Ol Jogi Private Safari & Seychelles

Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy is situated in the Laikipia County of Kenya and covers 60,000 acres. It is the only conservancy in Kenya which allows its staff and their immediate families to live on site, creating a population of thousand people coming from various tribes and religions. In addition to providing housing – including water and power, Ol Jogi provides them with a primary school, which covers two years of kindergarten and eight years of primary education. Orphans or children with special family cases related to our staff are also beneficiaries of our school and accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Today, our school hosts over 240 children, and provides them with meals twice daily. We have also started a boarding facility for our Class 8 children, as they need to prepare intensely for their end of year examinations, the results of which will determine in which secondary school they can enrol. These boarders (fifteen boys, and fifteen girls) are hosted and fed throughout their entire year. In addition, every year, Ol Jogi provides the best two girls and the best two boys with scholarships for their entire secondary education.

As we believe in the capital importance of education in general, and in the urgency of conservation education, Ol Jogi also runs various educational programs within its premises as well as in surrounding communities. At the Ol Jogi Wildlife Rescue Centre, we welcome over eight thousand school children a year from all over the country, which come to learn about the unique wildlife and fragile ecosystem of this part of the world. Ol Jogi is also committed to uplifting the living standards of our neighbouring communities and provides several scholarships every year to help their children access higher education

Set off on a short game drive from Main House and be welcomed to Toggenburg Organic Goat Farm to meet the Swiss breed of goat that produces the deliciously smooth and creamy feta that is loved far and wide. Here spend a couple of hours with the herdsman rounding up the playful goats and helping put them into their milking stalls. Watch or take part in the milking process and hear everything about this unique breed of goat that is cared for so well by the founder, Claire Jones, and her herdsmen.

Starting with just three goats, the herd now consists of twenty-seven Toggenburg goats. This thriving herd is raised practising natural farming methods with a strong focus on holistic care. They roam and browse freely on the land, with a supplemented diet of locally produced organic wheat and vegetable products.

The herd comprises a tight family unit of grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters and cousins with a strict integrated breeding system.

Afterwards, head to Claire’s beautiful old-fashioned farmhouse to sample the fantastic cheese from her goats, with feta being the most popular. Tea and cake will be served on the veranda before departing on a game drive back to Ol Jogi. This is a fun and delightful excursion for children and adults alike.

In 1986, Ol Jogi developed a wildlife rescue center to care for animals that have been orphaned or injured as a direct result of human activity. Since inception, we have been brought a multitude of different species and we aim to give them the very best veterinary care and living conditions until they are ready for release back to the wild.

Some of the wildlife orphans that are brought to our facility cannot be responsibly released due to injury or habituation; however, these individuals are able to become resident ambassadors for their species.

These animal ambassadors have the potential to educate Kenyan visitors in a far more dynamic and personal way than lectures in a schoolroom. To date, we have hosted more than 100,000 Kenyan school children at our Wildlife Rescue Center, teaching them about the importance of wildlife and nature. We focus on the science of conservation and emphasize the economic importance of sustainable wildlife conservation to the people of Kenya, current, and future.

In order to maintain a sustainable facility, Ol Jogi was one of the pioneers in rehabilitating and releasing wildlife orphans. We now take in wildlife orphans with the primary goal of one day responsibly releasing them back to their natural environment. It is important to note that this is a complex process that often takes many years in order to re-wild orphans. We will only release the orphans on a case-by-case basis where it is considered responsible to do so.

Human-induced wildlife orphans are a result of habitat encroachment, bush-meat, trophy poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. Kenya has lost up to 70% of its wildlife since 1980. Wildlife orphans are inevitable and prolific. In 1986, Ol Jogi realized that we must try to save animals injured or orphaned by human conflict, particularly endangered species; consequently, our Wildlife Rescue Center was developed. The facility was filled very quickly and we developed a release philosophy in order to make space for newcomers and, importantly, to allow rehabilitated orphans to return to their natural environment. To support this, our state-of-the-art Veterinary Clinic was built in 1995.

