North of Mount Kenya, the Laikipia Plateau is an area of sweeping plains, and rugged gorges, beautiful country where thorny acacias and wild palms mingle with candelabra trees. Privately owned, the former ranch land is now devoted to game sanctuaries and covers a huge 9500 square kilometres. The region nurtures exceptional wildlife and cultural diversity and is home to many communities including Kenya’s Laikipiak Maasai and the Samburu tribes. The habitats range from dry savanna and open woodlands to spectacular canyons and low forested valleys. It has abundant wildlife, including the Big 5, but also has many endangered species.

North of the Laikipia region are the reserves and conservancies of the Samburu ecosystem; Buffalo Springs, Samburu, Shaba and Kalama. This area is characterised by a dramatic landscape of semi-arid desert divided by the meandering Ewaso Nyiro River and dotted with lush springs, Doum palms, volcanic rocks and sacred mountains.

Meru National Park is part of huge 370,00 acre conservation area. It was brought to fame through Joy Adamson’s, Born Free, the true story of Elsa the Lioness. This is a semi-arid area boasting 13 permanent rivers and springs and offers a very high diversity of animals, including the Big 5 but also many rare species.