Laikipia Conservancy
The vast plateau of Laikipia Conservancy rolls from the foothills of Mount Kenya to the arid deserts of what used to be known as the NFD, the Northern Frontier District. Wild and very beautiful it is not part of a national park or reserve, but is mostly occupied by large cattle ranches dating from the colonial period, when vast areas were sold at low cost as part of the ‘soldier-settlement scheme’ to soldiers British soldiers returning from the first world war.
These days, cattle-ranching has largely been replaced by ‘community tourism’, an entirely new concept in Kenyan tourism, which represents a unique cooperation between the local people and the old ranchers – who represent the new face of Kenyan ‘eco tourism’. As a result, visitors can enjoy not only an exclusive and private wilderness, but also pursuits such as walking, biking, camel-riding and horse-riding, none of which are permitted in the national parks.
