Ngare Ndare Forest is a bit of a hidden gem. This is a community owned and run trust tucked away in the foothills of Mt Kenya that forms part of the wildlife corridor between the northern wilderness of Laikipia and Mt Kenya. Whilst this is not necessarily a safari experience you’ll likely spot bushbuck, warthogs and elephants on your day trip to Ngare Ndare as they pass through this corridor and the best place to spot them is from the forest’s suspended canopy walkway. This is also a great place to see the elusive Colobus monkeys; a striking, black and white monkey of which less than 5,000 exist in the wild in Kenya.

Your day out at Ngare Ndare

You’ll be woken early with a fresh, steaming cup of Kenyan coffee or tea delivered to your Safari Cottage and a delicious breakfast of hot food, baked goods and fresh fruit with Sonja’s famous homemade granola to get you going for the day. After a hearty breakfast you’ll head out on your adventure, looking out for wildlife on the way out of the conservancy. Your journey continues through nearby Nanyuki town and the surrounding farmland and villages, giving you an insightful glimpse into life in rural Kenya, before you arrive at Ngare Ndare’s canopy walkway in the late-morning.

Ngare Ndare Canopy Walkway

This is a 450m long bridge elegantly suspended through the trees and where you can wander at leisure looking out for big wildlife, colobus monkeys and birds including rare species such as Hartlaubs turaco and Narina trogon which can both be found here. The walkway ends at a platform overlooking a swamp below where you may be able to spot resident warthogs, waterbucks, bushbuck and elephants as they come down to drink.

Ngare Ndare Waterfalls

You’ll descend from the walkway back to the forest floor and be guided on foot to the pools. Ngare Ndare is centered around six beautiful pools that are connected by the Ngare Ndare river. In dry seasons the waters tumble down a series of waterfalls and gather in magical azure blue pools which, if you’re not averse to the cold, you can swim in.

Game driving home

After your swim stretch out in the sunshine and tuck into a picnic lunch with your guide, listening to the cacophony of birdlife overhead before you make your way back to Ol Pejeta in the mid-afternoon. You’ll take a slow drive back through the conservancy, stopping to enjoy the wildlife on the way, then arrive for a drink around the fire and dinner under the stars. What a day!