Top Activities To Do At Ol Pejeta Conservancy

This article focuses on top activities to do at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Ol Pejeta Conservancy is situated near Nanyuki Town on the equator, between the foothills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya. Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s main gate is 14 kilometres from the equator turn-off, just before Nanyuki.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy has the largest rhino population in Kenya and is home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos in the world. Ol Pejeta is also home to the Big Five and has the largest portfolio of activities of any park in Kenya.  It’s a great place to add to your itinerary if you are heading up to Northern Kenya to places like Samburu National Reserve and Lake Turkana. The reserve is also close to Mount Kenya, the second-tallest mountain in Africa and one of Africa’s best-hiking destinations.

How To Get To Ol Pejeta Conservancy

  • Ol Pejeta is approximately a 4-hour drive from Nairobi. Having a car is great, as it allows you to get to and around the park easily. The road from Nairobi to Nanyuki is tarmacked and the conservancy’s main entry gate, Rongai gate is easily accessible from Nanyuki Town on a tar road, with the last 13 kilometres to Ol Pejeta on a graded dirt road.
  • You can fly to Nanyuki Airport from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport with Safarilink or Air Kenya and arrange your pick up from there through your lodge. If you’re travelling as part of a tour, your safari company will organise your transfers to and from Ol Pejeta.
  • If you don’t fancy driving, you can travel by public transport (bus) to Nanyuki and arrange trips to the park from there.

Fun Things To Do in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

1. Lion Tracking

Ol Pejeta has fitted a few lions with tracking collars to help rangers establish the pride’s location. The lions can wander around the entire 360km² range. To ensure their safety, trackers have been installed to help the rangers keep them safe from poachers. Lion Tracking can be accessed at $60 per person. This activity is available daily at 06:30 – 08:30 and 15:30 – 17:30.

2. Night Game Drive

The conservancy is home to the Big Five, as well as endangered species like the African wild dog, cheetah and oryx, Grevy’s zebra, beisa oryx, and Jackson’s hartebeest. Alongside these, you’ll find giraffes, baboons, hippos and hyenas. Night drives are also possible at Ol Pejeta, allowing the opportunity to spot the nocturnal creatures that roam these grasslands. This activity is available daily from 19:00 – 21:00 and 21:00 – 23:00.

3. Dog Tracking

The of the most unique activities in Ol Pejeta is the opportunity to spend time with the K9 anti-poaching unit. Dogs are imperative in anti-poaching efforts and each dog at Ol Pejeta’s K9 unit has a different speciality – from tracking the scent of a poacher to detecting ammunition and attacking and detaining potential suspects. This two-hour-long activity starts at 8.30 am at the Morani Information Centre.

4. Visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Sweetwater’s chimpanzee sanctuary has been home to orphaned chimpanzees since 1993 and has provided a natural environment to the non-indigenous species within an island on the park. Chimpanzees that arrive at the sanctuary are nursed to health and released into the conservancy – and Ol Pejeta is the only place in Kenya where you can find these animals.

Get exclusive access to see the chimpanzees during their feeding time and as they engage in enrichment activities within their enclosures. This activity is available daily from 8:30 – 12:30 & 14:30 – 16:30 (Free Entry).

5. Guided Bush & Bird Walks

Taking a bush walk is a great experience and very different from doing a safari in a car. The rangers will point out the subtleties of the bush, including animal tracks, birds, plants and droppings – the things you might miss in the car. The rangers on Ol Pejeta know the 90,000 acres like the backs of their hands. They are out all day every day and know the routes, the best places to see wildlife, and a lot of fascinating information about the different species. You can now book your guided Bush and Bird walks, available daily from 6:30 am – 8:30 am and 3:30 pm-5:30 pm.

6. Run the Wild

Fancy taking a 5km – 7km run through the park? Then why not take a run with Ol Pejeta’s rangers? You will likely see wildlife on your run too.

7. Ride With Rhinos

Take a morning or an evening ride within the 600-acre Endangered Species Enclosure, accompanied by knowledgeable staff on Ol Pejeta’s safari horses. These rides will take you on a journey through a predator-free area set aside by Ol Pejeta for the recovery of the northern white rhinoceros. As well as meeting the last three remaining northern white rhinos on the planet, you will ride through herds of the highly endangered Grevy’s zebra and Jackson’s hartebeest. You will also encounter many other species including southern white rhinos and a myriad of plains game.

