Reviews of Laikipia Wilderness

"This is hard for me to review because I’ve never been anywhere quite like it. It's fairly remote - it certainly took a while to get there by road from Kicheche Laikipia via Nanyuki. Fly to Loisaba airstrip if you can because that’s how I left and it avoided a horrible main road full of potholes. Having said that, my transfer driver was incredibly skilled and seemed to know every hazard and how to avoid it, and the journey is definitely worth it, however you get there.

This camp has no airs and graces or ‘extras’ but is very genuine and welcoming. I instantly felt at home. It’s like staying with your slightly eccentric extended family in their fittingly eccentric home. Your coffee cups might not get cleared away immediately and there are no hot water bottles in your bed (as at Kicheche) but it really doesn’t matter. You are surrounded by real knowledge, and the Zimbabwean owner, his Kenyan partner and their wonderful staff exude enthusiasm for everything around them. They also have four dogs equally enthusiastic dogs - big but not scary.

The comfortable guest tents are built on a hillside. Each has all the essentials including a really effective shower with properly hot water in a ‘bathroom’ that is open to the sky but can be zipped closed to separate it from the (ceilinged) bedroom.

There is a small building with sofas, desks, charging points and the only guaranteed wi-fi, although I found I could ‘carry’ wi-fi to my tent, once I’d picked it up.

The 'mess' is raised with steps up to a big, covered area with sofas and a long dinner table, and an open area with good views, more seating, and a less formal table where breakfast and brunch are served. They also have a great raised deck at the edge of a nearby lake, where we had brunch one day and also saw Grevy’s zebra, crocodile, hippo and elephant at various times.

The food is really good - not fancy but hearty and plenty of it, taken around a big long table at dinner and less formally at ‘brunch’ which is served mid morning, as soon as everyone’s back from the drives. This replaces and seems much more sensible than the more formal lunch at 1 pm which other camps do but which chops into the (much needed, I find) free time between drives.

I chose this camp because it’s known for its wild dog and because I wanted to feel slightly more intrepid than on my previous safari. I booked over a year ahead, before I'd heard about the black leopard, Giza.

When I arrived, I was told that the dogs were out of range (three of the pack were wearing tracking collars) and hadn’t been seen for a while. I was disappointed but accepting. I didn’t dare ask about Giza but I did see her that evening, albeit in darkness. There was also a leopard in camp after dinner, chased away by the askari. Next morning, the dogs’ signals were picked up heading towards us. I had thought the collars were a bit of a cheat and would take the excitement out of seeing them - not at all! Knowing they were coming our way and might be seen at any time made things extra gripping. I spent the early part of the morning with my guide, Simon, who showed and taught me a lot of his local knowledge and then, by 9.15 the dogs had arrived and we were watching them flopping about, dozing and cleaning themselves and each other. An amazing morning - but my third and last evening/night at Wilderness was one I’ll never forget and really illustrates why a stay at this camp can be so utterly special.

My photos tell me that from 5.30 pm we sat with the black leopard for half an hour in the most beautiful golden light. At 6.45 we were with the dogs once more, watching them chase and catch dik-dik. By 7.30 we were sitting on the edge of a lake, sipping wine as our dinner cooked on an open campfire, and leopards’ eyes shone at us from across the water. After dinner, individual tents were raised (because there were mosquitos - we would have slept in the open otherwise) and I snuck into the cosiest camp bed ever, and fell asleep looking through my mesh ceiling at the Milky Way. I never felt scared. I was with three people who’d done this all their lives, including a Samburu spotter, plus a guard dog and (somewhere) a rifle. Two of those three people had a leopard outside their tent for most of the night. It was amazing. Do it if you possibly can.

I would highly recommend this camp to anyone who wants a really safe and rewarding stay in a slightly more edgy environment. The wild dog and leopard are not guaranteed - I know I was incredibly lucky - but you'll still have a wonderful experience." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya

"This is a very different experience from the other camps we stayed at.

The accommodation is rustic although comfortable and the bathrooms are open to the elements and would benefit from a slightly better shower arrangement.

The welcome was warm and the camp staff were all great.

The food is good solid "bush food".

This camp is made by the outstanding wildlife sitings, the guides we encountered and the ability to walk during the days and consequently have a completely different experience. We were guided by Barendt, Dan and Joseph. One of the many highlights was tracking a leopard that had made a kill overnight and finding the leopard asleep in the rocks - a very rare opportunity.

A great few days." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya

"My only regret about my stay at Laikipia was that I didn't stay longer. The time I had available for safari only afforded me 2 nights there. I wish I had at least one or two more.

