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Sosian

Our rating

9/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Country house feel
- Wilderness experience
- Fantastic facilities
- Beautiful landscapes

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Overview

Sosian is a stunning lodge, half elegant colonial ranch, half bush wilderness set in the stunning landscapes of the Laikipia Highlands. It is a little more expensive than the alternative owner occupied options in the area, but will suit those looking for a more refined luxury touch and the extra facilities this affords.

Sosian is set on a 24,000 acre private wildlife conservancy, sharing the land with a traditional cattle ranch. Sosian’s original ranch house was built in the 1940’s by Italian artisans, restored in recent years to accommodate up to 14 people with a feel reminiscent of a weekend party at a country house. Seven cottages are dotted throughout the lush gardens, stocked with verdant greenery, flower-beds and bird life. Each cottage lies with its own private veranda and en suite fully plumbed bathroom. There is a honeymoon cottage set on its own, two cottages with 2 double rooms each (not interconnecting) and one three bedroomed cottage. Meals are usually taken at the main ranch house which boasts a wrap-around veranda, snooker room and glamorous dining room. A real highlight of the property are its facilities, including a rock swimming pool, set beside an open-sided thatched roof house, spaced with hammocks and comfy day beds, a Tennis Court, high quality riding stables (primarily aimed at more experienced riders) and Organic Vegetable Garden.

Similar to the neighbouring Laikipia Wilderness Camp, Sosian's speciality is in providing a private game viewing experience, away from the restrictions of National Park rules. The focus here is on experiencing the bush, the wildlife and landscapes with a sense of freedom and exploration, with trekking, Bush Walks, Riding, Camel Safaris, Game-Drives and Night-Drives all on offer. As well as looking for wildlife, there are other activities available which include Fishing, Archery, Tennis, Rafting, Tubing down the River and swimming in the rivers after jumping off Waterfalls or a visit to a nearby Samburu settlement.

As well as big herds of elephant, zebra, buffalo, numerous species of antelope, giraffe and hippo; lion, leopard, cheetah and spotted hyenas are regularly spotted. Sosian is home to some rare and endangered mammal species such as Jackson’s hartebeest, Grevy’s zebra, Reticulated giraffe, striped hyena and aardwolf. There are three packs of African Wild Dogs in the area and sightings of these endangered predators are prolific. The birdlife is spectacular and large raptors such as Martial Eagle, African Hawk Eagle, and Bateleur are resident and often seen.

For Families: Sosian is an excellent choice for families looking for a wilderness bush experience combined with a good dose of comfort and facilities such as a pool and tennis courts. It is our opinion that whilst not offering the same sheer numbers of plains wildlife and predators as the Masai Mara, The Laikipia area is a superior safari experience for families offering a more rounded and fun safari experience. Whilst kids (and adults) may grow tired of game drives, it is hard to imagine anyone growing tired of the variety of activities on offer here. Families are usually accommodated either in two adjacent rooms in a standard cottage or in the three bedroom family cottage.

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What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 534 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.

    Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.

    El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.

    Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.

    So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last

    MissingJuhae C reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 01 March 2024

  • Dear Lisa, We are now back home and had a fantastic time. All the arrangements went seamlessly, transport and hotels were great. Laikipia was amazing, a very personal experience and they did all they could to accommodate everything we wanted to do. The river location was fantastic and ideal for the children as they got to swim in it. It is somewhere we would all like to return to. There might not have been the numbers that you get on the Masai Mara however we got to see lions with cubs, two black leopards, a golden leopard and the wild dogs as well as a huge number of other animals and birds. Thank you for suggesting to stay for 4 nights, it was just the right amount of time. The tamarin Hotel was a good choice as we were able to eat at the Carnivore restaurant which was an experience. Mauritius was lovely and relaxing, just what we needed after a very active time in Laikipia. Accommodation and service was great. Weather was good for most of the time, a few showers over the last couple of days. Thank you once again for organising it all. Sally

    MissingSally M reviewing Laikipia Wilderness and Plains on 11 August 2023

  • Hi Lisa
    It was a fantastic experience, thanks very much. All the arrangements were seamless and our guiding/support team were excellent, if there is a way for you to formally commend the team to your ground operators then I would be grateful if you could do that, they really were brilliant.
    Many thanks for your help in arranging the trip, and for your patience during the multiple re-arrangements over the past couple of years.
    Kind regards, John

    MissingJohn B reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek on 14 November 2022

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