Nobu / Kenya

Solio.

A quiet plain between two mountains, where the rhino still have room to breed.

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YOUR AFRICA, BEAUTIFULLY TOLD.

Travel stylePrivate & tailor-made

Start withYour dates and interests

Suggested paceFewer stops, more time

Your next stepA conversation with Nobu

The Nobu perspective

Solio,
at your pace.

Solio is a private sanctuary on Kenya's Central Highlands plain between the Aberdares and Mount Kenya. Its successful black and white rhino breeding programme supports unusually concentrated viewing, alongside plains game, birding and broad mountain horizons in a compact, low-vehicle setting.

Rhino conservation defines Solio. Animals that remain elusive across much of Africa can often be watched grazing in open country here, giving patient game drives a focused, intimate character rather than the scale of Kenya's larger ecosystems.

The fenced sanctuary concentrates wildlife while retaining a spacious highland landscape framed by two mountain ranges. Guided walks, game drives and photography depend on current access, weather, sanctuary permissions and the pace of the wider route.

Male lion head close up with full mane and green bush

SOLIO

What to experience

Things to do here

A safari vehicle watching two white rhinos graze at Solio

Wildlife

Rhino tracking and game drives

The heart of a Solio stay is time with rhino at close and respectful range, on morning and afternoon drives across the open plain

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Walkers beside a broad acacia on the open plains at Solio

On foot

Guided bush walks

On foot with an armed guide, reading the plain at ground level, where a rhino sighting becomes something you feel as much as see

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Experience

Birding

With its highland-edge habitats and open grassland, Solio is a rewarding birding destination for raptors and grassland species alike

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A white rhino and calf standing on the open plains at Solio

Photography

Photographic safaris

The combination of reliable rhino, low vehicle numbers and a mountain-framed horizon makes Solio a photographer's sanctuary

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A distant white rhino and calf below hazy hills at Solio

Wildlife

Highland scenery

Long views to the Aberdares and Mount Kenya frame every drive, at their clearest in the early morning before cloud gathers on the peaks.

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When to go

Best time to visit

Start with the season that suits the journey you want, then confirm conditions for your exact route.

A closer look at Solio

Jul / Individual planning

Your dates, your route

Start with your preferred month. Your designer will help match the season, chosen stays and connections to your route, interests and preferred pace.

late June to October · January to February

The drier seasons

Late June to October and January to February are the classic dry windows, with firmer tracks, clearer highland skies and comfortable photography. Altitude keeps early mornings and evenings cool even in bright weather, so warm layers remain useful throughout the year.

March to May

The green season

March to May brings the long rains, while shorter rains often return around November. Greener plains, dramatic skies and strong birding reward flexible travellers; resident rhino remain present, although wet tracks and cloud can reshape each day's driving plan.

1 place to stay

Where to stay

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1 stays · All stays

Private Collection
Solio / Kenya
Solio Lodge
lodge · private conservancy
From USD 900per person per night · indicative
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Good to know

Know before you go

Getting there

Road and air connections depend on the wider route and current operations. Nobu confirms the suitable connection for your dates before approval.

Fees and permissions

Park, conservancy, community, activity or permit rules may apply. Nobu confirms the operative permissions and current fees in the approved quote.

Time and pace

The right stay depends on season, interests and onward routing. Nobu will recommend a pace for the individual journey rather than promise a fixed transfer or duration.

Good questions. Straight answers.

Why is Solio one of the best places to see rhino in Kenya?

Solio is a private sanctuary dedicated to rhino breeding, and it holds some of the highest black and white rhino densities anywhere. Because the reserve is compact and vehicle numbers are low, sightings tend to be close, calm and reliable — often more so than in the larger conservancies.

What's the difference between Solio and Ol Pejeta or Lewa?

All three are Laikipia-area rhino strongholds, but Solio is smaller and more focused: a compact, fenced breeding sanctuary given almost entirely to rhino, with an intimate scale and few vehicles, rather than a large multi-species conservancy.

What wildlife can you see at Solio besides rhino?

Alongside black and white rhino, Solio holds zebra, buffalo, giraffe, eland, waterbuck and gazelle, with lion, cheetah and hyena present, and rewarding birding across its highland-edge grassland.

How many days do you need at Solio?

Two to three nights lets you enjoy the rhino and the plains without rushing, and pairs naturally with the Aberdares, Mount Kenya or the wider Laikipia conservancies.

Where is Solio and how do you get there?

Transfer time depends on the selected route, traffic, road conditions and current operations. Nobu will confirm the appropriate connection for the approved itinerary.

Suggested Solio journeys