Name: Laikipia Wilderness Camp
Address: Laikipia Rd, Laikipia, Laikipia, Laikipia, 10400, Kenya
Rating: 10

Location

Nanyuki Airport

Laikipia Wilderness Camp

We stayed here for a few days, as a group of 5 people in 3 tents. 

The location by the Narok river is very pretty. 

Facilities are comfortable and well thought through. 

A viral fever I had been carrying acted up and I got very good support from Gabriel. 

Everyone we met with was very helpful, in particular-

Ken - local manager
Simon - driver
Joseph - guide
Gabriel - local f&b

We spent an amazing 2 days at Likipia Wilderness last week. Everything about this camp deserves a 5 * rating. Rooms are comfortable with lots of hot water. Food is excellent and the staff are great. We were incredible lucky to see the black melanistic leopard which sometimes visits. The bush walk with Dan was also a highlight as we saw a pack of wild dogs. Can definitely recommend this camp.

We had been looking to visit Laikipia for years and it was so worth it.  everyone here was so friendly and the grounds were amazing.  we especially loved that the owners were animal lovers and had several dogs and cats we could see and pet every day. 

 our guide Steve and tracker Francis were great and made this such a memorable experience....we even got to see the elusive black leopard and wild dogs. 

the room was very nice and there is no doubt I would love to come back.

I stayed for 4 nights in Oct. 2024 and what a magical place! This was truly everything I was looking for out of a safari camp: wild, untamed, adventure at every turn!

I stayed at 5 different safari camps and 1 lodge in my three and a half weeks in Africa and this was hands down my favourite! I thought this place was absolutely perfect. The tents were the perfect blend of rustic and luxury unlike some places that felt too "sanitized" like they didn't give you a sense that you were actually in the wilderness. 

My guide Steven was also the best guide I had on my whole trip. He seemed to have a sixth sense in predicting where an animal was going to go next and positioning us right in a prime spot. He also had a keen photographic eye and knew what positions would make the perfect shots. 

I was very fortunate to get to see both Giza and the wild dogs during my stay.  In fact my last 24 hours here were a whirlwind of amazing animal sightings starting with the wild dogs, a male regular spotted leopard, a female spotted leopard who had a cub, Giza the black leopard, a different male spotted leopard the next morning, a pride of 5 young male lions at an elephant kill, and a cheetah. Staff at the next 2 camps I stayed at were amazed at my luck and wanted to see the pictures. 

In addition to the incredible animal sightings there were so many included activities available, like swimming at a waterfall, fishing, camping under the stars, that it was impossible to do it all in one visit. 

Before I left I had already decided that I wanted to come back and stay for at least a week.

I stayed at the River Camp, which has 4+ tents for exclusive use only, for 3 nights with friends. Our purpose is to see a black leopard and wild dog. 
The camp was comfortable but very basic, with water for the shower and toilet from the river in front, so it had a bit red/brownish colour. The fridge in the main tent/lounge & dining area was full of drinks, and we helped ourselves. The food was basic but had a decent taste. 
We were lucky to see Giza, a female black leopard, every day during our stay. Our driver was very good at guessing Giza's next move, and we had the perfect position for taking pictures every time. For the wild dog, when we arrived at the camp, we were told that the pack of wild dogs was not near the conservancy and that it might be challenging to spot. Indeed, we didn't have any clue up until the last day. When we were almost done with our breakfast at the camp after the morning game drive, our driver came in and asked us if we were ready. I was ready, of course, and we were off in 5 minutes, and there were a bunch of wild dogs. I couldn't be more excited as I had been going to many places, hoping to see wild dogs for the last 9 years.

