One hundred and sixty-five square
kilometres along one river.
Samburu National Reserve is small, roughly 165 square kilometres, and everything in it is organised around the Ewaso Nyiro River. The country north of Mount Kenya is hot, dry and thorny, and the river is the only thing keeping it habitable. What makes Samburu worth the drive is the wildlife you find here and nowhere further south: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich, known collectively as the Samburu Special Five. Add strong leopard sightings along the riverine forest and it earns its place.
Northern Kenya
Approximate reserve area
Ideal length of stay
Driest months, easiest viewing
Why visit Samburu
Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. None of them occur in the southern parks.
The riverine forest is thick and the leopard sightings here are among the more consistent in Kenya.
The river runs through the whole reserve and every animal in the ecosystem comes to it eventually.
Doum palms, red earth and thorn scrub rather than open savannah. It does not look like anywhere else on a Kenyan itinerary.
The Samburu people have lived alongside this land for generations, and visits are arranged directly with them.
At 165 square kilometres you can cover the reserve properly in two days rather than skimming it.
What there is to do
Game Drives
Morning and late afternoon drives in an open-roof vehicle, timed for when the animals are actually moving.
Cultural Visits
Time with Samburu families living alongside the reserve, arranged directly rather than through an agent.
Birdwatching
Several hundred recorded species, with migrants arriving from November through to April.
Riverside Walks
Walking the Ewaso Nyiro under the doum palms, with the river drawing game in all day.
Sundowners
Drinks somewhere with a long view as the light goes, which is the part most people remember.
When to go
Hot and dry most of the year. The rains change the driving more than the wildlife.
Dry season
Game concentrates hard on the river and the thorn scrub thins out. The most reliable window.
Short dry spell
Very hot, very clear, and quiet. Excellent for the dry-country specials.
Short rains
Short storms, green flush and strong birding along the river.
Long rains
The river can flood and some crossings close. Lowest rates and fewest vehicles.
Plan a Samburu safari
Samburu is usually combined with Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara on a longer northern circuit.