Reviews of safaris to Laikipia
243 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Laikipia.
"My Aug 2019 trip"
I thought the locations and camps were well balanced and excellent. I loved the Maasia Mara, the people and the amazing amount of wildlife that we saw there. We successfully saw three Wilderbeest crossings which was the icing on the cake!
I thought that Clare listened to our requirements and did a great job in fulfilling them." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari
"Fantastic trip despite the airlines!"
As advised we were prepared to get our visas at the airport. We were met on the run way by a shouting official, eventually determined he wanted our visa. He took our passports while we waited for the luggage which did not appear.
In the visa office we presented the visa forms provided by yourselves which were rejected, with a lot of shouting, and new cards were presented to us to fill in. The official asked my husband what we were doing in Mozambique, replying ‘tourist’ he shouted that we could have our visas after everyone else. After issuing visas to at least 2 other people who arrived after us we got our visas. Full finger prints were taken, photographs taken, our money was checked for fakes! We definitely got the feeling we were being treated as badly and as slowly as possible.
Another point to make is that the immigration clerks who were issuing the visas were very incompetent, almost ruining my husbands passport. Can I advise that anyone's travelling via Nampula does not try to get their visas at the airport. If they don’t live near London then get a visa company to do it for them and pay extra.
After all this drama we then had the 4 hour journey to Nuarro all in the dark.
Another point is that we were expecting to pay $30 each exit from Mozambique. No money was requested.
Another note regarding visas. We had not booked our return flights on the same ticket so needed to retrieve our luggage in Nairobi and re-enter the airport. This was easily done at the visa desk, a transit visa was issued for $20 each." Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 7 on a Mozambique holiday
"My Aug 2019 trip"
"Beautiful Intro to Kenya & Tanzania"
Our limited constructive feedback as follows: All camps provided toiletries and washing powder, so no need to bring. Camps advertising laundry services still did not wash underwear (male or female), nor handkerchiefs. Drive to Il Ngwesi from Wilson airport was interesting, but ended up as quite an odyssey as driver did not know the way through Lewa Conservancy to the camp. As no signs available, this ended up as an additional 2 hours of desperately trying to find the camp before dark. All good in the end, but maybe check drivers know their destination before setting off." Read full review: 21 nights in Africa; 13 on a Kenya safari
"My Aug 2019 trip"
We did go to Karen Blixen's home and while interesting - it isn't worth a stop if under a time crunch.
One of the reasons we loved Il Ngwesi so much was because of the community involvement in the lodge. It meant a lot to us that the money was going back to the 7 villages, who sat on the board of the lodge. We spent a long time talking to the staff at Porini/Gamewatchers and while their arrangement with the company and the villages is better than most, it is still not owned by the Maasai. It would be wonderful if there were more lodges and guide services owned by native Kenyans.
We had mixed feelings about the village visits. The one at Il Ngwesi was better because it was presented as "traditional" while acknowledging that things had changed. Yes, they use matches and cell phones and dress in tshirts, etc. The one at Selenkay seemed a little more artificial. While it was really good for us to learn how the Maasai have lived traditionally, we were really interested in their lives today. How have things changed? What do they see for the future? Our guides were willing to discuss it, but it would have been nice to talk to some of the villagers about it as well. For instance - none of our guides had multiple wives and almost all of them chose their own. One didn't own any livestock. Quite a few lived in more modern homes. We felt like it was perpetuating a view of Africa that was not up to date.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Recommend some more trips for us!
Also, I didn't see any multi-country trips on the website. We asked everyone where to go next and some recommended Namibia, Botswana, Victoria Falls trip.
Would be lovely to see an itinerary for that." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari
"Trip of a lifetime"
We then spent a long time with Richard Trillo and his team discussing options and then left it to him to put together an extended trip to hopefully tick all the boxes on our wish list.
ALL BOXES TICKED, this was a fantastic journey through 5 African countries, we have seen and experienced so much, so a VERY BIG THANK YOU to Expert Africa for arranging this for us.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No, just carry on doing what you're doing now - it would be very hard to improve what you're already doing so well." Read full review: 44 nights in Africa; 17 on a Kenya safari
"2019 Kenya trip"
Wonderful trip and hopefully will be back, when next in Nairobi, to go on safari to other Porini camps or even back to Porini Amboseli and Rhino camps." Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 6 on a Kenya safari
"My Feb 2019 trip"
Plenty of positive dialogue to get the itinerary i wanted with welcome information from Expert Africa on things such as Internal flight Freight seat for extra luggage weight and option for staying at Nairobi Tented Camp to start my trip off. Every aspect of the trip worked with nothing left to chance.