My wife and I have lived in Kenya for 12 years. We have tried to see wild dogs on countless occasions throughout Kenya. We finally decided to give Laikipia a try. We saw a pack of 14 dogs 3 hours after our arrival, which set the ton for the rest of the trip. The camp is secluded, warm and welcoming, and simply rustic. The tents are spacious and comfortable, the food was great, and the staff and guides were beyond accommodating. Our last night involved a bush dinner, with a fire and great guests from all over. We only stayed two nights and saw more than we bargained for, with a late night sighting of the legendary Giza herself. 

The largely untouched wilderness is a sight to behold and even without the wildlife is quite special. Nowhere like it in Kenya honestly. We hope to return one day with our kids for a longer stay.  We will never forget our time there.

I stayed 2 nights at LWC at the end of my adventure to Laikipia in central Kenya. 

Tents are simple but comfortable. Food is good. With no other camp around, the area is remote and all for yourself. Simon is a really great guide. The resident pack of wild dogs sometime roams in neighbouring conservancies so it can be a hit or miss. I wasn’t lucky myself but guests I met on my first day had seen them 3 out of 4 days, and another guest that stayed after I left then posted some incredible photos of the pack on social media. The number one reason I went was to see the famous Giza, the melanistic female leopard. She didn’t disappoint and showed herself during both my afternoon game drives just in time to shoot some photos with perfect light before sunset. I never could have expected what I was about to see next. Giza was hungry and started going after every dikdik on site. Hunt after hunt, she failed 4 or 5 times. The noises attracted her half brother and her mother, both normal leopards. Giza finally caught a dikdik that was quickly stolen by her brother. Shortly after, both Giza and her mum caught another one at the same time only a couple meters away from our vehicle. Her mum showed some motherly instinct and left the kill to her independent daughter. We called it a night then and there as we’ve simply had seen it all. 

Go to LWC, the intimacy guests get with Giza is an unrivalled experience in the safari world. 

I booked this camp in January when my travel companion dropped out and I has to rework my itinerary.  A friend of mine has been here several years ago and I thought it would be interesting to see a different part of Kenya I hasn’t been to before.  I stayed here in May 2023 for 4 nights, I traveled to Kenya solo but had my tour operator join me for some company, we each had our own tents.  I was in tent 6 which had a great open view.  It’s the last tent from the main mess area so there are no other tents in the view when looking out from the front of the tent.  The tents are simply decorated and have everything you need.  The toilet and shower area are at the back of tent in the open air.  There is a wall around for privacy.  The evenings are filled with a lot of animal activity in or around the camp as I heard hyena, lion, leopard during the evenings.  

Simon was my guide and Mark was the spotter for my four night stay.  They were terrific.  We saw Giza every evening we were there.  I’d seen photos of social media and  hoped to see her but I knew no guarantees and I was not disappointed.  She walked under our vehicle a couple times so got a very close up view. We saw Giza’s mom and a male leopard a couple times as well.  In fact twice we saw all 3 in the same drive.  We even got to see a Giza briefly interact with the male leopard.  

I finally saw bat earred fox on game drive here. I saw elephants, giraffe, buffalo, giraffe, hippo among the animals we saw.  The wild dogs at the time has left the area so I did not get to see them.

The landscape in this area is really beautiful even compared to some other parts of Kenya I’d visited before.  Even on some drives where maybe we weren’t seeing a lot of animals, I enjoyed taking in the scenery.  

I really liked the meal structure here with a muffin / banana in bush with tea and coffee about 9 am followed by a brunch about 11 am usually in the bush.  Then, had time to relax from 12 to the 4 pm tea time, then a sundowner with a little snack followed by dinner around 8.   Game drives started around 5:30, but after the first day we opted to leave later about 6 am as that was our preference.  

The meals here were very tasty, I really enjoyed the bush dinner around the fire.  The staff was very nice .  Meals are eaten together with other guests.  

There are really no other camps around so it feels very private.  I think they only allow 3 cars around Giza at one time which is to not stress her out.  since May is quieter, there were usually only 3 cars out at most when I was there anyway.  Most of the day I never saw another car since the area is so vast.  I think due to it being green and after some rains there were a decent amount of mosquitoes.  It rained one evening during dinner but it didn’t impact game drives at all the next morning.  

