Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a classic East African safari camp offering its guests an opportunity to contribute to wildlife conservation, while viewing some of Africa's most endangered species.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is one of the Laikipia region's privately-managed, dual-use properties that combines active livestock ranching with wildlife conservation and ecotourism. The conservancy is owned by Fauna and Flora International and is operated as a non-profit.

Wildlife at Ol Pejeta includes all of Africa's Big Five species (lion, leopard, elephant, both black and white rhino, and buffalo), plus all of the region's iconic plains game like giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala, topi, and many others. Other predators seen regularly include include cheetah, spotted hyena, jackal, and serval.

The conservancy protects some of Kenya's most endangered wildlife, including Grevy's zebra, Jackson's hartebeest, and Beisa Oryx. Most notably, Ol Pejeta has East Africa's largest population of the highly endangered black rhino and the last two remaining northern white rhinos on the planet. Read more about the Ol Pejeta Conservancy below.

Ol Pejeta Bush Camp offers its guests a variety of activities, including twice-daily game drives in the conservancy, night game drives to see nocturnal species, horse riding, lion tracking (some of the lions are wearing radio collars for research purposes), cycling, cultural visits to a local community, visits to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, interaction s with the conservancy's anti-poaching unit, and more.

The camp offers 7 classic, Meru-style safari tents with flush toilets and indoor, hot-water bucket showers. One of the tents is a larger, two-bedroom unit designed for families with children. Children of any age are welcome at the camp and child-friendly activities and meals are offered.

The camp is situated on the bank of the Ewaso Ng'iro River, the region's most important waterway. The main guest area has a classic and relaxed atmosphere , with two tented spaces that include a lounge, dining area, and bar, all offering views to the river.

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 Ol Pejeta

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which covers 141 square miles (365 sq kms), is a working cattle ranch that has been converted to a dual-use property that protects wildlife while still maintaining cattle farming. The conservancy is now owned by Fauna and Flora International and is run as a non-profit.

Ol Pejeta is primarily covered in grassland with some Acacia scrub and is well watered via boreholes, which provides excellent habitat for an abundance of wildlife. The perimeter of the property is surrounded by an electric fence and rangers patrol the property every day to watch over the land and wildlife inside.

Wildlife management is combined with the world's largest herd of Boran cattle, a well-known beef breed in Africa. The cattle are maintained and protected from predators by placing them inside mobile 'bomas' at night. The management of cattle and wildlife together at Ol Pejeta is considered a model conservation effort, which provides tourism and beef revenue, plus cattle stock improvement for the local communities.

The eastern side of Ol Pejeta was formerly the Sweetwaters Rhino Sanctuary, which gained fame for a tame black rhino bull named 'Morani' that could be hand-fed by visitors. Morani died in 2008, but the reserve now boasts good numbers of both black and white rhinos.

Ol Pejeta also has a fenced chimpanzee sanctuary, which houses chimps from the Jane Goodall Institute in Burundi and other orphans rescued from the bush-meat trade throughout other parts of Africa. This chimp haven has two troops, one on either side of the Ewaso Ng'iro river and a boat ride to see the sanctuary is a popular activity.

Plains game is abundant at Ol Pejeta, with commonly seen species including buffalo, elephant, reticulated giraffe, Jackson's hartebeest, gerenuk antelope, Beisa Oryx, Grevy's zebra, blue wildebeest, and hippo.

Predators include leopard, lion, cheetah, spotted hyena, African wild dog, black-backed jackal, serval, bat-eared fox, caracal, and others. Birding at Ol Pejeta is excellent, with a list that tops 300 species.

Activities at Ol Pejeta include game drives (both day and night), guided walking safaris, horse riding, cycling, and wildlife radio-tracking with researchers.

Access to Ol Pejeta is via Nairobi (4-hour drive) or a scheduled flight from Nairobi's to Nanyuki (75 minutes / outside the conservancy / 30- to 45-minute drive to the Ol Pejeta gate) or to Kamok Airstrip (75 minutes / inside the conservancy). Charter flights to Nanyuki from anywhere in Kenya are also an option.