Samburu: The perfect addition to your African Safari Holiday.

When people think of Kenya they often only think of the Masai Mara – yes Kenya is the heart of the African safari holiday industry and for good reason its parks, reserves and concessions are responsibly managed and operated, protecting and conserving the incredible wildlife by working in partnership with the local communities.

Kenya offers world class game viewing not only in the Masai Mara, but also in numerous other areas.

Our advice would be come and experience two contrasting parts of Kenya, namely the north and the south on an African Safari Holiday.

For many people an African safari holiday is a once in a lifetime experience and with a combination safari you maximise your budget, time in Kenya and get to see more of Kenya’s wonders, taking in two areas rather than just exploring the world-famous Masai Mara.

This is where Samburu comes in – a celebrated wildlife sanctuary in northern Kenya that is off the beaten track and easily combinable, with direct flights from Nairobi allowing guests to discover Samburu and combine it with the Masai Mara.

Guests that do this combination are rewarded by something totally unique, unspoilt and two very different parts of the stunning landscapes of Kenya with varied wildlife and experience contrasting Kenyan culture.

Somak recommends Saruni Samburu as a fantastic property in which to experience this magnificent reserve.

The Experience of Samburu

• Samburu has a very evocative and iconic landscape that reminds each visitor of “the Africa of your dreams”, dry and stunningly beautiful, wild and at the same time serene;
• The wildlife: Samburu has one of the best concentrations of elephant, but also good numbers of lion, leopard and as well as the plains game. Then, there’s the Samburu Special Five: Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and gerenuk (species that occur only in this part of the country). Wild dogs are also regularly seen;
• No crowds: the limited number of vehicles permitted within the Samburu National Reserve and the fact that if you stay at Saruni Samburu you have exclusive use of their private wilderness of Kalama Conservancy, a vast and pristine wilderness of over 200,000 acres, making your game drives unique and uncrowded.

The Samburu People

• A key part of your experience at Saruni Samburu are the Samburu staff and guides: 80% are local Samburu and many of them actually built the lodge, and Saruni work in partnership with them
• The Samburu is one of the most traditional tribes in Africa: warm, fun and extremely hospitable people – as they guide you through their ancient lands, you feel humbled as you learn all about their culture, history and traditions;
• Saruni Samburu is a responsible choice: and are members of the Northern Rangers Trust (NRT), an organisation that works with 26 communities who own and manage an area greater than 25,000 km and is now widely seen as a model in Africa of how to support community-owned conservancies.