Ultimate Guide to Visiting Samburu National Reserve : Samburu National Reserve is one of the great wildlife destinations in Kenya located in Samburu County on the banks of Ewaso Ng’iro River, the reserve borders Buffalo Springs National Reserve and Shaba National Reserve which are both on the other side of the river as well as the Kalama Community Conservancy and The Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy just a little further North.
Samburu National Reserve is a vast expanse of remote pristine remoteness measuring 165 square kilometers, the reserve is characterized by an arid and semi – arid climate with stunning landscapes with wide open spaces for as far as eyes can see.
Samburu is a unique wildlife conservation haven famous for the abundance of rare species of wildlife known as The Samburu Special Five – the Grevy Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx. The reserve is also renowned for its huge population of elephants recorded to be close to 900 elephants, there are also predators such as lions, leopards and cheetahs.
Samburu is one of the best locations in Kenya to see leopards and lions, the reserve is famously known for Kamunyak the famous Lioness that adapted a baby Oryx.
The Samburu wildlife ecosystem comprises of a number of conservancies and group ranches bordering the main reserve such as the Kalama Conservancy, West Gate Conservancy and Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy.
History of Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve became a wildlife protected area in 1948 within the larger Marsabit National Reserve, later the Senior ranger of the National Reserve Rodney Elliott suggested to the Samburu District that the area North of the river Ewaso Ngiro should have become a reserve on its own.
In 1962, the reserve was officially established and in 1963, the then Minister of Local Governments decided that the National Reserve was to be administered by the African District Council of Samburu. The Reserve is now a community-based wilderness that is preserved and operated by the resident Samburu Communities under a centralized local council.
Samburu along with the Meru National Park are the two areas where conservationists George Adamson and Joy Adamson raised the famous lioness Elsa and then released her in the wild.
Wildlife in Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve has a rich and diverse collection of wildlife such as The Samburu Special Five – Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx. The Samburu Special Five are mostly only spotted in Samburu and Northern Kenya and are not usually found in other reserves and parks in Kenya such as Amboseli National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve among others.
Other wildlife spotted in Samburu Game Reserve include elephants, Grant gazelles, Impalas, Waterbucks, Dik – diks, hippos, olive baboons, warthogs, lions, leopards, cheetahs, cape buffaloes, Hyenas, Elands, Jackals, Klipspringer, Mongooses, wild dogs and bats among others.
Birdlife in Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve is home to abundant birdlife with over 450 species recorded, Samburu birds include Acacia tit, African palm swift, Ashy cisticola, Bare-eyed thrush, Black-bellied sunbird, Black-capped social weaver, Brown-tailed rock chat, Chestnut weaver, Chestnut-headed sparrow lark, Donaldson Smith’s sparrow-weaver, Fischer’s starling, Golden pipit, Golden-breasted starling, Greater kestrel, Grey wren-warbler, Hunter’s sunbird, Lanner falcon, Mariqua sunbird, Northern brownbul, Palm-nut vulture, Pink-breasted lark, Pygmy batis, Red-bellied parrot, Red-necked falcon, Red-winged lark, Reichenow’s seedeater, Rosy-patched bush-shrike, Secretary bird, Singing bush lark, Somali bee-eater, Somali ostrich, Spotted palm-thrush, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Vulturine guineafowl, White-headed mousebird and Yellow-vented eremomela among others.
Kenya Safari Activities to Do in Samburu National Reserve
Game Drives
Samburu National Reserve is one of the best destinations in the northern region of Kenya for game viewing experience, the reserve is famous for the Samburu Special Five – Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx which are rare species only found in this area.
Game drives in Samburu are done on several trails running through the reserve and from the comfort of your vehicle, you will enjoy excellent sightings of various animals including Nile Crocodiles, leopards, lions, cheetahs among others.
The best site for game viewing in Samburu National Reserve is along the banks of Ewaso Ng’iro River which is the main water source feeding the ecosystem. The river frequented by animals to drink water and cool off in the water.
Bird Watching
Samburu National Reserve is one of the best birding sites in Kenya and among the Important Birding Areas, the reserve is home to more than 390 bird species found in various habitants in the reserve, the reserve offers excellent sights of a number of North East African dry-country species which are shared with Ethiopia and Somali.
Birds to lookout for during bird watching in Samburu National Reserve include Chestnut weaver, Chestnut-headed sparrow lark, Donaldson Smith’s sparrow-weaver, Fischer’s starling, Golden pipit, Golden-breasted starling, Greater kestrel, Grey wren-warbler, Hunter’s sunbird, Lanner falcon, Mariqua sunbird, Northern brownbul, Palm-nut vulture, Pink-breasted lark, Pygmy batis, Red-bellied parrot, Red-necked falcon, Red-winged lark, Reichenow’s seedeater, Rosy-patched bush-shrike, Secretary bird, Singing bush lark, Somali bee-eater, Somali ostrich, Spotted palm-thrush, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Vulturine guineafowl, White-headed mousebird and Yellow-vented eremomela among others.
The best time for bird watching in Samburu is during the period of November to April when the migratory bird species arrive to join the resident species.
Camel riding
Camel riding in Samburu National Reserve is the most eco-friendly way to explore the semi-arid plains of reserve, camel riding is the best alternative to the normal game viewing experience in a safari vehicle.
While you ride on a camel, you will get up – close with the game such as zebras, giraffes, ostrich, giraffes among others.
Visiting the Samburu People
The Samburu People are one of the few tribes in Kenya and the world as well with cultures and traditions that have not been affected by modernity and technology, the Samburu people are Nilotic people and semi-nomadic pastoralists depending on livestock herding as a way of life including cattle, sheep, goats and camel.
The Samburu People live in communities along the boundaries of Samburu Game Reserve and there villages are visited for a Samburu cultural experience, on the visited you will be entertained by local dances and drama, take part in livestock herding, milking of the cattle, be entertained by local dances and drama among others.
When to visit Samburu National Park
The Best time to visit Samburu for a Kenya safari is during the dry seasons from June to September/early October and December to March. In the dry season animals tend to congregate along the Ewaso River to drink and eat making them easier to spot.
It is advisable to avoid visiting the reserve during the rainy season that is November, April and May as the high vegetation cover makes spotting of animals very challenging.
If you are a bird lover, the wet season is perfect to enjoy bird watching as many migratory birds arrive in the reserve and the country as well.
Where to stay in Samburu National Reserve
Samburu has a variety of accommodation facilities ranging from luxury camps, mid-range camps and budget camps. These accommodations include
- Saruni Samburu
- Saasab Camp
- Larsens Tented Camp
- Samburu Intrepids Camp
- Elephant Bedroom Camp
- Elephant Watch Camp
- Ashnil Samburu Camp
- Samburu Simba Lodge
- Sentrim Samburu Camp
- Samburu Game Lodge
- Samburu Sopa Lodge
- Sarova Shaba Game Lodge
How to Get to Samburu National Reserve
Samburu is accessed by road and air
By Road – from Nairobi, it is a distance of about 310 kilometers to 325 kilometers depending on the gate or entry point of Samburu you use, typically it is a drive of 6 hours to Archer’s Gate the main entry to Samburu Game Reserve.
By Air – Samburu National Reserve is served by several airstrips that is Kalama Airstrip, Buffalo Springs Airstrip and Samburu Oryx Airstrip. From Wilson Airport, it is a flight of approximately 1.5 hours to Samburu National Reserve. These flights are operated by two airlines that is AirKenya and Safari link.
