Highlight

Samburu National Reserve is one of the lesser-known national parks but is nevertheless teeming with life.

Situated alongside the Ewaso Nyiro River, there is plenty to attract wildlife from the surrounding savannah plains.

Wildlife: The reserve is rich in wildlife with an abundance of rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, and the beisa oryx (also referred to as Samburu Special Five).

The reserve is also home to elephants and large predators such as the lion, leopard, and cheetah. ‘Kamunyak’, the miracle lioness that adopted the baby oryx was a resident in the reserve.

Wild dog sightings are also a common attraction to this unique protected area. Birdlife is abundant with over 450 species recorded.

Best time to visit – Samburu is an all-year-round destination fact being the area doesn’t receive intense rains although the peak season is between June and October, during the dry season cause most of the animals are forced to the river bank. 

The government body responsible for managing the Samburu Game Reserve is the Kenya Tourism Board with support from several wildlife conservation Agencies. The Park entry of the Samburu is €65, well as some other optional activities like Guided walk safaris, Bird watching. Local village visits and cultural tours.

The greatest health risks in Kenya like all the other East African are accidents and malaria. Much of Kenya lies at too high an elevation for malaria to be a major concern, but the disease is present and prophylactic drugs are recommended. Travelers should seek professional medical advice on taking anti-malarial medicines and take precautions to avoid mosquito bites, especially between dawn and dusk.

Travelers should ensure they are up to date with vaccinations, following the advice of their local healthcare provider, and should consider bringing a small first aid kit. A certificate of yellow fever vaccination is required.

Samburu can be reached by air and road. The nearest airport and link to the park is Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. Kenya Airways, RwandAir, Uganda Airline, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and KLM  all have flights to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. From Nairobi Wilson Airport, one would need to book a smaller plane to Kalama or Buffalo springs Airstrip which can be booked with the help of a tour operator or you can still reach the park by driving on a road a distance that takes up 5 to 6 hours depending on the traffic.

For further advice on planning your Samburu Game Reserve, simply enquire with one of our local Safari Experts.