Somewhere on the Laikipia Plateau, at approximately 1,900 metres above sea level, the plateau edge breaks away into an escarpment that drops several hundred metres into the valley below. At Loisaba Conservancy, a wooden platform on that edge holds a bed. The platform is raised on wheels. As the light goes out, a staff member rolls the bed out of its shelter to a position facing the open sky. Above you, from horizon to horizon, is a star field that makes the Milky Way look like something you can almost touch.

This is the Loisaba Star Beds experience. It is one of those genuinely rare things in travel: something genuinely unlike anything else you can do anywhere on earth.

But Loisaba Conservancy is much more than a famous sleeping arrangement. It is a 56,000-acre piece of wild Laikipia that holds black rhinos, African wild dogs, lions, elephants, and populations of species found nowhere else in this density in Kenya. Trunktrails Safaris runs tours and safaris to Loisaba. Here is what you need to know.

Where Is Loisaba Conservancy?

Loisaba sits on Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau in central Kenya, approximately 20km west of the town of Nanyuki. The conservancy covers the western edge of the plateau and the dramatic escarpment that drops into the Rift Valley system to the west.

The closest airstrip with scheduled flights is Nanyuki Airport, served by Safarilink and Air Kenya from Nairobi Wilson Airport. Flight time is approximately 45-50 minutes. Ground transfer from Nanyuki to Loisaba is roughly 1.5-2 hours depending on conditions.

Loisaba is also accessible by road from Nairobi in approximately 5-6 hours via the Nakuru highway and north through Nanyuki. Some clients drive in from Samburu National Reserve (2-3 hours east), making Loisaba a natural second or third stop on a northern Kenya circuit.

The Wildlife of Loisaba Conservancy

Loisaba’s 56,000 acres of unfenced wilderness connects to the wider Laikipia ecosystem, which means the conservancy participates in the seasonal wildlife movements that make this plateau one of Kenya’s most dynamic wildlife landscapes.

African wild dogs are one of Loisaba’s signature species. The conservancy supports a resident pack that ranges across Loisaba and neighboring properties. Wild dog sightings are not guaranteed on any single drive, but Loisaba’s resident pack makes it one of the most reliable locations in Kenya for this endangered species.

Black rhinos are present in the conservancy’s rhino sanctuary sections. Loisaba works with the Laikipia Rhino Conservation Program to protect the plateau’s black rhino population. Sightings require patience and the right vehicle positioning, but they happen.

Elephants move through Loisaba in large numbers. The plateau’s elephant population is among the most-studied in Kenya, with individual identification records going back decades. Herds at Loisaba are often large and unhurried in their movement across the open plains.

Lions maintain several territories across the conservancy. With night drive access, lion activity in the evening and early morning hours at Loisaba is a consistent highlight.

Grevy’s zebra are resident at Loisaba. This is one of the most endangered zebra species on earth, found almost exclusively in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. The Laikipia Plateau holds approximately 90% of the global wild population. Seeing a Grevy’s zebra in its habitat at Loisaba is a conservation encounter of genuine significance.

A full Loisaba wildlife overview:

The Loisaba Star Beds

The Star Beds are Loisaba’s most distinctive accommodation and, frankly, one of Africa’s most remarkable sleep experiences.

The Star Beds concept began decades ago when the previous Loisaba management built simple sleeping platforms on the conservancy’s escarpment edge. The current iteration, operated by Elewana Collection, maintains this tradition with elevated wooden platforms that hold a single bed, a side table, and a bucket shower arrangement nearby.

The platform rolls on wheels. During the evening, a staff member positions the bed in its shelter. After dinner, when you are ready to sleep, the bed is rolled out to the exposed platform where the view opens to the full sky. There is nothing above you but stars. The Milky Way in the absence of any light pollution is a different object from what most visitors have seen before.

Morning begins with the sound of the bush rather than an alarm. Your tea arrives at the bed. The view from the Star Beds platform at dawn, across the escarpment to the valley below, is the opening image of the day.

The Star Beds are available in two designs at the original site: Kiboko (hippo) and Koija (community-run). Both share the core experience of the open-air sleeping platform. Kiboko is the premium option. Koija is community-operated and directs revenue directly to the Maasai landowner community.

Loisaba Tented Camp

For clients who prefer conventional luxury alongside the Star Beds experience, Loisaba Tented Camp offers a 10-tent property on a ridge with panoramic Laikipia views. This is the base for game drives, walking safaris, camel rides, and horse riding.

The camp’s design places each tent on its own elevated platform with private deck and views across the open conservancy. It is a smaller property by Kenyan standards, which keeps the atmosphere intimate and the vehicle numbers in the field low.