Ol Jogi is very excited to offer professional services on Pilates Instruction at Ol Jogi, provided by Victoria Kelmanson.

Victoria was born in Scotland, but she spent most of her childhood in South Africa, earning a B.Sc. from the University of Cape Town. Her keen interest in movement, physiology and anatomy has been a lifelong passion. Victoria began studying Pilates in 1999 and has taught The Method for 20 years. As a Pilates Master Teacher and Teacher Trainer, Victoria has taught and represented Europe's largest Pilates Training program. She is also a Lebed Method Teacher and a Specialist in Women's Health and Movement.

Victoria originally trained with Body Control Pilates and then furthered her classical training with Power Pilates NY. She was privileged to learn from some of the elders initially taught by Joseph Pilates himself and second-generation Pilates teachers. Apart from teaching, learning, and deepening her understanding of The Method all over the world, Victoria has also been involved in creating numerous books and DVDs, as well as being an advisor on various Teacher Training Academies.

Victoria genuinely believes that 'every day is a school day', and she furthers her learning through minute and careful attention to every individual body under her tuition to achieve natural, normal movement. Victoria has a unique eye for movement and can translate relevant cues to those she teaches. Not only has she positively impacted the lives of all her students, but Victoria herself has also benefited– she is blind in her right eye from birth, but her Pilates practice helped to restore normal movement in her own body, and she moves with natural grace, ease, and confidence.

Whether she is teaching elite athletes, someone recovering from life-changing injuries, or those wanting to condition their bodies, Victoria's care and passion is evident in every class and every student under her instruction. With her immense experience and wealth of expertise, every session is a challenging, enjoyable, stimulating and safe journey towards achieving natural movement and core strength.

Astronomy is an extension of our natural world. We cannot have elephants or lions without a planet, and we cannot have a planet without a star.

We are excited to offer The Travelling Telescope Star Safari as an extra activity for our guests.

Our local astronomers from the Travelling Telescope offer a guided tour of the African night sky, sharing the wonders of both the latest scientific discoveries of our exploration of the universe and the rich history of traditional sky knowledge in northern Kenya.

Enjoy jaw-dropping views through the powerful computerised telescope and get a chance to drive it across the surface of the Moon and see its mountains, craters and ancient lava fields. The naked-eye planets are also amazing through the telescope. See Saturn and its rings and learn about some of the fascinating moons around it. Enjoy views of the moons of Jupiter and learn about the ocean beneath the ice of Europa and the possibilities of life there. Explore the deeper skies and watch stars forming in stellar nurseries and the much older globular clusters. Also, learn about the different constellations in our sky, and how modern life began once we started to understand and predict the changing seasons.

Ol Jogi is at the equator, which means you can enjoy the heavens of both the Northern and the Southern skies and the different constellations in each. The equator is also the best location to view the planets and the Moon as they can pass overhead, meaning telescope views are less affected by our atmosphere wobbling the light, resulting in the sharpest views possible.

Africa has some of the darkest skies on planet Earth, and Ol Jogi is far from any town or city. This allows us to see how good views of a star-filled sky can be - and indeed, how they used to be everywhere before humans began lighting up the night. Most cities are blighted by the orange glow of artificial light, but here you will witness the wild sky.
So come, join us for an out- of - this - world adventure, and truly meet your universe.

Whilst Ol Jogi is not renowned for its fishing, we do have multiple species of fish in the rivers and Dams that can provide some light entertainment. They include a few different species of Barbel, Catfish and Tilapia.

For those who are more avid anglers, there are several other fishing opportunities in relatively close proximity:

1) Mt. Kenya has several cirque lakes which have been stocked over the decades with Rainbow and BrownTrout. They provide a world class trout fishery in an extraordinary setting and they are only 30 minutes helicopter flight away from Ol Jogi. Mt. Kenya also has many rivers that flow off it and most of them provide opportunities to catch Trout in a slightly different fishing environment.