I would love to return here and next time try going for a walk.  I’d recommend this camp to those who love leopards, are ok with simple/ no frills and like less crowds this is s great camp.  



Amazing. Have been on safari and at camps in many places and Laikipia wilderness is right up there with some of my favourite places. Giza is of course the highlight, but the staff are amazing and the food is some of the best I have had at a camp. Safaris are fun and the camp atmosphere is peaceful. Landscape is lovely and we had some of the most beautiful sundowners here. Very few cars / tents, you will get a very different experience here than in the chaos of the national park sightings as well

My friend and I have just returned from 5 nights at Laikipia Wilderness Camp. We did 10 game drives with an emphasis on finding and photographing Giza, the melanistic leopard. We achieved this on 8 of those drives - both daytime and night time. Simon was our driver and Mark our spotter - both were awesome and knew where to go and full of animal/bird knowledge. The area Giza frequents is relatively small and very close to camp so there's no long game drives distance wise. Some nights leopard were heard right outside the tents as this camp is in its pure wild form with no fences. Askaris (guards) escort you to and from your tent when it's dark. 

If luxury is what you're after then this camp is not for you. But, if back to nature is more your style, then this is the place to stay. The tent was very roomy, cosy at night, lots of space for clothes etc, spacious "bathroom"with an open view of the stars while showering, plenty of hot water, charging ports, extra blankets if needed - a recipe for a good nights sleep while listening to the wildlife outside.

I can't fault the food - every meal was delicious !! That extends to the brunch we had miles from camp at a dam site one day and an outdoor dinner cooked over coals- also out in the wild. The kitchen staff are to be commended !!! All the camp staff were super friendly, welcoming and always willing to be on hand for drinks or anything needed. Laundry service is complimentary as is bar service in the evenings. The sunrises while drinking hot chai first thing before morning game drive were spectacular. 

There's a small hut near the dining area which has relatively good wifi for keeping in touch with the outside world ( or not). 

Because this is a small camp with only six tents, meals are served at a communal table where fellow guests can chat about their day, find out about each other and what part of the world they come from, and laugh together. It was very interesting. 

Game drives began at 5.30am (or 6am in our case because that suited us) and go until around 11am. At some point within that time frame we stop for tea/coffee/muffins/bananas out in the wild. Brunch is served in the dining area once we are back at camp. The afternoon is rest/siesta time until afternoon tea at 4pm. There was always a fresh baked yummy cake on offer as well. Then off for the afternoon/evening game drive arriving back at camp for a hearty dinner around 8pm. 

The actual game drives are over rough and rocky terrain mostly so be prepared for that.  There's lots of twists and turns and vegetation - not open flat plains like other parks/reserves. But, that's the nature of Laikipia  country. Vast and never ending. 

During our stay we were privileged to spot Gizas mother with what appeared to be two small melanistic cubs. Images I took were not the clearest because she was 1 km from where we were and inaccessible. One cub was very distinct and the other, not so much. They were sitting on a far rock in the opposite conservancy. So, time will tell if Mum crosses back to where Giza is. Hopefully, the new cubs will be protected into adulthood and add to the black leopard gene pool in this area. 

Overall though, Laikipia Wilderness Camp was worth the experience of staying and I will definitely plan a return trip. My advice - 2-3 nights is not enough - stay longer. You'll be glad you did. 



