Explore a complete travel guide to Samburu National Reserve which includes location, attractions, safari activities, accommodation, and how to get there, etc. Samburu National Reserve is situated in the Northern shadow of Mount Kenya. Samburu is one of the leading destinations in Kenya and is found on the banks of the scenic Ewaso Ng’iro River which adjoins Buffalo Springs National Park and Shaba National Reserve. The scenic Ewaso Ng’iro River is Kenya’s longest river in the northern region and is the major water supplier in the semi-arid area and the Samburu reserve.
Samburu covers a land area of 165 sq. km and is at an altitude of 800-1230 meters. The reserve boasts of its unique ecosystem. Samburu derives its name from the Samburu people –the nomadic pastoralists also known for their vibrant traditional attires and share a lot in common with the Maasai.
Wildlife species
Samburu National Reserve is popular for its special 5 game and other species. The special 5 game at Samburu include the Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, Somali ostriches, Gerenuk, and Beisa Oryx. The reserve also offers habitat to other wildlife including the impalas, warthogs, cape buffaloes, Kirk’s dik-dik, cape buffaloes, olive baboons, bushbucks, cheetahs, waterbucks, elephants, gazelles, and more.
Bird species
A record of about 350 species of birds reside in the Samburu National Reserve. They include Somali ostriches, African open bill, white-headed mousebirds, Superb starlings, Vulturine guineafowl, secretary bird, white-headed vulture, lesser kestrel, martial eagle, lilac-breasted rollers, tawny eagle, northern red-billed hornbill, African darter, yellow-billed woodpeckers, speckled pigeon, D’Arnaud’s barbet, white-bellied bustard, black-faced sandgrouse, Southern ground hornbill, Rupell’s vultures, Rufous napped lark, palm-nut vulture, scissor-tailed kite, Egyptian vulture, African harrier hawks, red-billed ducks, chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, laughing dove, mourning collared dove, Kori bustard, buff-crested bustard, and emerald-spotted wood dove.
The reserve also protects birds such as Sombre nightjars, slender-tailed nightjars, Donaldson-smith’s nightjars, wood sandpiper, spur-winged lapwing, Temminck’s courser, Somali courser, double-banded courser, three-banded plovers, long-tailed cormorant, cormorants and shags, hadada ibis, African sacred ibis, black-winged kite, secretary bird, cattle egret, Gabar goshawk, long-crested eagle, bateleur, African hoopoes, Abyssinian scimitar bill, European rollers, broadbill rollers, bee-eaters, and more.
Samburu people & their culture
The Samburu people reside adjacent to the Samburu National Reserve. The Samburu community offers a great chance for visitors to learn more about the Samburu and their cultures or traditions.
River Ewaso Ng’iro
Ewaso Ng’iro River is one of the biggest rivers and a useful water source for the Samburu wildlife. The river also provides refuge to some of the interesting aquatic species including hippos and the huge Nile crocodiles.
Mt Ololokwe and Koitar
Besides birds and wildlife, Samburu also lies in an area with breathtaking landscapes featuring scenic mountains like Mount Koitar and Ololokwe. These offer a great deal to enthusiastic photographers.
What to do in and around Samburu National Reserve
Game drives
Guided game drives in Samburu allow you to explore the special game plus other wildlife in their varying habitats. Samburu game viewing excursion involves searching for wildlife species such as the Gerenuk, Grevy’s zebras, Beisa oryx, Somali ostriches, reticulated giraffes, elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, leopards, and lions. You need a good 4×4 safari vehicle to have a smooth drive in the Samburu Game Reserve.
Camel ride
Camel riding is a key experience awaiting you on a tour in the Samburu. On a guided camel ride, expect to encounter wildlife species such as giraffes, birds, zebras, and others. A complete camel ride excursion lasts for about 2 hours.
Nature walks
Embarking on guided nature walks through Samburu is a great chance to get close to nature as you unearth the reserve’s diverse species. The guided nature walking excursion takes you deep into areas hardly reached by safari cars.
Birding
A birding tour in the Samburu National Reserve takes you on a search for diverse species of birds. Among birds to spot include long-tailed fiscal, Northern fiscal, pringle’s puff back, rosy-patched bushrike, pygmy batis, chin spot batis, fork-tailed drongo, Taita fiscal, Isabelline shrike, larks, northern crombec, Somali crombec, red-faced crombec, cisticola, warblers, swallows, northern brown bull, common bulbul, starling, thrushes, and African bare-eyed thrush.
Additional birds to spot include brown-tailed chat, white-starred robin, red-backed scrub-robin, African gray flycatchers, northern wheatear, rufous-tailed rock thrush, southern black flycatchers, African stonechat, spotted morning-thrush, red-billed fire finch, cut-throat, quail finch, purple grenadiers, black-cheeked waxbill, gray-headed silver bill, Jameson’s fire finch, crimson rumped waxbill, yellow-spotted bush sparrow, house sparrow, western yellow wagtail, straw-tailed whydah, yellow-crowned canary, white-bellied canary, Somali bunting, brimstone canary, golden pipit, and others.
The best time to explore Samburu Reserve
The ideal period to explore Samburu National Reserve is around the dry months of the year. The dry months run from July to October then another phase begins from December to February. It is around these months when you can encounter a variety of wildlife as they are confined at the river banks.
Accommodation options in Samburu National Reserve
Top places to book for your overnight stay in and around Samburu Reserve include Sarara Camp, Sasaab Lodge, Sasab Camp, Sarova Shaba Game Lodge, Samburu Sopa Lodge, and Elephant Watch Camp.
How to get to Samburu National Reserve
By road, you can reach Samburu within 6 hour’s drive. The main gate for visitor access to Samburu is Archer’s Gate which is found not far from the Marsabit highway. By air, take a planned charter flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to any of the airstrips in Samburu Reserve.