All pickups were there on time and i had no concerns that i would have to organise anything once i landed." Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari
"My Feb 2019 trip"
Standard of all our lodges was very high indeed." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
"My Jan 2019 trip"
We enjoyed all four places we stayed, seeing a wide variety of wildlife and some beautiful landscapes. Everyone we met was warm, friendly and welcoming and we felt very well looked after at every stage of the trip.
Giraffe Manor is an extraordinary place, offering a unique experience that we will never forget, and the three lodges/camps were different enough to give us a sense of constantly seeing something new.
We couldn’t have asked for a better holiday and can’t wait to go again!" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Kenya safari
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Inspire meWhere to stay in Laikipia
Our suggestions for safari camps in Laikipia
Kicheche Laikipia
Kicheche Laikipia is the most luxurious tented camp of the handful of places to stay in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Laikipia.
Laikipia Wilderness
Laikipia Wilderness is a rustic owner-managed bush camp, in excellent wild dog territory, offering outstanding guiding.
Lewa Safari Camp
Lewa Safari Camp is a comfortable and homely tented lodge, located in the Lewa Conservancy and offering a relatively exclusive safari away from mass tourism.
Lewa Wilderness
Lewa Wilderness is a comfortable, fenced safari lodge with nine cottages, great views and a huge range of activities.
El Karama Lodge
El Karama is a comfortably rustic, very personal, riverside eco-lodge on a game-rich private ranch in Laikipia, an hour’s drive north of Nanyuki airport.
Sosian
Sosian Lodge is a distinctive, estancia-style ranch house on a former cattle ranch, with great opportunities for riding, relaxing and seeing wild dogs and other savannah wildlife.
Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge
The community-owned Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge sits atop a small hill in the remote Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, a two-hour drive north of Lewa Conservancy in north-eastern Laikipia.
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp is a simple camp, with comfortable tents, delivering an authentic wilderness experience backed up by good food and guiding.
Porini Rhino Camp
Porini Rhino Camp is a small, simple, well established tented camp, with a keen focus on sustainable and low-impact tourism.
Borana
Borana is a comfortable and striking lodge on the Borana Conservancy in eastern Laikipia, offering pleasant accommodation with good food and service and a very wide range of activities.
Sirikoi
Sirikoi is a small, very high-quality safari camp with excellent service and food and a wide selection of activities.
Kifaru House
Kifaru House is a small, stylish safari lodge in the Lewa Conservancy, with beautiful views across the landscape.
Lewa House
Lewa House is a very comfortable, boutique safari lodge located on the Lewa Conservancy, north of Mount Kenya.
Solio Lodge
Solio Lodge is an exclusive and luxurious bush lodge set in the private Solio Game Ranch in southern Laikipia.
Loisaba Tented Camp
Loisaba Tented Camp is a luxury safari base of tented rooms, ranged along a ridge in the Loisaba Conservancy, facing Mount Kenya. The camp was completely rebuilt in 2016.
Tassia Lodge
Tassia offers a unique wilderness experience in a remote location: come here for cultural interaction, stunning views and something a bit different.
Loisaba Star Beds
Loisaba Starbeds is a simple camp of 4 rooms with pull-out, open-air 'star beds', located near a dam in the Loisaba Conservancy, in northwestern Laikipia.
Sweetwaters Serena
Sweetwaters Serena is a large, older tented camp – the largest camp in the Laikipia region – in the eastern part of the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.
Karisia Walking Safaris
Karisia Walking Safaris operates camel assisted, multi-day walking safaris from its main camp, Tumaren, set in a remote part of Laikipia.
Sandai
Sandai is a pretty, owner-run homestay, set between the Aberdare Range and Mount Kenya, offering a range of activities at extra cost.
Lodo Springs
Lodo Springs is a spectacularly located luxury lodge in a remote spot in the Loisaba Conservancy, sister lodge to Loisaba Tented Camp and Loisaba Star Beds.
Sanctuary at Ol Lentille
The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is an unusual safari lodge in northern Laikipia, consisting of three exclusive villas, and offering a huge range of activities.
Governors' Mugie House
Governors' Mugie House – a substantial, luxury safari lodge – is one of only two properties in the Mugie Conservancy in northwestern Laikipia.
Thomsons Falls Lodge
Thomsons Falls Lodge is a simple hotel dating back to the colonial era, located above the falls of the same name, near the western Laikipia town of Nyahururu.
Ekorian's Mugie Camp
Ekorian's Mugie Camp is a pleasant, family-friendly safari camp in a remote location in northwestern Laikipia.
