Lewa or Ol Pejeta Conservancies
Territory of the Rhino.
Tucked into Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, Lewa and Ol Pejeta are two of the most respected private conservancies in Africa—places where wildlife protection, community empowerment, and world-class safari experiences converge. These vast, unfenced wilderness areas serve as vital sanctuaries for endangered species and offer travelers an immersive, conservation-centered alternative to more heavily trafficked parks.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy spans 62,000 acres and protects roughly 12% of Kenya’s entire black rhino population. It’s also home to Grevy’s zebra, elephant, lion, cheetah, and leopard, and plays a critical role in wildlife corridors that connect to the greater Mount Kenya and Samburu ecosystems. All safaris here are guided, ensuring low impact and intimate wildlife encounters. Visitors can also experience horseback safaris, behind-the-scenes conservation tours, and even hot air balloon rides over the savanna.
Ol Pejeta, larger at around 90,000 acres, is East Africa’s most successful black rhino sanctuary and the last refuge of the planet’s two remaining northern white rhinos. It also shelters East Africa’s only chimpanzee sanctuary and offers a wider variety of activities, including self-drives, night drives, lion tracking, and walking safaris. Predator sightings here are exceptional, with high densities of lions, wild dogs, cheetahs, and leopards.
Both conservancies integrate wildlife conservation with local community development. Lewa supports education, health, and water programs in surrounding villages and pioneered Kenya’s first elephant underpass to reduce human-wildlife conflict. Ol Pejeta, meanwhile, is a global leader in rhino protection and reproductive science, spearheading IVF efforts to save the northern white rhino from extinction.
Whether you choose Lewa’s exclusivity and elegance or Ol Pejeta’s innovative programs and flexibility, both conservancies deliver a safari experience that goes far beyond the game drive. This is where conservation becomes deeply personal—where each traveler plays a role in protecting what remains wild.
