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3-Day Laikipia Walking & Tracking Safari
Three days on foot across Laikipia's conservancies, tracking game the way I learned to as a boy in the Mukogodo Forest.
4-Day Borana & Lewa Conservation Safari
Overview
Borana and Lewa are the ground I know better than anywhere else in Kenya. I spent seven years at Lewa Safari Camp, starting as a safari guide and working up to camp assistant manager and head guide, then two years at Sirikoi before six years at Borana itself as head of staff and head guide, until I stepped back into freelance guiding in 2024. This itinerary is built around the activities that make these two conservancies different from a standard reserve safari: rhino tracked on foot, drives that run after dark, and a horseback outing across open country most parks won't let you ride through.
Both conservancies set their own vehicle limits and manage the land for livestock and wildlife side by side, which keeps them quieter than the southern circuit and gives room for activities a fenced national park doesn't allow. Over four days we track black rhino on foot with the anti-poaching team at first light, run a day drive and a night drive, spend a morning on horseback, and join rangers for an evening anti-poaching patrol, the same rhino and anti-poaching work I came to know closely over six years as head of staff and head guide at Borana.
Day by day
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01
Nairobi to Borana
We drive north via Nanyuki, about three to four hours, arriving at Borana in time for lunch. The afternoon is a day game drive across the conservancy's open, rolling country, with Mount Kenya standing on the southern horizon on a clear afternoon.
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Rhino tracking on foot, and a night drive
We are out at first light with Borana's anti-poaching team, tracking black rhino on foot from fresh sign, ground I came to know closely over six years as head of staff and head guide here. It's slow work with a genuinely high success rate, though I won't promise a sighting on any given day; what it does give you is time on the ground with the people whose job is protecting these animals. After a rest through the heat, we go back out after dark for a night game drive, spotlighting for the nocturnal side of the conservancy that a normal day drive never shows.
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Horseback safari and an anti-poaching patrol
A morning on horseback across open grassland, riding among plains game in a way no vehicle allows, for guests who ride at an intermediate level or above. In the evening we join Borana's rangers for a stretch of their anti-poaching patrol, conservation work I got to know well over six years as head of staff here, and after dark, weather allowing, we take in the night sky over the conservancy, dark enough this far from any town to pick out the southern constellations clearly.
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04
Lewa and the road home
We cross to neighbouring Lewa for a final morning game drive, the conservancy where I spent seven years working from safari guide up to head guide, before breakfast and the drive back to Nairobi.
What's included
Included
- Ground transport from and to Nairobi in a 4x4 safari vehicle
- Three nights full-board accommodation at a camp within Borana Conservancy
- Day and night game drives, led by an English-speaking driver-guide
- Guided rhino tracking on foot with the Borana anti-poaching team
- Horseback safari for intermediate and above riders
- Evening anti-poaching patrol with Borana rangers
- Borana and Lewa conservancy fees
- All meals throughout: breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Bottled water throughout
- Soft drinks, juices, tea and coffee throughout
- Beer, wine and spirits throughout
Not included
- International and domestic flights
- Kenya e-Visa or entry permit fees
- Tips and gratuities for your guide, rangers and camp staff
- Items of a personal nature such as laundry and souvenirs
- Travel insurance
Best time to visit
Driest from June through October and January through March, though rainfall here is lighter than further south and the conservancies are comfortable to visit outside those months too. Night drives and the patrol depend on clear-enough weather and are subject to change if it's raining.
Common questions
Is the rhino tracked on foot guaranteed?
No, and I'd rather be straight about that than promise something I can't deliver. Tracking on foot from fresh sign at Borana has a genuinely high success rate in my experience, considerably higher than most people expect, but rhino move, and there are mornings the team tracks for hours without a sighting. What's guaranteed is time on the ground with the anti-poaching team and their tracking method, which is worth the morning on its own.
Do we need riding experience for the horseback safari?
Yes, an intermediate level or above, comfortable at a walk, trot and controlled canter in open country, since this isn't a lead-rein outing. If you or anyone in your group hasn't ridden before, tell us at booking and we can swap that morning for an additional game drive instead.
What vehicle do we travel in, and is the night drive different?
A 4x4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for day drives; the night drive uses a spotlight worked by hand from the vehicle, which is only permitted in conservancies like Borana and not inside most national parks and reserves.
Is it safe to join an anti-poaching patrol?
Yes, guests join a section of a routine patrol alongside armed rangers on their normal rounds, not an operation in progress. It's a working patrol rather than a demonstration, on foot for part of it, and gives an honest look at what conservation work actually involves day to day.
How fit do we need to be for rhino tracking?
A reasonable level of fitness for walking on uneven ground for a few hours, sometimes at a brisk pace if the team picks up fresh tracks. It is not technical walking, but it is more than a stroll, so flag any mobility concerns when you book.
Ready to book this safari?
Send us your travel dates and group size and we'll confirm availability for the 4-Day Borana & Lewa Conservation Safari within a day.
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