9 Best Hotels in Laikipia Plateau, Kenya

The traditional Borana cattle ranch—a part of Kenyan highland history—was given a whole new lease on life in 2013, when 21 highly endangered black rhinos were translocated here from Lake Nakuru National Park and from the neighboring Lewa Conservancy; they're easily viewable as you drive around. The luxuriously spacious and well-appointed cottages, designed into the hillside, have private verandas that offer views of large numbers of resident game that come to drink at the waterhole in front of the lodge in a landscape that has attracted countless artists and photographers. Visitors are given an added opportunity to sample ranch life with some of Africa's most spectacular horseback safaris and the stables have more than 50 horses—riding allows you to appreciate the scenery in silence and get close to plains game such as giraffe, zebra, and eland. You can also go rhino tracking on foot, mountain biking, and fishing or simply relax by the infinity pool and enjoy the views. Sundowners at Pride Rock, the inspiration for the Lion King movies, come with incredible sunsets and spectacular views. The food at Borana is enhanced by fresh seasonal vegetables and salads from their garden and most of the meat and dairy produce comes from the ranch. The rates are inclusive of full-board accommodation, some drinks, activities and a 24% mandatory contribution to conservation per person, but exclude conservation fees (US$105). You can also consider other accommodations such as the upscale Lengishu House, on the same conservancy.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is another one of Laikipia's conservation successes—there's an excellent chance of spotting both black and white rhino, the Grevy's zebra, the more elegant cousin of the regular plains zebra, and the rare aquatic sitatunga antelope. The Craig family emigrated from England in 1924 and still lives on the same 65,000-acre property, but instead of raising cattle, with the cooperation of the local communities, they have returned the area to a wildlife haven. Try game-spotting from a different angle—on top of a camel or from the back of a horse, on your own two feet, or ride in the family's incredible retro-style biplane. The 10 cottages are attractively furnished with a big wooden bed, hand-carved chests, and comfy chairs, and some have bathtubs as well as a lounge area with fireplace. If you need to cool off, take a dip in the lovely pool or work out in the gym or tennis court. The food is wholesome and hearty with lots of organically grown herbs, vegetables, and fruit, and meals are taken around a vast communal table.

It's not just where Sasaab is located but how it's situated that makes it a wonderful place to stay in Samburu. Because it's in a conservancy rather than a game reserve, you can explore the surroundings without a vehicle; and because it spreads across a hillside high above the Ewaso Nyiro river, there are spectacular views from every vantage. You can go on a morning bird walk, take an afternoon hike over kopjes (hills) to a spectacular sundowner, or ride a camel through a dry riverbed. There's also the opportunity to go walking and fly-camping in the further reaches of the conservancy. Sasaab balances opulence, characterized by oversize rooms and fine Moroccan architecture, with environmental consciousness, exhibited by solar-powered electricity and community outreach. They actively support local villages and collaborate with Ewaso Lions, a lion conservation-study program. Every room is a palatial, split-level affair with four-poster beds, personal plunge pools, and grand sitting rooms that quite possibly have the longest couches you've ever seen.

Situated on a rocky outcrop in the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, a community conservation and livestock region north of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, this intimate lodge prides itself on its successful efforts to integrate community development and sustainable environmental management. The comfortably furnished open-walled bandas with open-air showers are made of local materials and built on a slope—their fronts rest on wooden stilts—thus giving uninterrupted views of the surrounding wilderness. Make sure you take the opportunity to sit out at the main lodge and watch the waterhole below or cool off in the horizon pool, which gently flows down into the bush below; water is gravity-piped from a nearby natural spring. You'll see plenty of game including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, the elusive wild dog, and large herds of elephants and buffalo, plus the plains game. The local Maasai community helped build and continues to run the camp through a communal group, and you can learn about hunting, gathering honey, animal trapping with indigenous poisons, or fashioning beadwork. You won't want to miss the dancing of the warriors and maidens—it's the genuine article. Il Ngwesi Camp is a shining example of how a safari lodge can reduce poverty and strengthen partnerships between the tourist trade and local communities.

If it's rhinos you're after, then this delightful but small tented camp in the 65,000-acre Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, right where the old Rhino Sanctuary headquarters used to stand, is for you. There's a comfortable main building with cozy log fires for eating and relaxing, and wide verandas outside each tent for soaking up the beautiful environs. But if it's game-viewing you're after, then one of the camp's expert team of professional guides will take you on an exhilarating drive. Spacious tents protected by a sturdy thatch roof have comfortable beds, a desk for keeping up on those precious journal notes, and en suite bathrooms. The food is homegrown and tasty. Bird-watching is spectacular in this area, but it's likely that while you're watching out for feathered friends, you're likely to spot big game as well, including lion, leopard, and Grevy's zebra. Other activities include morning game walks, evening horse rides, or a relaxing massage next to the gorgeous pool that has giraffe-shaped tiles.

