A brief Overview of The Laikipia Plateau
Following in the pioneering footsteps of the Craig/Douglas family in Lewa Downs, plenty of lodges in the Laikipia Plateau now offer a truly top end experience and have introduced many of the rarer African species onto their land such as African wild dog and rhino.
Many have also tried to move away from being an out and out safari experience, focussing more on the family and activity market, offering a wealth of activities such as riding (camels and horses), ballooning, quad biking, tubing, hiking, fly camping, mountain biking, cultural visits and many more! Therefore, where the nearby Lewa Downs deserves its own title as a safari destination, Laikipia offers a slightly different experience.
Stretching north from the Abadare Mountain Range to the start of the Samburu tribal lands in the shadow of the Mathews Range, the Laikipia Plateau can also offer a chance to glimpse this nomadic tribe in their native element. Along with Amboseli, Laikipia is a good value and logistically simple way of extending your time in the bush.
Do see our best camps & lodges in The Laikipia Plateau picks for 2026/27 on this page.
The Abadares
The Abadares is a small range of mountains running from Nairobi up to the foot of the Laikipia Plateau. With a variation of topographies, it is a visually interesting place to visit, if a little tricky on the lower slopes to spot game due to the density of the forest.
Made famous by the Queen who went and stayed in “Treetops” a princess to return a queen, this region used to be one of the most popular in Kenya.
To be honest, however, it is not somewhere that we recommend to clients any more as the accommodation and overall experience is nowhere near what it used to be.
Do see our best camps & lodges in The Laikipia Plateau picks for 2026/27 on this page.
Best time to visit The Laikipia Plateau
The best time to visit the Laikipia Plateau is generally held as being during the two dry seasons in Kenya, between June and November and again between January and March. These periods are when the animals are at their most predictable, needing to congregate around water sources. The only drawback being that it is also the busiest periods in Kenya for tourism.
Do see our interactive best time to visit The Laikipia Plateau guide on this page as well as on our parent guide to kenya page for more in-depth information on when to go.
Or call us on +44 1525 840 149. That’s what we’re here for.
Need more help?
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Get help with a Safari to The Laikipia Plateau
As much as AI has changed the way we all approach our lives, there is still no substitute for picking up the phone and having a chat through the options with one of us on +44 1525 840 149
This allows us to completely tailor the property choices, costs and itinerary length to your needs…but we also understand that this is not always possible with the busy lives we all lead.
With this in mind, we have also put together a safari finder tool that should help you to narrow down the initial stages at which point we can jump in to “round off the edges” as it were.
Alternatively please feel free to send us an email with your timings, group size and rough likes and dislikes and we can get the ball rolling.
Where is The Laikipia Plateau?
The Laikipia Plateau
