kenya
From right to left : Najin and Fatu , the last two surviving female northern white rhinoceroses in the world at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia ; a huge baobab tree , Tsavo East National Park ; Maasai men dressed in traditional clothing images : Will Whitford ; awl images
Around October , they repeat it all on their return to the Serengeti . Unsurprisingly , the Mara is far more crowded during the migration , and this is when neighboring conservancies come into their own . Away from the crowds , they may be further from the river , but many will offer full-day game drives for the experience .
Second only to the Mara for wildlife , Laikipia is a high-altitude plateau , upon which sits a patchwork of vast private ranches and conservancies lying in the northern shadows of Mount Kenya . This is Kenya ’ s rhinoceros country , with many conservancies involved in remarkable successes . The best known is Ol Pejeta , home to East and Central Africa ’ s largest black rhinoceros sanctuary , with over 165 of the critically endangered pachyderms .
In southern Kenya , the Tsavo ecosystem spans 16,000 square miles , roughly the size of Switzerland . It includes Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks with a tapestry of conservancies and ranches . Kenya ’ s biggest national park , Tsavo East , has vivid terracotta-colored tracks cutting a swath through vast plains that stretch for miles to the Sagala Hills . Its smaller sister , Tsavo West , is a hilly , wooded wilderness interspersed with lakes , volcanic lava flows and iconic views of Kilimanjaro towering in the distance . Along with diverse wildlife that includes buffalo , hartebeest , zebras , lions and leopards , nearly 15,000 elephants roam these plains , a staggering 40 % of Kenya ’ s entire population , all tinged red from Tsavo ’ s soils .
Other regions worth visiting include Meru National Park , the former home of Elsa the lioness , raised by George and Joy Adamson , whose story is told in the film Born Free . Wildlife-rich Amboseli in the south is hilly and lush , set against the backdrop of snow-capped Kilimanjaro and home to huge herds of elephants .
spring 2025 • 39