The Best Time To Visit The Ol Pejeta

The Best Time To Visit The Ol Pejeta Conservancy

A detailed blog about the best time to visit the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Imagine stepping into the world where the sun rises over the majestic black and white rhinoceros in an African savannah, painting the sky with hues of crimson and gold, welcome to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Central Kenya.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is located in East Africa particularly in Central Kenya in Laikipia county in Nanyuki town. It covers a total land area of 360 square kilometers and is situated on the equator, west of Nanyuki town between the foothills of Mount Kenya and Aberdare National Park.

This conservancy works to protect and conserve wildlife. It is famously known as a rhinoceros sanctuary and is a home to the remaining two white Nothern rhinos which were imported from the Czech Republic and it’s the only place in Kenya where chimpanzees can be seen. It is a home to the orphaned chimpanzees, the African Apes and other predators like the African lion.

A detailed blog about the best time to Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy;

The Dry Season

The best time to go to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya is usually the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, October, December then March.

Kenya’s dry season starts in the months of June to October and then from December to March. In these months, the temperatures are always hot and cool respectively. During this season, the vegetation is thinner and the animals can be easily seen and viewed since its mostly sunny with little or no rain. The animals are also most likely to gather around water sources making it easy to spot them. The roads are in good condition during the dry season as well that is to say, very dry and not muddy or slippery and this can help to fasten vehicle movements.

What To Expect In The Dry Season At The Ol Pejeta Conservancy

• The northern white and southern black rhino viewing, the rhino sanctuary is a must visit destination in central Kenya for a breathtaking and thrilling wildlife vacation. It is believed that Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the only destination with densely populated black rhinos in East Africa. One of the black rhinos is known as Baraka. That is to say, during the dry season, visitors and tourists will be able to view the rhinos at a far or near distance since the vegetation is dry and thinner.
• Game drive, this is an adventurous activity through a game reserve or a national park on a four-wheel tourist vehicle accompanied by a well trained, skilled and professional tour guide and game ranger to observe and enjoy the sights of various animal species in their natural habitat. During the dry season, tourists and visitors will be able to view the white and black rhinos and also some big five animals like lions and elephants at Ol Pejeta Conservancy since the vegetation is thin and scanty, therefore wildlife can easily be spotted.
• Community Visits, these visits are of great importance and a great way to experience the local culture and their ways of life. These visitors and tourists at Ol Pejeta Conservancy will involve themselves in touring nearby villages in Nanyuki town, interacting with residents and learning about their daily traditional lives and their challenges. The activities during the community visits in the dry season in the nearby towns of Ol Pejeta Conservancy include farm visits by exploring the local farms and learning their farming practices, school visits and giving out some donations to the students, homestays and spending a night with the local people and sharing their local meals, cultural performances whereby local people and tourists engage in dance performances and traditional music.
• Peak Season, the peak season in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is during the dry months. During this period, the number of tourists is usually high therefore prices are hiked as well. An example is accommodation, during the peak season, prices go up and some lodges are usually booked to full capacity. To be on a safer side when planning to visit during the peak season, plan ahead and book your accommodation if doing a self-drive or pay with a travel company you are going to tour with so that you secure your accommodation on time. Many people visit at this time because the roads are in good condition and a number of activities can take place easily.
• Good dry roads, During the dry season at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya, visitors planning to visit the Conservancy will find the roads to it very accessible with no difficulties. That is to say, it will be also easier for them to engage in game dives and also nature walks both inside and around the conservancy since the roads will be dry rather than slippery and muddy. The vegetation will also be thinner and viewing of the animals will be easier.
• Running with the game rangers at the Ol Pejeta conservancy, run into the wild with the armed rangers on the plains of Ol Pejeta for five to seven kilometers to the visitors who love fitness and adventure. That is to say, there is no way a visitor will get this greatest experience when he visits the conservancy during the wet season because of the sudden rains and slippery roads. This feeling and experience can be felt only during the dry season when there is totally no rain. Visitors who are planning their visit to Ol Pejeta Conservancy will indulge in the fitness run which is only available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Wet Season At Ol Pejeta Conservancy In Central Kenya

The wet season at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya has two periods that is, from mid-March to April, with April being the heaviest making it the longest wet season then late October to November characterized by short rains or partial rains for few weeks.

During this wet season, roads to Ol Pejeta Conservancy are muddy and slippery which leads to transportation difficulties and also the number of visitors or tourists who come in this period is low making it the low season. During the low season, accommodation prices are low  and some of them even offer discounts however, some camps and roads are closed during this time for safety purposes.

