Rocky Hollow & Laikipa Mobile Horse Safari

Arrive in Nairobi and either take a light aircraft to Nanyuki, followed by a short transfer, or enjoy a 5–6 hour scenic drive through Kenya’s highlands. Leave the asphalt behind as you approach Rocky Hollow, where rugged valleys and rocky kopjes welcome you. Meet Charlie and Mouse, your hosts, and get acquainted with the horses. If time allows, enjoy a short ride, or simply stroll around the gardens and watch the horses settle in for dinner. Drinks in the lounge and dinner in the dining room round off your first evening in the bush.

Wake up to warm tea brought to your room before heading to the verandah to enjoy breakfast. Then head out for a ride along sandy riverbeds, winding trails, and open plains, spotting zebra, giraffe, antelope, and sometimes elephants. Canters along the airstrip and across open terrain give a taste of Laikipia’s exhilarating riding. In the afternoon, join Charlie on a guided walk through the riverbeds up to a ridge overlooking the reserve. Watch the sunset from this stunning viewpoint or wander back to the lodge. Keep an eye out for hyrax, birds, and lizards, while the outline of Mount Kenya looms on a clear day. Evening drinks in the lounge and dinner under the stars complete the day.

After breakfast, saddle up for your first mobile camp ride to Lolldaiga, Chololo, or Tumeran Conservancies, depending on wildlife and conditions. Arrive to find your camp already set up by the crew, complete with cool drinks. Then it’s time to unsaddle and pat down your horse, before they are tied to the picket line. Lunch is served either in the mess tent or under the trees. In the afternoon, hop in a 4×4 for a game drive with the roof open, scanning the plains for elephants, zebra, giraffe, and maybe even lions or leopards. Sundowners in the bush finish a memorable day.

Start the day with a morning ride across Lolldaiga’s open plains, through lightly wooded hills, and along red-earth valleys. The trails offer a mix of fast canters and gentle walks, with excellent opportunities to spot wildlife  from the saddle such as elephants, giraffe, zebra, and antelope. In the afternoon, join a game drive in a 4×4 with the roof open for panoramic views and a chance to search for lions, leopards, and cheetah. The day finishes around the campfire with sundowners under a star-strewn sky, sharing stories of the day’s encounters.

Saddle up for a full-day ride to a new mobile camp, riding through a mix of open grasslands, dense forests, and rocky kopjes. Trails wind past dams, riverbeds, and red-earth tracks, perfect for cantering and spotting wildlife along the way. Elephants often drink at waterholes, while giraffe, zebra, warthog, and antelope roam the plains. Stop for a bush lunch in the shade of acacias before continuing to camp. Afternoon allows for a gentle walk or quiet wildlife watching as the sun sets over the horizon. This day is a highlight for riders seeking adventure across varied Laikipia terrain.

Morning ride takes you to the reserve gate with a stop for bush breakfast overlooking Laikipia’s rolling valleys or next to the dam. Depending on the weather, wildlife and riders fitness, you’ll have chosen whether you want a full day ride, or would prefer to drive back to Rocky Hollow. If you ride, you’ll have a long, scenic ride back through neighbouring reserves, farms, and villages, spotting wildlife along the way. Elephants, zebra, giraffe, and antelope are common sights, while the mix of terrain keeps the ride varied and exciting. If the group has chosen to drive, then the horses will be loaded in the horsebox and driven back home again. Back at Rocky Hollow, relax with afternoon tea and a game of croquette in the gardens, a fun (or competative) way to celebrate the day’s adventure. Dinner will be served either in the dining room or in the garden.

It’s an early morning start as you ride out for a bush breakfast set up under the trees. The horses will be tied up on the picket line as you enjoy Kenyan tea and coffee and a selection of hot and cold breakfast treats. On the way home, indulge in some fast canters along the airstrip, test cross-country jumps, and explore scenic trails around the lodge. You’ll have some time to relax before your afternoon activity. Just a short drive from the lodge, the Baboon Research Project is a fascinating look into the behaviour and social structure of habituated troops of wild baboons. You’ll spend a memorable couple of hours walking with the baboons and the scientists studying them. The team is always happy to answer any questions you might have on these animals and they know each indiviual by name. It’s a unique and educational experience that few travellers ever get to see. Watching their interactions up close gives a whole new appreciation for Laikipia’s wildlife.

Enjoy a final breakfast at Rocky Hollow before departing for Nanyuki or Nairobi, taking memories of the horses, bush rides, and Laikipia’s wildlife with you.