Kicheche Laikipia

Kicheche Laikipia sits inside Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a ninety-thousand-acre conservancy in Laikipia, with indigenous forest behind the camp and a waterhole in front. The camp sits on the Equator but at six thousand feet, so mornings and evenings are genuinely cold — pack accordingly.

There are six tents: five in double, twin, triple, single and quad configurations, each fitted with beds made from local hardwood, Egyptian cotton linen, an en-suite shower and a veranda facing the dam. The sixth is a family suite with two separate bedrooms, a connecting lounge and private dining table, and exclusive use of a vehicle for game drives. A lounge and dining tent with two open fires handles the cooler evenings; meals often move outside when the weather allows.

Ol Pejeta holds a large concentration of black rhino — the highest in Kenya — and rhino tracking is one of the activities available. The conservancy also carries elephant, lion, leopard and cheetah. Game drives go out morning and afternoon in customised four-wheel-drive vehicles; night drives run with a filtered spotlight, and nocturnal sightings regularly include aardvark, serval and honey badger. A small lake in front of camp is used for canoeing. Guided walks and mountain biking are also on offer, and a full-day trip to Ngare Ndare Forest — guided walk, waterfall, canopy walkway and picnic lunch — runs as a day excursion from camp.

The camp holds malaria-free status at this altitude, and water dispensers in the tents allow guests to refill complimentary reusable bottles throughout the stay.