Despite the fact that some activities are hard to do during this time for example game drives, nature walks and cultural visits, bird watching can still be done with little or no difficulty as this is the time their breeding occurs and migratory birds can be seen in large numbers as they fly from Europe.

Activities At Ol Pejeta Conservancy In Central Kenya

1. Rhino viewing, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa and houses the last two remaining northern white rhinos in the world, Najin and Fatu. This conservancy is the safe haven for rhinos as they are heavily threatened by poaching and loss of habitats. Rhino viewing is one of the main attractions in the conservancy, and visitors can be able to see these amazing creatures up close. Visitors planning for a wildlife safari in central Kenya should be ready to see both the black rhino named baraka and the two northern white rhinos which were imported from the Czech Republic.
2. Horseback riding with rhinos, The Ol Pejeta conservancy is the home to the largest population of black rhinos and a great place to offer you a wonderful chance to encounter myriads of plains game. This activity also encourages one to meet the last remaining northern white rhinos namely, Najni and Fatu while on a horse back. As you ride, you will be able to encounter other endangered animal species such as the grevy’s zebra, Jackson’s hartebeest and many others.
3. ­­Game Drive, this simply means an exciting adventure where tourists go on a safari to observe and take part in photography of wildlife in their natural habitat on the four wheeled tourist vehicles or vans with an experienced tour guide and game ranger. The sanctuary has diverse wildlife and myriad bird species. The wonderful big five animals like rhinos, elephants and lions are also present which excites tourists and some visitors to participate in game drives. Game drives are always done on 4X4 vehicles that accommodate 4 to 5 guests.
4. Lion Tracking Experience, this is the unique activity done towards lion conservation within the conservancy by the researchers. Visitors and tourists in the Ol Pejeta conservancy can join researchers to help them gather important research information needed to monitor the lions through their identification features like ear tears, whisker spots and nose spots. This can be an amazing special way of visitors at the conservancy to learn about lions and spending time with them while out in the bush.
5. Running with rangers in Ol Pejeta conservancy, this activity is mainly participated in by the enthusiastic fitness people who love the outdoor activities. It’s always a pleasure and healthier for visitors to start their day by doing running exercise since its good for relieving and stretching the muscles. Tourists join the rangers as they take a 5 to 7 kilometers run which follows a gentle terrain across the plains.
6. Visiting the canine anti-poaching unit in Ol Pejeta conservancy, this unit welcomes everyone and its always open to visitors. Tourists always engage in hide and seek game with dogs and finding a spot to hide within the Morani center to tease and get to know whether these animals undergo training to become anti-poaching patrollers hence a remarkable interesting experience.
7. Camp fire, while at Laikipia and Kicheche camp, the management or game rangers always organize the campfire for their visitors after experiencing the day’s activities like game drives and chimpanzee tracking. While at campfire with other people, there is always games and storytelling amongst the tourists as they converse about the experience and amazing wildlife they encountered during the day.
8. Nature walks and cultural or community visits. Some interested visitors or tourists engage in cultural walks by visiting the nearby communities around Ol Pejeta as they interact and learn about the different amazing and rich African culture. Charitable works are also done by the tourists who wish to give back to the community and the less privileged local community people.

­Reasons As To Why People Go To Ol Pejeta Conservancy In Central Kenya

Ol Pejeta conservancy was known as an extensive cattle ranching ground during colonial era; however, it was rehabilitated as a sanctuary by the government and Kenya Wildlife Authority to conserve and protect the endangered wild species. Therefore, people visit this area due to the reasons  stated below,

Presence of the big five animals, The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a home of the big five animals and an amazing destination to visit on a Kenya safari. The available big five animals at the conservancy include rhinos, lions, elephants, leopards and buffaloes. Many different bird species can also be spotted and other wildlife during the safari.

Horseback riding with rhinos, by visiting Ol Pejeta conservancy one will be able to ride on a horse with the rhinos and this tourism product is believed to be among the major reasons as to why people visit so that they can get a great experience while on a central Kenya safari. Rhinos are also known for being aggressive towards anyone who invades them. Therefore, a tourist can have a guided horseback ride around rhinos with a ranger or guide close by.

Accommodation, Ol Pejeta conservancy has got variety of accommodation ranging from budget, midrange and luxury. These accommodations include Mainz camp and Mtoni resort which is budget Moro River lodge which is midrange and Ol Pejeta house and sweet waters serena for luxury tourists. Therefore, the availability of affordable and all accommodation types attracts people to visit the conservancy.

