Loisaba Star Beds is a small, rustic camp located on the high slopes of a rocky hillside and offering the unique opportunity to sleep under the starry African sky.

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The Loisaba Conservancy covers 89 square miles (231 sq kms) of wilderness on the western side of the great Ewaso Ng'iro River in the Northern Laikipia region. The conservancy is managed by the Loisaba Community Trust and its main focus is the successful merging of livestock farming, ecotourism, and conservation of the wildlife and land. Read more about the Loisaba Conservancy below.

The rustic, but comfortable camp and guest rooms are built to meld naturally into their rocky hillside location using a mixture of wood, natural stone, earthen plaster, and thatching. The camp offers just three standard rooms and one double room that is perfect for a family. Children of any age are welcome at the camp and there are plenty of activities specially-designed for families with children, as well as children's menus for meals. 

Each bedroom extends onto an overhanging wood deck with amazing views of the rolling valley below. Custom made beds have wheels on two corners, allowing them to be rolled out onto the outdoor deck so guests can have the amazing experience of sleeping beneath the stars.

The main guest area is a split-level building with a warm and cozy lounge with a wood-burning fireplace, an upper-level dining room, and outdoor viewing deck that is also used for dining.

Guests staying at Loisaba Star Beds can design their days around a variety of fun and exciting activities, including day and night game drives in custom Land Rovers to see the area's diverse wildlife, guided bush walks, horseback riding, camel riding, fishing in the river, mountain biking, visits to a local Samburu village, and interaction with the conservancy's anti-poaching team and their sniffer dogs.

Wildlife in Loisaba is diverse and relatively abundant for a normally dry ecosystem. Laikipia has the second largest population of elephant in Kenya and Loisaba is an important breeding area and along the route of a vital 'elephant corridor'. The conservancy also plays a key role in supporting one of Kenya's largest and most stable lion populations. Loisaba is home to several critically endangered large mammals, including Grevy’s zebra, African wild dog, leopard, cheetah, and beisa oryx.

The Nature Conservancy operates numerous conservation initiatives at Loisaba, including research programs involving Space For Giants Elephant Foundation, the San Diego Zoo Global Reticulated Giraffe Research Program, and Lion Landscapes. A visit to the Conservancy Headquarters offers an opportunity to learn about these and other research and conservation projects underway at Loisaba.

About Laikipia

Laikipia is a middle-altitude plateau that lies northwest from the central Highlands of Kenya and covers over 3 700 square miles (9 500 sq kms). The region is a transitional zone between the lush and mountainous highlands of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains to the southeast, the Rift Valley to the south and west, and the arid, semi-desert Samburu region to the north. The plateau ranges in elevation from 5 600-8 300 feet (1 700-2 550 meters).

The Laikipia region has historically been used by humans for cattle ranching going back to the colonial era and there is still ranching in Laikipia. There are no national parks or reserves in Laikipia; instead, there is an assortment of private conservancies and group-ranches which together protect land and wildlife even to a higher degree than Kenya's national parks and offer some of the best wildlife experiences in the country.

The private and community-managed conservancies in Laikipia mostly operate as dual-use properties, with eco-tourism, research, and conservation co-existing with livestock ranching. Some of the original colonial ranches in Laikipia now operate as safari lodges, while still maintaining their ranching operations. In addition to traditional safari drives to look for wildlife, these ranches usually offer guests an opportunity to experience ranching activities and horseback riding.

Wildlife in Laikipia is diverse and abundant, particularly within the refuges, including Lewa, Ol Pejeta, and Borana. Animals that can be seen include healthy populations of plains species like black rhino, white rhino, elephant, reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, plains zebra, buffalo, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, Jackson's hartebeest, and others.

Laikipia's predators include cheetah, lion, leopard, African wild dog, black-backed jackal, and other small species.

The Laikipia Wildlife Foundation (LWF), a non-profit organization formed in 1992, oversees the region as a whole. Membership in LWF includes all private ranches and conservancies in Laikipia, as well as the community groups representing the diverse local tribes such as the Maasai, Kikuyu, Samburu, and Pokot.

The three main wildlife conservancies in Laikipia are Lewa, Borana and Ol Pejeta. All are located in central or southern Laikipia and each offers a superb safari experience and excellent accommodation. Visitors are able to see the diverse wildlife and learn about the conservation initiatives at each of the reserves

Northern Laikipia is remote and wild and the land becomes more arid. The ranches in the north offer a diversity of activities, from camel riding, mountain biking, hot-air balloon rides, rafting on the Ewaso Ng'iro River, walking safaris, and nature drives. Wildlife in the north is more sparse, but the experience of being in this wilderness is special. Ranches in the north include Loisaba, Mugie, Ol Lentil, Ol Malo, and others.

About Loisaba Conservancy

Loisaba is a 89-square-mile (231-sq-km) working cattle ranch and wildlife sanctuary lying west of the Ewaso Ng'iro River in Northern Laikipia. The ranch provides a critical link connecting Laikipia to the Samburu region to the east, helping to ensure that a well-used wildlife (particularly elephants) and livestock movement corridor is protected.

The ranch has a herd of over 2 000 Boran cattle. Loisaba offers diverse activities including walking safaris, horseback safaris, tracking wildlife, mountain biking, camel rides, quad-biking, ballooning, and river rafting. An elevated "star bed" accommodation offers guests the option to sleep under the stars.

The land was purchased by the Ancilotto family in the 1970s, who managed it as a low-impact cattle ranch and tourist destination with a vision of protecting the land as a wilderness for the native wildlife and future generations.

In 1997, the land was leased to a group of Kenyans and an American investor, who created the Loisaba brand  and managed it as a successful ranching, conservation, and tourism business until 2014, when the land was transferred to the Loisaba Community Trust. The transfer was facilitated by The Nature Conservancy, Space for Giants, and generous donors.

Today, the Loisaba Community Trust continues to ensure that Loisaba remains a world-class conservation and ecotourism destination, as well as a hub for wildlife research.

Loisaba's stated mission is to protect and enhance critical wildlife diversity, abundance, and habitat in the Loisaba landscape, while concurrently supporting sustainable livestock production and improving the lives of neighboring communities. Both tourism and livestock bring revenue to the land and offer over 300 jobs to local communities.