Staring in the northern tourism circuit of Kenya is the Laikipia
National Park.
Increasingly acknowledged as one of
the most important areas for biodiversity in Kenya, wildlife
population densities in the Laikipia
region and Ewaso eco-system now
rank second to the internationally
renowned Maasai Mara ecosystem ,whilst the diversity of large
mammals is higher than in any
other part of Kenya.
The Ewaso eco-system is home to the
second largest population of
elephant in Kenya (5,400) and the
area hosts the highest populations
of endangered species in the country.
Laikipia supports seven heavily protected rhino sanctuaries, which together hold over half of Kenya’s
black rhino population. Laikipia has a unique combination of dry and
cool weather, climatic gradients
being influenced by the presence of
Mount Kenya (5,199 metres) and the
Aberdare highlands (3,999 metres).
There is great variation in rainfall
from year to year.
Location - Laikipia
Laikipia District is a vast plateau to
the north west of snow-capped Mount Kenya, straddling the equator
at the heart of Kenya’s Rift Valley
Province. The Laikipia plains stretch from the Great Rift Valley to magnificent escarpments that
descend into the Northern Frontier
District.
Distance from Nairobi - 190km to
Nanyuki (Laikipia boundary)
Size
Covers total area of over 9,500
square km, and forms part of the
40,000 square km Ewaso ecosystem.
Climatic conditions:
Mean annual rainfall varies from
400mm in the north-east to 900mm
in the south-west. On average over
80 per cent of days are rain-free. The
long rains from March to May are
followed less rain between July and
September, with cooler temperatures
and high winds. The warmest
months are December and January,
which also have the least rainfall.
Wildlife:
The diversity of large mammals is
higher than any other area with
elephant, rhino, Grevy’s zebra,
reticulated giraffe, Lelwelhartebeest,
wild dog and large numbers of other
large predators.
Access
Road: access by road from Nairobi,
Samburu, Nakuru.
Air: Nanyuki
airfield is the hub for scheduled and
charter flights linking Laikipia with
destinations such as Samburu and
the Masai Mara. Most tourism
facilities in the region have private
airfields for charter flights.
Best time:
All months except April, May and
November, during the rainy season
Activities:
Wildlife related activities (day and
night), walking, hiking,fishing,
mountain climbing, mountain biking,
camel and horse riding and fly camping.
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