A former cattle ranch on the equator below Mount Kenya, now home to black rhinos, the last two northern white rhinos and Kenya's only chimpanzees
Ol Pejeta sits on open grassland and acacia bush between the foothills of the Aberdares and Mount Kenya, whose jagged summit often shows above the plains on clear mornings. It is run as a not-for-profit conservancy that combines wildlife protection with cattle ranching and community programmes, and it is one of the easiest private reserves in Kenya to reach by road from Nairobi.
Rhinos are the main reason many people come. The conservancy reached 100 eastern black rhinos in 2013, giving it the top 'Key 1' rating from the IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group. Two female northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, live under constant guard, the last of their subspecies. Elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras and spotted hyenas are also regularly seen, and the Sweetwaters sanctuary cares for rescued chimpanzees, which are not native to Kenya.
Like much of Laikipia, the land was used for cattle ranching in the colonial era because rainfall was too low for crops. John and Jane Kenyon managed the ranch from 1949 under Lord Delamere's ownership, and it grew from about 230 to 360 square kilometres; later owners included Marcus Wickham Boynton and the businessman Adnan Khashoggi. In 1988 the then owner, Lonrho Africa, opened the Sweetwaters Game Reserve, mainly as a sanctuary for black rhinos.
The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary opened in 1993 under an agreement between Ol Pejeta, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Jane Goodall Institute. In 2004 Fauna and Flora International bought the property with funding from the Arcus Foundation and it became a conservation trust. Four northern white rhinos arrived from Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic in December 2009; the males Suni and Sudan died in 2014 and 2018, leaving Najin and Fatu.
The conservancy describes working with around 45,000 people in 21 neighbouring communities on education, water, health and enterprise projects. The nearest town, Nanyuki, is a busy highland market town on the Nairobi–Meru road with supermarkets, cafés and a small airstrip, and many lodges source food from the farms around it. Ol Pejeta also runs its own cattle herd, and you may see herders moving livestock between grazing blocks.
Most visitors spend a day or two on game drives, either in their own vehicle on graded gravel roads or with a conservancy driver-guide. The daily entry fee covers driving in the conservancy, the chimpanzee sanctuary and a visit to Baraka at the Morani information centre, while experiences such as meeting the northern white rhinos, lion tracking, behind-the-scenes time with the chimpanzees and night drives are booked separately. Accommodation ranges from campsites and the conservancy's own Stables and Pelican House to partner lodges and tented camps.
The conservancy itself points to June to October and January to February as the dry high seasons with the easiest wildlife viewing. April and December bring rain and greener scenery; a 4x4 is strongly recommended in wet months. At about the altitude of Nanyuki, mornings and evenings are cool all year.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Nanyuki town is a short drive east, and Mount Kenya National Park's Sirimon and Naro Moru gates are within easy reach for hikes. The Aberdare National Park lies to the south-west, and the road north through Isiolo leads to Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves in about three hours.
Kenya · 7 nights4★ LodgeKenya · 9 nights4★ ResortThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
