The Camp

Location: Ol Pejeta Reserve, Laikipia, Kenya
Number of Tents: 6

Kicheche Laikipia sits in a remote and private area of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya’s Laikipia region. The six private canvas tents are very spacious and feature wooden desks, sitting areas, verandas with cozy chairs and en suite bathrooms with running hot and cold water, double sinks and a separate flushing toilet. Earthen pathways lead to the tents, each buffered by trees and bushes with plenty of privacy. The communal areas of camp are built for comfort both on warm days and cool evenings. Stone fireplaces in the lounge and dining areas provide warmth on cooler nights, while al fresco lunches are often enjoyed with the many warm days throughout the year. Enjoy a pre-dinner drink around the campfire, and then join your fellow guests and camp hosts in a family-style meal around a candlelit table discussing your sightings from the day.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with shower
• 220v charging outlets in room
• Wi-Fi in main area
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
• No air conditioning or hair dryer

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Ol Pejeta Conservancy, encompassing 90,000 acres of protected wilderness, is one of East Africa's most established rhino conservancies and is home to a great population of both common and rare species. Daily day and night wildlife drives expose you to the entire reserve as you search for resident lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard, wild dog and black and white rhino, as well as the unique subspecies of this area, including Jackson’s hartebeest, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx, and reticulated giraffe. Nature walks, canoeing, horse riding, mountain biking and picnics are on offer for more active adventurers. The planet's last remaining northern white rhino live in an enclosure on the reserve under 24-hour guard. There is also a chimpanzee sanctuary on the reserve, comprising rescued and orphaned chimps from west Africa. While you are not viewing these animals in their natural habitat, the project is meant to create awareness of threats faced by great apes and provide them a safe home. Visits to the enclosures, to see the anti-poaching dogs and to the Morani Center are booked in camp at a fee, which goes toward the continuation of these programs.

The conservancies of the Laikipia District have varying concentrations and species of wildlife, and the below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced in the area. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a rhino sanctuary, and this and other reserves in Laikipia feature unique subspecies, such as reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Jackson’s hartebeest and a number of other mammals, birds and reptiles. Exact sightings will depend on seasonality and wildlife movements.

Climate

Conservation

Kicheche Laikipia holds a gold rating by Ecotourism Kenya, an organization formed in 1996 to ensure sustainable practices by tourism properties in terms of both the environment and welfare of local communities. The camp uses 20-liter dispensers in the tents and main areas to provide safe drinking water for guests while having reduced their plastic bottle waste by 90%. Any necessary waste is often reused or recycled. The camp uses solar power for lighting, running appliances and refrigeration, while their cooking is done with the most sustainable fossil fuels, such as charcoal from responsible woodlot by-processes and recycled charcoal or paper waste briquettes. Produce comes from the camp's organic gardens, and great care is taken to avoid chemical contamination from fuel and their workshop bay. Located in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kicheche Laikipia indirectly contributes to the conservation of the northern white rhino and the chimpanzee sanctuary.

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