If you’ve heard of the film “Born Free”, you’ve heard of Samburu, for this is the site where the real story happened.
Remote, serene and unspoilt, Samburu stands in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. This semi-desert game reserve is the “little sister” to the sizable Maasai Mara and Tsavo conservancy game parks.
Acacia and thorn trees provide shade for Samburu’s Special Big Five: the reticulated giraffe, the Masai ostrich, the gerenuk, the gravy zebra and the beisa Oryx. As the grassy savannah gives way to hills and the heat of rocky terrain, animals are drawn to water sources, offering prime opportunities for game viewing.
The Uaso Nyiro River wends its way through the reserve, hippo and crocodile concealed within its depths. Cheetah, lion, buffalo, and herds of elephant – our favourite, graceful, silent giants –traverse these lands. A plethora of bird species, including the Somali ostrich, make their homes in the trees and grasslands of Samburu.
Proud, elegant and richly adorned, the Samburu people of Kenya also reside in the Samburu region. Bearing a likeness to the Masai people, they continue a semi-nomadic existence that is said to date back a hundred years. Resisting Western influence, this ancient culture is part of the intricate, fascinating narrative that makes up Samburu territory.
Like the wildlife that roam the reserve, visitors also need a place to rest, rejuvenate and retreat from the heat. Accommodation in Samburu not only offers fine dining and beautiful facilities but also typically includesa resident game ranger who is ready to share knowledge about the bush. The luxury tented camps, lodges and bush camps of Samburu all have their own unique appeal, and visitors will find it hard to select just one haven for their Samburuland safari experience.
