Suyian Lodge

Straddling the Equator and stretching from the snow-capped peaks of Mount Kenya to the eastern rim of the Great Rift Valley, the Laikipia plateau is one of Africa’s most exciting and exclusive wilderness safari destinations – with abundant wildlife, spectacular scenery, extraordinary cultural and bio-diversity and some of East Africa’s most successful nature and game conservancies.

Ranching, conservation and high-end tourism go hand-in-hand, with few of the constraints that often apply in Kenya’s national parks and reserves.  Night game drives, bush walks, bike tours, horse-riding, camel treks, scenic flights and helicopter safaris are a few the exhilarating pursuits on hand in the extensive private ranches and conservancies that make up much of the region.

Laikipia hosts a wealth and diversity of wildlife second only to the Masai Mara in Kenya. It has significant populations of predators and the “Big Five”, with over 50% of Kenya’s rhinos, thousands of elephants, about 25% of the world’s endangered Grevy’s Zebra, and an increasing population of rare Wild Dogs. The region is home to more at-risk species than anywhere else in East Africa.

Named after the African wild dog in the local Maa language, Suyian Conservancy covers approximately 18,000 hectares (44,000 acres) of prime wilderness and conservation land in northwestern Laikipia.  With the Ewaso Narok River on its eastern boundary and the snow-capped silhouette of Mt Kenya as its backdrop, Suyian forms part of a vital wildlife movement corridor, and harbours one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in the Laikipia ecosystem.

Transformed from pure cattle ranching to land managed for conservation with a limited number of cattle, today Suyian combines rapidly evolving conservation practices with the opportunity for community development. Home to over 100 types of mammal, plus numerous endangered and non-endangered species, Suyian’s variety of compelling landscapes includes grassland, savanna, rocky outcrops or kopjes, dense Vechellia woodland, plus more than 16 km (10 miles) of river frontage.

The conservancy’s thriving wildlife population includes rarities such as the elusive black (melanistic) leopard and African wild dog, as well as northern Kenyan species such as Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, desert warthog, and more. Elephant and buffalo are present in healthy numbers, as are lion and cheetah, plus the indigenous Laikipia hartebeest.

Both Safarilink and Air Kenya offer scheduled twice-daily flights by light aircraft from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to Laikipia’s Loisaba Airstrip, followed by a 1-hour game drive to Suyian Lodge. Private charters directly into Suyian’s private airstrip are also available. Suyian is accessible by road from Nairobi (an approximate 5-hour drive) and Nanyuki (an approximate 1.5 hour drive) in a 4×4 vehicle.

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