Resting at the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountain Range, in central Kenya's Laikipia County, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. It is also home to some of the last remaining northern white rhino in the world. Originally a working cattle ranch in colonial Kenya and now a pioneering wildlife conservancy, Ol Pejeta works to protect wildlife and provide a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. The Conservancy is a popular safari destination and is home to the renowned ‘Big Five’ as well as a wide selection of other African animals including zebra, giraffe, hippo, cheetah, jackal, serval, hyena, vervet monkey, and many more. Visitors can look forward to an assortment of outdoor activities such as horse rides, game walks, and nocturnal game drives.
The Masai Mara rcosystem includes the Masai Mara National Reserve and the adjacent and excellent Mara private conservancies (Mara North, Naboisho, Olare-Motorogi, Olderkesi being the prime ones). One of the highlights of the Masai Mara National Reserve is the annual wildebeest migration crossing rivers between the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. It is the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet – with more than a million animals following the rains. But the Mara River crossing poiunts can be very crowded between July and October, when this happens. The selection of camp is very important to avoid being with many dozens of other vehicles. During this time, it is better to stay in a concession, with limnited tourist and vehicle numbers, to enjoy the abundant wildife in these superbly run private conservancies, and have a day trip to the Mara River if one really wants to try and see a river crossing. There are also a few conservancies located close to the Sand River, which give a much more exclusive and intimate experience, should the wildebeest and zebra chose to cross when you are there.