The Loisaba Tented Camp sits right in the middle of the game-rich Loisaba Conservancy in the northern reaches of Laikipia and is part of the Ewaso Nyiro River ecosystem. It's home to elephants, a healthy population of lions, the rare wild dog, and an abundance of other species. Perched on the edge of a rocky escarpment, this lovely camp has spacious open dining, lounge, and bar areas, and a stunning infinity pool with views across the Laikipia plains to Mt. Kenya and a waterhole below. The six large and airy tents have polished wooden floors, wide decks, and bathrooms with rainfall hot showers. If you fancy something even more special, opt for one of the Loisaba Star Beds (about 6 km/3.7 miles away), but don't expect a meager stretcher under the stars. You'll sleep on a wooden "platform" with a half-covered thatch roof and handcrafted furniture, set among big rocks overlooking either a waterhole or the Ewaso Nyiro River. In the evening your friendly and attentive Laikipia Maasai or Samburu attendants will wheel out your four-poster double bed, carefully shrouded under a mosquito net, under the star-studded clear night sky. You can have a piping-hot shower in the open-air bathrooms concealed in the rocks. As well as day and night game drives, activities include horse- and camel-riding, bush walks and visits to Samburu villages.

Perched on an escarpment with views toward Mt. Kenya in the south, this lovely lodge is on a privately owned family ranch in the wild northern Laikipia Plateau. The stone-and-thatch cottages, some built on two levels, are very private and have king-size beds and baths that you can lie in and look out at the passing wildlife. The main lodge, also built of natural rock and olive wood, is cozy and comfortable. There's a huge pool, which clings to the rock edge, spilling its waters to the rocks below. For exclusive groups or families, the Francombe family has built a six-bedroom house on the property, too, which features a rooftop sundeck, a barbeque area, and a pool. Drives are extremely rewarding with game galore, but for something a little different try a camel ride, a nature walk, an overnight stay in the Look Out Hut—a little wooden hut in the bush—or go camping under the stars. Horseback riding is a fascinating way to spot game: there are also safe and friendly ponies for kids, and children's gift packs on arrival, plus other kids' activities. There's also the opportunity to meet and mix with the local Samburu people and to take part in some of their activities.

This delightful eco-friendly tented camp is nestled among the 90,000-acre, game-rich Ol Pejeta Conservancy that lies between the snowcapped Mt. Kenya and the foothills of the Aberdares. This location treats guests to a double whammy—abundant game including the Big Five, wild dog, and the endangered black rhino, and superb views across the open plains. Each beautifully placed tent has stunning views from its personal veranda, and inside there's an en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and bucket shower with hot water heated by solar power. Sip sundowners from a carefully chosen vantage point, and then take a spectacular night drive. Check out the photographic hide overlooking the waterhole, where you can have drinks as you wait for animals to come up close for photos. By day stretch your legs on a guided bush walk with a Maasai guide or have your heartstrings tugged at the nearby Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary. If you're feeling extra energetic and really want to walk on the wild side, then the camp also offers walking safaris. The camp has no permanent structures and is strategically constructed around trees and shrubs to minimize the human footprint on the natural landscape. It uses solar power for electricity, and water is heated with eco-friendly, sustainable charcoal briquettes; there is no generator. Package rates include all round-trip transfers by air from Nairobi, Ol Pejeta Conservancy fees, all game drives, sundowners, walks with Maasai warriors, two nights' full-board accommodation, and free house wines, beer, and soft drinks.

This small, tented camp lies below the peaks of the Mathews Mountains in the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust, a community project between landowners and the local Samburu people. Accommodation is in six spacious tents, sited under pole-supported thatch roofs with flush toilets and open-air showers. There is also a two-bedroom house with a shared sitting/dining area. The main sitting room and dining area sits on stilts in front of the water hole and natural rock pool—yes, you swim here overlooking the water hole and you are quite safe—with stunning views of the Mathews Mountains. Game is plentiful with resident lion and leopard, and there's an excellent chance of seeing wild dog as there are two packs in the area. Look out for the attractive colobus monkeys when you go for a guided hike in the forest. Go donkey trekking in the mountains, or take a camel safari with an overnight stop at a fly camp.