Long Stay at Rocky Hollow

Depending on the stage of each horse, the time of year and your riding ability, the following tasks will be done:

• Grooming and Feeding Horses
• Assisting with basic veterinary work
• Assisting the team where needed to clean stables/paddocks
• Tack maintenance and cleaning
• Fitness training for the horses
• Schooling of youngsters and trail horses
• Trail riding among wildlife on safari
• Setting up a new cross country course
• General help on the ranch including conservation work, landscape improvements, snare disposal, etc
• Setting up the mobile safari camp

SAMPLE ITINERARY – 14 NIGHTS

(Subject to change depending on weather, wildlife movements, and local activities)

Day 1: Road transfer Nairobi → Nanyuki for lunch, onward to Rocky Hollow. Afternoon indroduction to the team and the horses.

Day 2: Morning grooming/tacking/riding before breakfast, afternoon walk.

Day 3: Morning grooming/tacking/riding, afternoon ride.

Day 4: Morning grooming/tacking/riding, afternoon visit to habituated baboons.

Day 5: Morning grooming/tacking/riding, afternoon ride.

Day 6: Morning game drive in Lolldaiga with picnic breakfast.

Day 7: Morning grooming/tacking/riding, afternoon visit to Twala Women’s Group.

Day 8: Morning grooming/tacking/riding, ride to sundowners on the rocks.

Day 9: Morning ride to Sinyai Lugga for picnic breakfast, afternoon croquet.

Day 10: Day at the local primary school – teaching and helping.

Day 11: Morning grooming/tacking/riding, afternoon ride.

Day 12: Short morning ride, visit Kimancho market, afternoon croquet.

Day 13: Final day of grooming/tacking/riding, afternoon ride.

Day 14: Depart Rocky Hollow after early breakfast, picnic en route to Ol Pejeta for full-day game drive to see rhino and big cats. Overnight there.

Day 15: Drive to Nairobi for onward flight.

This is for those who want to spend longer in Kenya. Live, play and work in Africa! This is wild Africa, so you do need to come with an open mind, a sense of adventure and an inquisitive mind. It’s an incredible place to really experience life with horses in Africa, and perfect for those who want to see what running a horse safari business is like.

This is for intermediate plus or above riders only as you’ll be riding in areas where you can come across wildlife such as elephant and big cats on horseback. It’s an incredible way to see the ever-changing landscapes, surrounded by nature, while directly contributing to conservation.

Horses are well-schooled, and there is a round pen and a small sand arena for groundwork and flatwork. There is also a cross-country course (and volunteers can be part of improving it) to hop over, as well as an old landing strip which is the perfect place for some schooling sessions out in the bush. Often your spectators will be herds of zebra and giraffes!

One of the best things about being out in the bush is the trail rides. You’ll be able to head out with Charlie and her guides on a regular basis. These rides are always great fun and an incredible way to discover the area and see wildlife from the saddle. Plus you’ll see what it takes to keep safari horses fit. You’ll ride through thick bush and open country with incredibly diverse terrain including flat plains and rocky escarpments. There are even some great dry river beds that make for excellent canter tracks. The pace is varied and depends on the terrain. The rocky escarpments offer slower riding but incredible views. And the flatter plains, offer great areas for long canters (keeping an eye out for Warthog holes!). As part of the every day trail rides in the bush they look out for suitable trees and logs to hop over. 

If you want a break from the saddle, there’s plenty to explore on foot. A network of trails winds through the surrounding bush, giving you a completely different perspective of the landscape. Walking here slows everything down, you start to notice the smaller details, from birdlife and insects to unique plant species, and you’ll also pick up the basics of tracking and reading signs in the bush.

You’ll also head out on two full-day game drives into two of Laikipia’s most important wildlife areas. One takes you into the dramatic landscapes of Lolldaiga Hills, a vast, privately protected conservancy known for its sweeping scenery, healthy wildlife populations, and excellent chances of seeing elephants, giraffe, zebra, and even predators moving through the hills.