2) Alternatively, in the north of Kenya lies the incredible Lake Turkana (the Jade Sea). This lake can be accessed by helicopter from Ol Jogi and provides an incredible fishing opportunity for the infamous Nile Perch, Tiger Fish, Tilapia amongst an array of other species.

3) Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley is about a 45 minute flight from Ol Jogi and provides opportunities to catch Tilapia, Carp and Large Mouth Black Bass.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to walk with a habituated troop of baboons in Kenya’s magnificent Laikipia plateau. Follow the baboons as they clamber down from their sleeping sites, play in acacia trees and eat sweet opuntia fruit. You’ll be led through the bush by a local Maasai guide affiliated with the Twala Tenebo Cultural Village and some researchers working with Dr. Shirley C. Strum on the Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project (UNBP).

The baboons you will visit have been habituated as part of this long-term research project that began in 1971. The results of the studies changed international and local perceptions about baboons (historically, Kenyan attitudes towards baboons ranged from apathy to hatred). Twala and UNBP have shown that baboons can benefit the local community. They also monitor the ecology and have one of the best ecological data sets of any primate research project in Africa. Recently, they were the first in 100 years of research to identify the causes of an invasion of an exotic cactus.

The ideal time to pay a visit to the troop is when they wake up from their roosting (or sleeping) site, sitting around their rocky landscape. You’ll get up early on the morning of this activity (between 5 and 5:30am, most likely) as it is a one to one-and-a-half-hour drive depending on where the baboons roosted the night before, and you want to be at the site at sunrise when they are just waking up, quite active and more social. The length of the time spent with the animals is flexible, although it will typically last for one to two hours.

Supporting Local Communities
The cost of this experience is covered by Ol Jogi on your behalf, and the money from the baboon walk goes directly to Twala Tenebo Women’s Group to support education, the elderly, and dividends to the women.

Guests have the opportunity to experience our Ranger and Canine Demonstration. While the dogs make for an intimidating presence, the unit focuses on avoiding physical conflict with poachers but rather on searching and identifying suspects.

The illegal wildlife trade poses an insatiable threat to many of the world’s wildlife species, including the demand for rhino horn. Consequently, Ol Jogi has had to develop a highly evolved security infrastructure in order to prevent criminal networks from accessing our wildlife.

We employ more than 120 security personnel to protect our wildlife. Our rapid response team is composed of Kenya Police Reservists equipped with government-issued firearms. Additionally, we provide them with advanced equipment and support in the form of thermal imaging and night vision technology, digital radio network, dedicated vehicles, air support. Bloodhound tracking dogs and our K9 attack dogs compliment our anti-poaching unit along with several other security tools.

An immersive wild experience awaits on our walking safaris. With our professional guides, your senses will be heightened and their knowledge will be imparted to the curious mind.

Learn how to track the various animals, listen to the ancient medicinal uses of plants and see how close you can come to the smaller, more excitable wildlife that call Ol Jogi home or feel the mighty but gentle presence of our roaming giants, the elephant.

Imagine rising with the dawn chorus and setting off at a gentle pace to explore our magnificent wild lands. Our guides will encourage you to ask questions about the all aspects of the wildlife and terrain and, at times, see how close you can get to the larger animals. Our wilderness walks range from an hour to a few hours, depending on the group.

On each and every occasion, the wilderness walks offer something unique and unforgettable.

There are four walks that we particularly recommend.

River Nature Trail: The most recommended and enjoyable walk begins a 10 minute drive from the Main House. A relatively easy walk up the River Nanyuki for about 2 and half hours allowing one to experience different sites and sounds of Ol Jogi.

The Grand Canyon Trail: This trail is situated next to the Wildlife Rescue Centre, which is a 30 minutes’ drive away from Main House. This is a short but exciting and relatively challenging walk through a gorge of very deep brown soil with awesome multifaceted soil pillars. At some points along the trail you will have to do some climbs.