The rides will only be open to experienced riders and some proof of riding ability will be required at the point of booking; clients judged to be of insufficient riding ability will not be permitted to undertake this activity. Ol Pejeta will supply all tack and riding hats; clients will be responsible for their attire. We recommend that the legs and arms are covered. Rides for up to 4 riders will be available daily at 08:00, 10:00, 14:00 and 16:00 and will last approximately one hour.

8. Meet the Northern White Rhinos – Fatu & Najin

You get the opportunity to get up close to Fatu and Najin, the last two Northern White Rhinos in existence. They are the daughter and granddaughter of Sudan, the last male of their kind who died in 2018. The Northern White Rhino is a subspecies of the White Rhino, the other being the Southern White Rhino. The two are the only remaining northern white rhinos in the world,

This activity is available daily from the Morani Information Centre at 08:30 – 09:30, 11:00 – 12:00, and 15:00 – 16:00 and can be booked online. It is also available for people visiting the Conservancy on day trips.

9. Visit the Morani Information Centre

The Morani Information Center offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the different wildlife species that live on Ol Pejeta; from anatomy to behaviour to habitat. It also offers an insight into how Ol Pejeta Conservancy works daily to safeguard wildlife and preserve wilderness. There is also a converted rhino transportation crate to explore. The Morani Center is open from 9 to 5 every day and is free of charge.

10. Visit Baraka the Blind Black Rhino

Baraka was one of the first rhinos born on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. After losing an eye to an infection following a fight he, unfortunately, developed a cataract in the other eye and subsequently became completely blind. With a low chance of survival on his own, Baraka was moved from the wild to a 100-acre enclosure to ensure his safety. Baraka is now an ambassador for his species – and a popular attraction at Ol Pejeta. There is a feeding platform from which visitors can get up close to view and feed him, an experience not to be missed. Baraka receives visitors daily from 07:00 – 18:30 (Free Entry).

11. Become a Junior Ranger for the Day

If you’re travelling with children between the age of 4-12 years and wondering how you will keep them entertained while on safari, read on. Now your little ones can become a ranger for the day by purchasing a Junior Ranger Pack. These packs include a book filled with fun activities, as well as colouring crayons and stickers. As they venture through the conservancy, the children have to work through all the activities, completing the questions in the booklet as they go. When they reach the end of their adventure, the tourism team at Morani Information Center will be waiting to ask them to repeat the official ranger oath, before presenting them with a certificate, ranger hat, and a pin to confirm their status as honorary rangers.

12. Walk the Ol Pejeta Nature Trail

If you fancy stretching your legs, you can do so along the nature trail on the Ewaso Nyiro River. If you’d prefer to go with a guide you can hire one for a small fee. Open daily from 09:30 – 16:30 (Free Entry).

13. Learn about Livestock Wildlife Integration

If you want to learn about the way Ol Pejeta manages its livestock and creates biodiversity hotspots, then you can spend a couple of hours with the team. Visitors can take part in some of the daily activities, visit the ‘predator-proof’ cattle bomas and see the herd. Available daily at 08:00.

14. Visit the Equator Sign

On your way in or out of the park, make a quick stop by the equator sign for a picture.

15. Hippo hides

Take a walk down the Ewaso Nyiro river, patiently waiting and adorned in camouflage, you’ll soon spot the hippos that come to the surface for sunshine. The walk down to the hide is a scenic nature route, meandering through various indigenous plants that are used by the local communities for cooking and medicine. The hide is open between 7 am to 6.30 pm every day.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy Activity Charges

Activity 3rd January – 8th August 2023 9th August Onwards
Lion Tracking $60 per adult $30 per child $70 per adult, $35 per child
Guided Bush And/or Bird Walks $60 per adult $70 per adult
Meet The Northern White Rhinos $60 per adult, $30 per child $70 per adult, $35 per child
Night Game Drive $60 per adult, $30 per child $70 per adult, $35 per child
Dog Tracking $60 per adult $70 per adult
Livestock-Wildlife Integration $60 per adult $70 per adult
Ride With Rhinos $60 per adult $70 per adult
Run The Wild $40 per adult $40 per adult
Meet The Neighbors $60 per adult, $30 per child $70 per adult, $35 per child
Armed Guide KSH 5,000 per guide KSH 5,000 per guide
Unarmed Guide KSH 2,500 per guide KSH 2,500 per guide
Cycling Safaris 1-4 pax $70 per adult 1-4 pax $70 per adult

Ol Pejeta Conservancy Contacts

Phone: 0707 187 141 / 0705 911 021 / +254 110094457

Email: reservations@olpejetaconservancy.org

1 thought on “Top Activities To Do At Ol Pejeta Conservancy”

  1. I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post…

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