Camel riding on the Laikipia Plateau at dawn is an experience that some clients initially approach with skepticism. They consistently report it as one of the most unexpected highlights of their Kenya trip. The pace is different from a game drive. The height gives a different perspective. The silence of camel movement through bush is total.

How to Get to Loisaba Conservancy

The most practical route from Nairobi is via the Nanyuki airstrip. Safarilink and Air Kenya operate scheduled services from Wilson Airport (WIL) to Nanyuki (NYK). Flights depart most mornings. The 45-minute flight is itself a view across Mount Kenya’s snow cap that is worth arriving early for.

From Nanyuki airstrip, Loisaba camp vehicles collect guests for the 2-hour transfer. The transfer road passes through the Laikipia landscape, and wildlife is commonly seen during the drive.

Trunktrails Safaris coordinates all flight bookings, airstrip transfers, and camp check-in logistics for Loisaba visits as part of the standard tour arrangement.

Combining Loisaba with a Kenya Circuit

Loisaba’s position in Laikipia makes it a natural component of several Kenya circuits:

Northern Kenya circuit: Nairobi – Samburu National Reserve (3 nights) – Loisaba Conservancy (3 nights) – Nairobi or onward flight. This circuit covers the Samburu Special Five, Loisaba’s wild dogs and Star Beds, and the full Laikipia conservation landscape.

Laikipia circuit: Nairobi – Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (2 nights) – Ol Pejeta Conservancy (2 nights) – Loisaba Conservancy (3 nights). This covers Kenya’s rhino sanctuaries, northern white rhinos, and the full Laikipia wildlife portfolio.

Extended Kenya loop: Nairobi – Masai Mara (4 nights) – Laikipia/Loisaba (3 nights) – Samburu (3 nights). This 10-night circuit covers the three pillars of a Kenya safari – migration country, conservation plateau, and northern dry-country species – in a single trip.

Camel Riding, Horse Safaris and Alternative Activities at Loisaba

One of Loisaba’s distinguishing features from other Laikipia conservancies is the breadth of non-vehicle activities available. The 56,000 acres of varied terrain suits activities that game drive-only camps cannot offer.

Camel riding: Camel safaris at Loisaba are guided walks through scrub and open grassland at the pace and height of the animal. For a client who has spent three days in a game vehicle, the silence of moving through bush on camelback is a complete sensory reset. Dawn camel rides are the recommended time – cool air, active birds, and golden light on the Laikipia plains.

Horse safaris: Loisaba’s horse safari programme takes riders from beginner to experienced level into the conservancy’s open plains. Moving through wildlife on horseback is a fundamentally different experience from vehicle game drives. Zebras, giraffes, and antelopes react differently to horses than to vehicles. You can get closer, on their terms rather than on the vehicle’s terms.

Walking safaris: Armed guide-led walks in the morning hours cover wildlife tracking, plant identification, and bird recognition in detail that a vehicle drive never allows. The pace is 3-4km over 2 hours. Trail conditions are good in the conservancy’s core areas.

Community visit: The Koija community, whose land lease underpins Loisaba’s conservancy model, welcomes guests for cultural visits that explain the economic and governance structure of the Maasai partnership. Understanding how the conservancy fee you pay turns into school funding and healthcare access for the landowner community changes how you see the landscape you are driving through.

These activities are available through the camps and are typically included in the all-inclusive rate or available at modest additional cost. Trunktrails Safaris advises on which activities are best suited to each client’s physical fitness and interests.

The Trunktrails Advantage

Loisaba is the kind of destination that rewards clients who arrive knowing why they chose it. Trunktrails Safaris briefs every Loisaba-bound client on the specific wildlife status in the conservancy, the current Star Beds availability, the guide teams whose territory knowledge is most relevant to the client’s priorities, and the seasonal conditions to expect.

We also manage the logistics that can make Loisaba complicated to book independently: camp availability is limited, Star Beds platforms book up months in advance in peak season, and the multi-stop circuits require precise timing against Safarilink flight schedules.

Trunktrails Safaris runs tours and safaris to Loisaba as a standalone destination and as part of northern Kenya circuits. We are TRA-licensed and provide full ground support from Nairobi arrival to final departure.

Book Your Loisaba Safari

The stars are waiting. So are the wild dogs.

WhatsApp: +254 113 208888 Email: info@trunktrailssafaris.com Website: https://trunktrailssafaris.com

Contact Trunktrails Safaris today. Tell us your travel dates and what draws you to Loisaba. Our tours and safaris to the Laikipia Plateau are built around your specific priorities, not a generic template. We will take it from there. 📸

Image credits: Photo by Russell TOWERS on Pexels; Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels; Photo by Collines Omondi on Pexels; Photo by Exploration Junkie on Pexels; Photo by Charmain Jansen van Rensburg on Pexels