Samburu National Reserve

With beautiful landscapes and hundreds of animals, Samburu National Reserve guarantees the sort of game viewing you otherwise would only experience watching National Geographic. This Park is 165 square kilometers big and is about a five to six-hour drive from Nairobi. It’s a great place to start your safari adventure since it has a semi-dry desert and savannah landscape. This means for you: great visibility over the park and its river, which attracts many animals.

Samburu National Reserve is a wildlife haven, home to four of the Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo—as well as the Samburu Special Five. These rare animals, including the reticulated giraffe, Grévy’s zebra, beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and gerenuk, can only be found together in this part of the world. Add to that the sight of over 900 elephants in large family groups, and it’s easy to see why Samburu is such a remarkable destination.

For the best game viewing, follow the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River. This river is the lifeline for many animals, especially during the dry season. You’ll spot African wild dogs, Grévy’s zebras, gerenuks, and Beisa oryxes coming to drink while crocodiles and hippos gather here for hunting. It’s an unforgettable experience that brings you up close to nature’s wonders.

Activities in Samburu National Reserve

• Stop by the Ewaso Nyiro River for great game viewing
• Spot some rare animals like the Grévy’s zebra, gerenuk, or Beisa oryx
• Watch large herds of elephants crossing the savannah
• Visit the Samburu tribe in their village

Samburu People.

Another highlight of visiting Samburu is the chance to connect with the Samburu people, a traditionally nomadic tribe closely related to the Maasai. They live in secluded bomas, small villages surrounded by circular wooden fences. Their huts, with distinctive rounded roofs made of cow dung, reflect their deep connection to the land. The Samburu continue their pastoralist lifestyle, caring for herds of cows, sheep, and goats. Between safari adventures, you can visit a boma to experience firsthand the traditional way of life of this vibrant community.

Climate

Kenya has a cold season from June to November with average temperatures of 20°C during the day. Nights can get cold during this season, so it’s best to take a sweater. Mid-October to November is the short rainy season, after which temperatures rise to 30°C during the day from December to April. April and May come with showers again as this is the long rainy season. It normally doesn’t rain throughout the day as one sees sunny mornings with rain clouds building up towards the afternoons and evenings.

Best time to visit Samburu National Reserve

You can visit Samburu all year round, but the best time is probably the dry season: June to October and December to March. During the rainy months of November, April, and May, the road conditions might be less than optimal.

How to get there

Samburu National Reserve is 310 kilometers from Nairobi, which is a five to six-hour drive. It’s also possible to go by plane from Nairobi to different airstrips in Samburu, which takes 1.5 hours.