The availability of chimpanzees, The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the only place where chimpanzees are found in Kenya. There is a Sweetwater’s chimpanzee sanctuary which acts as a rehabilitation center for rescuing the abused and vulnerable chimpanzees and this place attracts many people to visit the conservancy so that they can learn more about the orphaned chimpanzees which creates a unique feeling.

Presence of both white and black rhinos, this conservancy hosts and rehabilitates the only two remaining northern white rhinos in the world which were imported from the Czech Republic. The Ol Pejeta conservancy also harbors the highest number of black rhinos in East Africa hence attracting many people to visit the area.

­­­­­­­­­­Accommodation At Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Jambo Matara camp, Ol Pejeta house, Kicheche Laikipia, Sweet Waters Serena Camp, Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages among others are the accommodations at the Ol Pejeta conservancy. It should be noted that accommodation is among the top characteristics of a tourism destination as it plays an important role in providing both shelter and food to visitors in the tourism and hospitality sector.

Therefore, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Nanyuki town has a lot of accommodation facilities to offer to their esteemed visitors ranging from budget, midrange and luxury. Budget lodges or accommodations are considered and rated as 1 or 2star hotels and they are designed to provide clean and safe places for tourists stay. These rooms typically have a bed, clean bedsheets, a bathroom, a table and clothes hanger.

Midrange lodges or hotels often have bigger rooms than budget with more expensive amenities. These are always referred to as 3 star hotels since they usually have a restaurant, a bar, a gym and other  amenities. Luxury rooms or lodges are 4 and 5 star hotels with lavish bathrooms with heated floors and soaking tubs.

The accommodation facilities at the Ol Pejeta conservancy include the following. The whole conservancy has nine lodges and tented camps like Ol Pejeta Cottages which is a four-star luxury lodge and wildly private. These cottages provide private game viewing on a four-wheeled vehicle and guided by professional talented tour guides and game rangers. It also offers all meals, bar with a soft drink, picnics among others. There is also Ol Pejeta Bush Camp, this camp has seven spacious eco-friendly tents constructed along the Ewaso Ngoro river.

The porin Rhino camp, it is a small and intimate safari camp positioned on secluded valley on season riverbanks under acacia tree shade. It has eight comfortable and spacious guest tents. Others also include, Kicheche Laikipia Camp, Matara Camp, Pelican House, River Camp Sanctuary, Tabarre, The Stables among others.

­­­­­The Animals That Are found At Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The Ol Pejeta conservancy is famously known for having the two remaining white north rhinos which were imported from the Czech Republic in the Dvur Kralove zoo. However, it is also a home to the big five animals, and it is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa.

The registered available wildlife animals at this conservancy include, elephants, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, white rhinos, black rhinos which are commonly seen around the sanctuary. The rarely seen wildlife animals are hippos, leopards, wildebeests, cheetahs and lions among which some of them are occasional. The rescued chimpanzees are also available at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary which acts as their refuge.

How To Access The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Central Kenya

The Ol Pejeta conservancy can be accessed by both air and road transport for both the outside visitors and local tourists respectively. To the international visitors, they can access this conservancy through flying first into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya’s main airport. This conservancy is approximately 210 kilometers or 130 miles northeast of Nairobi and the drive takes about 3 to 4 hours and 15 kilometers to 9 miles southeast of the capital of Nairobi. It is also advised to use 4X4 vehicles during the rainy season.

There are also domestic flights which visitors can take from Nairobi to Nanyuki Airstrip, and this only takes 45 minutes. A tourist can as well fly from another national park to Ol Pejeta’s airstrip which is now open to charter flights. These scheduled chartered flights to Nanyuki always depart from Wilson airport WIL 4 mi or 6 kilometers south of Nairobi and flight bookings can be done through Air Kenya which flies to or from Nairobi Wilson airport, Meru and Masai Mara.

The Ol Pejeta has got several entry points and some of them are Rongai and Serat gate. Tourists and visitors should know that the main entry to the Ol Pejeta conservancy is the Rongai gate to the east if accessed from the road of Nanyuki town. Some people can also access the conservancy via Seret gate on Ramu Ruti road.

The sanctuary’s visiting time is from 7.00am to 7.00pm. The management does not allow visitors after 7.00pm and driving after 7.00pm is highly prohibited. People with authorized Ol Pejeta vehicles can be permitted to drive after 7.00pm.

­­­Conclusion

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