will be on hand after riding through a pass out of the valley. Tassia is an eco-tourist lodge, hosted by the Mukogodo Maasai.

Relax and have a swim in the amazing rock swimming pool after a great days ride. An evening drive and sundowners are hard to beat here!

Day 8: A full day exploring this wild part of the North. Either riding walking, driving, or simply relaxing, time at Tassia is precious! Sundowners on a rocky kopje, a must.

Day 9: Our next moving day and back to sleeping under canvas. We ride up the Ngare Ndare river bed, which at certain times of the year has water flowing down her. Lovely long canters, surrounded by sheer banks, before we cut away and climb the Sanga escarpment.

Lunch will carried in a Landcruiser with a cold drink, which we will meet enroute. Camp is set on the Ngare Ndare River where we are for the next two nights.

Day 10: A full day doing as we wish from here.

Day 11: Our last move to Ol Donyo. After our morning ride which takes us through the highest point of Borana, Samangwa, we drop into the Ngare Ndare forest. A total contrast again to the country we leave behind us.

Lunch today will be high on a platform constructed amongst the canopy of the forest, overlooking a secret waterhole. After lunch we continue through the forest to Ol Donyo. Camp stares at Mt.Kenya, and tonight we have a Black tie dinner in Ol Tau, a natural amphitheatre nestled against the forest.

Day 12: After breakfast, a short drive back to Nanyuki to catch your internal flight back to Nairobi.