Rock Trail: This is an easy 40 minutes’ walk that begins at the Main House verandah and will take you to one of the kopjes south of the house. The trail takes you through a mosaic of Acacia bush-land and open glades. Depending on your energy levels and time of the day, the trail can be elongated.

The Hill Trail: This trail is 25 minutes’ drive away from the Main House. This is for those who truly love hiking taking you through a series of hills with breath-taking and awe-inspiring views. The trail will take you up to 6500 ft. above the sea-level and lasts approximately 2 hours. It provides a bird’s eye-view of the rest of the landscape.

The duration and times of game drives and safari wilderness walks are tailor-made to guest needs; however, we do recommend early morning excursions to deliver the best opportunities for viewing wildlife.

We look forward to welcoming you to Twala, a local manyatta in the small village of Il Poloi where Maasai ladies, young and old, come to hone specific life skills to help support their families.

Jewellery craft made from the iconic colourful Masai beads and locally sourced products are sold to visiting guests and tourists. As well as maintaining a vegetable garden where the women and girls learn to cultivate, this educational garden provides them with the necessary skills to support their subsistence lifestyle. An aloe plantation was started a few years ago, creating a new avenue for income, as the plants hold many medicinal uses and thrive in the semi-arid environment. The manyatta also has a few eco-cottages in the heart of the village, where visitors can spend the night and learn more about their ancient tribal ways and the work that goes on.

An inspiring lady called Rosemary will be your tour leader to the Twala Manyatta. Some may have met her through the guided habituated baboon walk. Rosemary began the women's initiative in 1998 after identifying needs within the community, which now has 203 members.

Days spent at Ol Jogi will always differ, tailored to suit our guest's requirements, allowing a flow full of purpose and expectations of wonder, with over 58 000 acres of wilderness to explore, no two game drives will be the same.

Game drives with our professional guides make up a large part of guests' experience at Ol Jogi. Typically setting out as the sun rises in search of fresh tracks that will spell out a story of the nights adventures. Explore the conservancy which forms the greater Laikipia area for a few hours before heading back to Main House. These times are always best for viewing the wildlife species found on the conservancy, as animals will often be on the move in the early dawn and dusk, whereas they tend to hide away from the glare of the African midday sun. Ol Jogi is home to the Big 5, so expect some up-close sightings.

Our vehicles are fully kitted out 4x4s, equipped with radios, charging points and binoculars. The open-sided vehicles are driven and personally guided by our Conservation Managers. Guests can take the opportunity to discuss Ol Jogi’s Conservation model and learn about the complexity and intricate management of wildlife conservation. Many of our professional guides are multilingual, conversing easily in German, French and English.

Morning game drives include a coffee and snack break out in a remote part of the conservancy before heading back to the lodge in time for a hearty breakfast.

Afternoon game drives include a sundowner stop, a perfect way to embrace the changing colours of the sky as the sun sets over another day in Africa, all while sipping a cool glass of wine and sampling the delicious canapés.

Due to our exclusive-use nature guests can spend all day out exploring the conservancy and we also offer night drives, a fantastic way to view the nocturnal animals and their habits.

Riding on Ol Jogi is a romantic experience, the vistas are tremendous, with sweeping views as far as the eye can see. The opportunity to approach wildlife on horseback is an entirely different experience from walking or game driving. Galloping alongside zebras, giraffes and many other wildlife is exhilarating and creates lifelong memories.

This outing suits experienced riders as we sometimes track big game; therefore, the rider must have complete control of their horse. The horses are used to the sights, sounds and smells of the African bush and should not bolt at first sight of an elephant or lion but instead trust the commands of their guide.

We only ride with English saddles, mainly because the horses average between 12 & 14 hands. For those who wish to ride at Ol Jogi, we recommend that you bring riding boots or suitable foot ware, appropriate clothing, including gloves if it is your preference and we can provide a mix of full chaps & ½ chaps as well as riding hats.

