African Wild Dog Safari

Today you’ll arrive by helicopter at Laikipia Wilderness Camp, a small intimate camp surrounded by the vast and untamed Rift Valley and the foothills of Mount Kenya. The camp is elegant and simple – a handful of tents built on platforms with private verandas – each with an en suite bathroom open to the sky so that you can shower under a canopy of stars.

The surrounding grassy plains are home to cheetah, ostrich, gazelle and oryx and the thick acacia woodlands are where the elephants, lions, leopards, and buffalo roam. Laikipia supports more endangered mammals than anywhere else in East Africa. This area is also known for its sightings of wild dogs – the second rarest predator in the world.

While you are here, you’ll have the chance to enjoy many thrilling activities during your stay including fishing, rafting and game drives. Walking Safaris are also an option, which gives you a great break from game drives and allow you to stretch your legs while immersing yourself in the bush and learning from your knowledgeable guide.

On this trip you will be tracking one of the most endangered and elusive creatures – the Wild Dog. Fewer than 7,000 wild dogs are left in Africa and they are known as “painted wolves” due to their multi-hued coats. Although researchers have dedicated years to studying them, much about them remains a mystery.

The camp moves ahead of you and will be set up in a different location every night over the next three days. Typically, you’ll spend your first night on top of an escarpment, then the next morning you will hike down into a valley where you will camp the next night. The lush valley is teeming with life and is home to leopards, elephants, owls, kudu and buffalo. This journey will take you deep into the wilderness and give you opportunities to spot these animals in their natural habitat.

Your guide, Steve Carey, leads you confidently through the wilderness armed with a radio, rifle, first aid kit and tracker. He has 20 years of experience running safaris, so you are in good hands. He is an expert on finding wild dogs and he will be able to sniff out where these creatures are hiding.

Laikipia Wilderness Camp works closely with the Laikipia Predator Project, collecting a large amount of data from sightings of wild dogs so that they can figure out where the animals will be.

On this intrepid adventure you will swim in rivers, climb the kopjes to admire the Laikipia views, eat dinner prepared over a fire and even collect honey with the help of a local honey guide. This experience will allow you to be closer to the bush than you have ever been before.

Today you’ll depart the wild dogs you have been observing and make your way on foot to Ol Malo, a stunning lodge in the heart of the Laikipia Plateau. This 5,000 acre game sanctuary and ranch lies along the Ewaso Nyiro River and consists of four cottages made from natural rock, with thatched roofs and antique olive wood furniture. Your luxurious cottage will have a separate bathroom, living area and private veranda with view that will make your jaw drop.

On this final full day of your tour, take a moment while sipping well earned drink to look back on all of the thrilling experiences and once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters you have had over the last week.

You may want to spend your day relaxing, but if you still have an appetite for adventure you can discover the wilds of the Ol Malo Conservancy on the back of a horse or a camel. Or, you can take a cultural visit to meet the Samburu people and learn about their traditions and visit their local nursery school.