VISIT Samburu National Park

Discover everything about Samburu National Reserve on your superfine Kenya safaris. This travel guide is suitable for anyone with plans to explore the wonders of Samburu. Samburu National Park/Reserve is one of the most popular destinations in Kenya that guarantees tourists off-the-beaten-path experiences. Lying in the Northern section of Kenya, Samburu is home to a “Special 5 Game.” Samburu lies in the Northern circuit and bordering it, is Buffalo and Shaba Springs Reserve. It features among the least visited destinations in Kenya but boasts of its abundant species of wildlife.

Samburu National Reserve became a National Park in 1985 and covers the land area of 165 sq. km. Samburu is compact in size and is lying in the Northern side of Laikipia, Samburu County in Kenya. Samburu’s landscape is characterized by scenic riverine forests, Ewaso Ng’iro River, and Acacia woodland. The reserve is divided by the Ewaso Ng’iro River.

Top Attractions in Samburu National Reserve

The wildlife to see

Samburu National Reserve protects about 4 of the Big 5 game, plus the Special 5 species. The different wildlife to find on a Kenya safari in Samburu includes cheetahs, elands, reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, Beisa Oryx, leopards, olive baboons, Klipspringers, wild dogs, lesser Kudus, dik-diks, waterbucks, hippos, elephants, warthogs, and many others.

Bird species

A record of over 350 species of birds makes Sambur a bird-watcher’s paradise. The birds to spot in Samburu include the Northern brownbul, marabou stork, Northern red-billed hornbill, yellow-vented eremomela, yellow-necked spur fowls, scissor-tailed kite, Bateleur, lilac-breasted rollers, secretary birds, golden-breasted starling, Egyptian vultures, African harrier, Somali ostriches, pink-breasted larks, black-capped social weaver birds, rosy-patched bush shrikes, sparrow weaver birds, and singing bush larks.

Samburu also supports birds such as the Southern pochard, green-winged teal, Eurasian wigeon, elgon francolins, western crested guineafowl, helmeted guineafowl, speckled pigeon, rameron pigeon, lemon dove, eastern bronze-napped pigeon, yellow-necked spurfowl, the lesser and greater flamingos.

What to do in Samburu National Reserve

Guided game drives

Samburu is known for its exceptional game drive adventure. The reserve offers an amazing game viewing experience involving spotting the Big game and special game species. The likely wildlife to be located on a game drive in Samburu include Beisa Oryx, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, Gerenuk, cheetahs, leopards, and lions. The other wildlife to spot on the Samburu game drive session includes buffalo, warthogs, wild dogs, elephants, and bird species. The reserve offers morning, afternoon, and night game drive sessions.

Helicopter excursions

Guided helicopter excursions in Samburu offer an unmatched aerial game viewing experience. With an expert, you can explore the different wildlife and also appreciate the unique landscapes of the Samburu National Reserve. The reserve’s landscape features the Silale Crater, Ololukwe Monolith, Lake Logipi, Suguta, and more.

Birding tours

Samburu offers amazing birding excursions to bird enthusiasts. The checklist of birds that are you are likely to come across during the birding excursion in Samburu include African skimmer, Caspian tern, gull-billed tern, white-winged tern, flamingoes, black-headed gull, little grebe, gray-headed gull, bronze-winged courser, Somali courser, three-banded courser, collared pratincole, cream-colored courser, quail-plover, small buttonquail, little stint, pink-breasted lark, African palm swift, palm-nut vultures, African palm swift, bare-eye thrush, yellow-vented eremomela, Fischer’s starling, yellow-billed stork, saddle-billed stork, African woolly-necked stork, Abdim’s storks, black stork, reed cormorants, African darters, Augur buzzard, black kite, pallid harrier, mountain buzzards, grasshopper buzzards, Eurasian sparrow hawks, and others.

Camel Riding

Camel ride excursion ushers nature enthusiasts deep into Samburu’s wilderness. On camel back ride, you can enjoy views of this reserve’s diverse wildlife in the vast plains. Expect to enjoy a clear view of the zebras, birds, and giraffes, etc.

Balloon tours

Balloon tours offer you yet another special opportunity to explore the wonders in the Samburu National Reserve. At Samburu, expect to embark on an aerial excursion over the plains of Samburu and enjoy a clear view of wildlife. A hot air balloon tour offers spectacular photography opportunities. Besides astonishing views of wildlife, you can also enjoy the champagne or breakfast in the bush.

Cultural Visits

Adjacent to Samburu, there exist the Samburu and Maasai people communities. A cultural visit allows you to explore more about the local cultures, traditions, and practices.

Walking excursions

Guided nature walks in Samburu take you on a guided walk with an expert. During a guided nature walk, you stand a chance to navigate deeper into the Samburu Reserve while spotting your favorite wildlife. When it comes to guided nature walking excursions, timing is needed. Guided walking tours in Samburu National Reserve is best done in the morning or afternoon.

The best time to travel to Samburu

Samburu can be explored at any time of the year. The reserve enjoys favorable weather conditions characterized by minimal rainfall amount. But the most favorable period to consider traveling to spend your holiday in Samburu is during the peak dry season. The dry season in this Reserve starts from June to October. It is around the dry season when you can easily spot diverse wildlife as they are confined in the fewer water sources.

If your interest lies in bird-watching, then consider visiting Samburu National Reserve during the wet or rainy season. This can be in April, May, or November –the months of the year when migratory birds flock in the Samburu, while the majority of the resident birds also start breeding.

Accommodation in Samburu National Reserve

At Samburu National Reserve, top places to consider for overnight range from budget, midrange, and luxury. They include Meru Slopes, Sentrim Samburu Lodge, Luxury Tented Camp, Umoja Campsite, Samburu Intrepids Luxury Camp, Alba Hotel, and Shaba Game Lodge.

How to get to Samburu for a vacation

Samburu National Reserve can easily be reached by road or air. A 4×4 safari car is essential for your easy connectivity from Nairobi to Samburu, which is about 6 6-hour drive. Visitors can also access Samburu from Lake Nakuru National Park, and this can take about 5.5 hours. By air, a domestic flight can be arranged, and you set off from the Wilson Airport to Kalama Airstrip, Buffalo Springs, or Samburu Oryx Airstrip. The three airstrips are serviced by Air Kenya and Safari Link.