Saddlebags Adventures is a privately guided horse riding company bordering some of Laikipia's most beautiful ranches. Whether your cantering alongside giraffe or watching elephants and rhinos go by, there is no better way to see the vast abundance of wildlife than from the back of a horse. Horse riding safaris offer a totally unique way to get up close and personal with wildlife in areas unreachable by car.

For experienced riders only
Maximum of 6 riders at any one time / ride
Not available for children under the age of 12 yrs
Weight limit of 85kg
US$ 180 per person per day
If requirement to ride multiple days, horses are required to stay on site and costs would be US$ 220 for livery per horse per day
Confirmation / requirement of horse riding is required 3 weeks prior to arrival date
Please note that these services are vatable and not commissionable

The gardens offer a respite between safari activities for those green fingers staying at Ol Jogi. The gardens are lush and brimming with indigenous plant and tree species, offering an insight into many of the aloes and semi-arid plants in the Laikipia region. It’s not just the wildlife on the conservancy Ol Jogi cares for but the trees and carbon footprint.

Tree planting can occur at a few places in the conservancy, such as Ol Jogi Primary School, Marula village or Main House in the kitchen gardens. Indigenous species of acacia, northern species of olive tree, mango and avocado trees. The Main House gardens wrap around the property and down to the tennis court, where our on-site gardeners are lovingly cultivating the herb gardens. The holes can be pre-dug by the gardeners and a mix of rhino dung and bone meal is mixed with the soil.

This is one way to give back and our guests love to come back a few years later to see how their tree is growing.

The Laikipia plateau stretching underneath Mount Kenya's vast foothills and is home to Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy, offers another unique safari experience while staying at Main House. Rock scrambling over ancient rock formations dating back 800 million years, with granite boulders and kopjes rising above, the chance to see striped hyena and even leopard while exploring this stunning landscape is possible.

Set out with your expert guide and discover the Laikipia topography and geology full of hidden caves such as Ndororbo and see the human evolution displayed on the walls telling stories of the past.

This is truly one way to immerse oneself in the nature and history of Ol Jogi, feel the ground beneath one's feet, see age-old traditions practised and view wildlife at their level. Our professional guides do all our hiking and rock scrambling, and the landscape offers a mild to challenging hike depending on fitness levels and experience.

Rock climbing on Ol Jogi offers a number of great perspectives. Geologically, the 800 million-year-old rock we climb is a testament to the deep time that still visibly defines this part of Laikipia. Aesthetically, the granite kopjes are also a large part of what defines Ol Jogi's beauty, standing proudly like temples above the grass and bushlands.

While rock climbing, guests also have a good chance of spying the wildlife that frequents the conservancy. The height offers some good perspective on the large herds below and the short hikes can frequently flush an animal or bird of interest. Most importantly, the climbs are just good fun. The routes are suitable for beginners and small kids, and a few offer more challenges to the more experienced climbers.

All the routes are 'top rope' climbing, with the guide ascending the back of the route to access twin anchored bolts that support the rope. Climbers are outfitted with harnesses, helmets and climbing shoes, and they are belayed by the guide from below. With the popularity of climbing gyms exploding worldwide, Ol Jogi's stunning granite Kopjes offer the opportunity for guests to try their skills on ancient African rock in a safe and tranquil setting.

Ol Jogi’s Veterinary Clinic is poised to provide the very best veterinary care for wildlife in East Africa. We are looking to source modern equipment for our resident veterinarian to provide gold-standard care for the wildlife patients brought to our clinic. We endeavour to work closely with the Kenya Wildlife Service veterinary department, and our ethos is to help build veterinary capacity both in Kenya and for veterinary students worldwide.

Our state-of-the-art wildlife veterinary clinic is equipped with a clinical laboratory, diagnostic imaging, a treatment room, a surgical operating theatre, an anaesthetic induction and recovery room, a pharmacy, a pathology suite, an incubator for neonates, and a hospital room for intensive treatment of inpatients.

Through a partnership with the prestigious Smithsonian Institute, we contribute significantly to improving and supporting critical ecological research, as well as providing specialist veterinary care and education within Kenya.