The other is into Ol Pejeta Conservancy, one of Kenya’s most important conservation success stories and home to the last remaining northern white rhinos on the planet. It’s also a stronghold for both black rhino and large predator populations, including lion, leopard, and wild dog. The open-sided safari vehicles give you excellent visibility for photography, making it a brilliant day to focus purely on wildlife and big sightings.

At Rocky Hollow, wildlife is woven into everyday life. Around the farmstead you’ll regularly see giraffe, zebra, eland, impala, waterbuck, warthog, and baboon moving through the bush, often just part of the background as you go about your day. Elephant are frequent visitors in the wider area, and sightings from horseback are a real highlight. Birdlife is constant and vivid, with everything from bee-eaters and rollers to birds of prey drifting overhead. With quiet luck and timing, leopard and hyena can also be encountered, especially in the early mornings or late afternoons when the bush feels most alive.

This beautiful region is one of Kenya’s standout conservation landscapes, where many encouraging success stories are unfolding. The environment is carefully managed to protect and preserve wildlife, while promoting human–wildlife coexistence in a way that supports both local communities and the natural ecosystem. It creates a rare setting where wildlife is genuinely at the forefront of everyday life.

Out in the wider riding country and surrounding conservancies, you can encounter an impressive range of species. This includes large herds of elephant, reticulated giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, impala, Thomson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, eland, waterbuck, buffalo, hippo, bushbuck, warthog, jackal, striped and spotted hyena, troops of baboon, and Somali ostrich. You also have the chance to ride alongside some of Kenya’s most remarkable endangered northern species, including Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx, Jackson’s hartebeest, greater kudu, and gerenuk.

Game drives into Lolldaiga Hills and Ol Pejeta Conservancy bring even closer encounters with this incredible diversity, including reliable sightings of elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, and African wild dog, all within carefully protected, working conservation landscapes.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Spend a full day exploring one of Kenya’s most important conservation areas. Game drives take you through a wildlife-rich landscape where you can see lion prides, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and a wide variety of plains game throughout the day. Ol Pejeta is also home to one of the world’s most significant conservation stories, the last two remaining Northern white rhinos, alongside one of the strongest black rhino populations in Kenya. A visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary adds another layer to the experience, offering insight into rescued chimpanzees and ongoing rehabilitation work. It’s a powerful day that combines exceptional wildlife viewing with meaningful conservation impact.

Habituated Baboon Research Project
There is the opportunity to learn about an ongoing research project focused on a habituated troop of baboons that live in the area. This offers a rare chance to observe their behaviour up close and gain insight into their social structure, communication, and daily movements. It’s a fascinating way to understand one of the most intelligent and complex species in the region, and adds another layer to life in the bush beyond the larger wildlife encounters.

Twala Women’s Group
A visit to the Twala Women’s Group offers a meaningful connection to the local community. This inspiring initiative supports women and families through craft, education, and sustainable income projects. It plays an important role in linking conservation with community development, ensuring that local people benefit directly from living alongside wildlife. Visiting the group gives a genuine insight into daily life and the positive impact of long-term conservation efforts in the region.

Local School Visit
A visit to a nearby school provides a simple but powerful glimpse into everyday life in rural Kenya. It’s a chance to meet teachers and children, learn more about the education system, and understand the challenges and opportunities faced by local communities. It’s informal, welcoming, and often one of the most memorable parts of the experience, offering a real sense of connection beyond the safari environment.

Kimancho Market
A trip to Kimancho Market brings you into the heart of local life. Busy, colourful, and full of energy, it’s where people from surrounding communities come to trade produce, goods, and everyday essentials. Walking through the market gives you a real feel for the rhythm of the region, lively, authentic, and unfiltered. It’s a great way to experience the human side of Laikipia alongside the wildlife and wilderness.

All of these experiences are arranged by Mouse and Charlie, who organise logistics locally and make sure everything fits naturally around life at Rocky Hollow.