Laikipia

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Laikipia wildness camp is in a beautiful location and has an abundance of wildlife. It has ( unfortunately) become famous because of the presence of Giza, a melanistic leopard. Of course, I too booked  a private vehicle and guide to see her. But I did not expect to see that guides were all stressed to get so close to her. Our guide, Mugambi was very good and respectful but some of the other guides were very pushy and less respectful of the animals and visibility of guests in other cars. I understand the temptation for guides to "please" your guests and hope for a better tip but it should not be that way. It was also not just with Giza but the same happened with the other sightings of leopard. I found it unpleasant, too may cars around. The owner of Laikipia should put a limit of three cars around the animal and a minimum distance as well as time so that all guests have a good experience.
As far as the camp is concerned : beautiful rooms, good food and pleasant staff. Do not miss to go to the top of the hill behind the camp, with a swing bed with a sweeping and fantastic view of all the surroundings.

Guides should be more mindful and respectful of wildlife!

Amazing location, exceptional staff

Wild dogs and melanistic leopard at  Likipia Wilderness

Best wildlife sighting EVER

Everything a safari camp should be.

Laikipia wilderness camp
I was attracted to this hotel mainly for the sightings of the black leopard. I booked this hotel during mid May as the room was not available during early April.
We drove from Samburu and it was not easy to find this place. We took over 7 hours to reach this place. We were received well on arrival, the owner, Steve came down to the river camp from the main camp to welcome us. We were served lunch even at 3 PM. Antonio was extremely good at replying to the emails and she sweetly booked us at the river camp since I am very scared of the dogs. The location of this camp is unbeatable as it is next to the river and secluded in the wilderness. The rooms are large though basic. The four poster bed was comfortable and the mattress was firm which suited my back. The bathroom was huge but very basic and open to the air after 7 feet from the floor. This was a bit scary for me at night and insects would get into our room very easily. The shower did not drain well and everyday there was a big puddle in the bathroom. On the last day, I complained about it and our caretaker Gabriel sorted it out quickly by digging up to the pipe outside.
Since the camp is maintained on solar power, the lights were limited though we could charge the camera batteries and the phone in our room as there were four sockets provided.we were not allowed to use a hair dryer. The wifi was available in the lounge and dining area and was fast. There are no fans anywhere so the afternoons got a bit uncomfortable and so also the nights till about 12 MN, after which the temperature came down. The tents are like a hut with large open windows which are covered with insect nets. The room had nice cut fresh flowers which was a nice touch.
We started our day at 6.15 AM with a safari,looking for Giza, the black leopard and later for other wildlife. Coffee/tea with muffins were provided during the safari. We returned to the camp around 11AM when brunch was provided. I am a vegetarian and my husband eats everything while the third person who was traveling with us has a gluten allergy...so they balanced all this well for us as we were the only occupants at the river camp. The evening safari included a sundowner with chips in the wilderness which was a super experience. On arrival back to the camp after the safari, a bonfire was lit and drinks were provided followed by dinner. The food was adequate, tasty and healthy.
Our driver cum guide Simon was extremely knowledgeable about the entire wildlife in the area...he knew all the birds in the area. He was a safe and efficient driver which made our game drives very pleasant. We took 6 safaris and for the first 4 safaris we did not encounter Giza, he tried his best but she did not appear. I was very disappointed as my sole purpose of visiting Laikipia was Giza!...so on our last night safari, Simon worked very hard and we did find Giza..it was a dark rainy night and difficult to photograph her...she came very close to our vehicle and went around twice..she was beautiful with shiny coat.... Laikipia is a very beautiful and charming place..it was just after the rains so it was incredibly green and there were flowers everywhere. On one of our night safaris we encountered a large male normal leopard which was exciting. We did not encounter the wild dogs either as they had moved away from the area 20 days before our arrival and were unlikely to return soon. There are lots of elephants, zebras including the Grevy's Zebra and dik-diks, Impala, kudu and Hyena. We saw over 60 different types of birds, and Simon was patient enough to let us photograph each bird! On our last morning safari we saw lots of lions too!
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and I thank the management and each and every member of the staff. Simon, Gabriel and Francis worked very hard for us and a big thank you for that! They also arranged our transport to the airport which was like a safari drive!
I would recommend this camp for sure if you can afford it as it is very expensive!


Laikipia Wilderness Camp

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