Laikipia Wilderness is a very comfortable camp, ideally located near the river (but not on it) and not as flashy as some other safari camps but still pretty nice. My tent was huge with a nice double bed and a day bed out on the veranda where I'd pretend to read (nap!) during midday siestas. There was an outdoor bathroom, my first, that was pretty cool. Everything was clean, tidy and really comfortable. My first night there was quite loud, with a nearby hyena den being quite active and leopards going through camp as well as lions roaring nearby.

The draw for me here was leopards, and in particular the melanistic leopard, and I was lucky enough to see the melanistic leopard on 3 out of 4 game drives. I also saw a very large male leopard on one night drive. Lots of plains game and some of the Northern Five. I heard a lot of lions but we never found them while I was there (other guests did). The foliage is quite low to the ground and tough to navigate and see through, not open like the Mara is. The wild dogs had been in the area the day before my arrival, but did not surface again while I was there (we tried radio pinging the collared ones, to no avail).

Simon was my guide and he was excellent. He knew what cats and particularly the leopards meant to me and he bent over backwards to deliver on the sightings. He was great to chat with too; I learned a lot about guiding and his experience in Laikipia. I would definitely request him again if I return to LWC.

The food here is great. As a vegetarian I ate very well. I like the camp's schedule of a small bit of breakfast to get you going pre-sunrise and a proper brunch around 11:30. No stopping in the middle of a game drive mid-morning for breakfast. That works out really well!

I think there is a lot more on offer here than just game drives. Had I had more time perhaps I would have walked or done something else, but my focus was really on the cats." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Yet another exciting stay at LWC! Fantastic location. Wonderful wildlife. Amazing activities. Great people, all dedicated to giving their guests the best possible experience. Great catering and hospitality. Brilliant bush walks, tracking and guiding. Fly-camping in the bush under a panoply of stars is an unbelievably liberating experience.
Throw in regular encounters with wild dogs and Giza the black leopardess on top of all the other wildlife and amazing birds and you have a dream safari destination. 5 nights is not enough! I look forward to another repeat visit next year." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"This is a wonderful, slightly rustic, bit of luxury in a great area - fabulous staff and of course the black Leopard Giza.

The fly camping out was really great." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya

"A wild camp! So remote." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya

"A small, relaxed and friendly camp, cheerful and helpful staff. Great food. Really good to have options - wild swimming, fishing, walking etc. Beautiful swing-seat located on a rocky outcrop above the camp. Saw the beautiful black leopard three times. Such an unexpected treat." See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya

"Warm and welcoming from the moment we arrived. Journey from Nanyuki was superb, a mini safari in itself.

We didn’t have anything to compare but felt the wilderness and loved it. very much our cup of tea. Relaxed and communal while also private for individual family drives out. Great food, plenty of it.

The guides were incredible. They taught us so much, very patient with all the kids’ questions and clearly loved their jobs and the wildlife.

An unforgettable place and experience." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya; 5n in Zanzibar

"Very different to Maasai Mara, much dryer and very quiet, a good contrast.

Again, what we wanted, a small remote camp with great guides and no gold taps frills.

Tent and terrace good. Food was excellent, the best of the trip. A good meal plan of brunch and supper, plenty. Owner was not there but the Deputy Manager, Kenneth was delightful. All staff were good.

Great guiding and birding with Dan, ex Zimbabwe guide. The night spent under the stars after a camp fire supper was wonderful, strongly recommend if you like camping." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya

"I had been dreaming of returning to Laikipia Wilderness ever since our last visit in 2015. I'm delighted to say that, although it was quite a different experience this time, it's still just as glorious a place to spend time.

Different? Well firstly the weather - last time we came it was in the rainy season, everything green and the tracks slick with mud; this time we were in the middle of a drought and the river was seriously drying up. Secondly the wild dogs, who we spent a lot of time watching before, were denning and therefore not really possible to see. There's plenty to Laikipia other than dogs, and it was interesting to see how the environment changed and an object lesson in the importance of the rains.

As far as wildlife is concerned, drought equals easy pickings for predators and the leopards were out in force. They barely even needed to hunt - the local livestock seemed to be doing rather worse in the dry conditions than the wildlife and the leopards were more than happy to provide a disposal service for any cow that expired. We got some terrific daylight sightings - a pair appeared to be enjoying a romantic Valentine's meal of carcass - and also twice saw the gorgeous melanistic leopard (big) cub who is living near the camp.

Laikipia though, is really less about what you see than how you see it. There's no luxury trappings or conventional creature comforts- but I've rarely found somewhere where I feel more comfortable. Every meal we had was delicious and often improved by being eaten out in the wilds. All the meals are taken with the guides and other guests, and evenings usually finished by sitting around the fire with a drink swapping travellers tales!

It's a great place to go if you love walking in the bush - our guide, Dan, had recently arrived in Kenya after guiding in Zimbabwe but was very knowledgeable and clearly very experienced as both a walking and a driving guide. He was ably assisted by our spotter, Simon." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya