DESTINATION GUIDE // KENYA
Samburu National Reserve
Kenya northern frontier, where five species live that you will not find on the southern circuit.
165 km2
RESERVE AREA
Special Five
ENDEMIC SPECIES
350 km
FROM NAIROBI
Jun-Oct
BEST MONTHS
900m
ALTITUDE
Quick answer: Samburu National Reserve lies on the northern bank of the Ewaso Nyiro River in Samburu County, around 350 km north of Nairobi. It covers 165 square kilometres of semi arid scrub and is best known for the Samburu Special Five, a group of dry country species found nowhere else on the standard Kenyan circuit.
OVERVIEW AND LOCATION
Samburu National Reserve At A Glance
Samburu feels different from anywhere else in Kenya. The country is dry, rocky and thorn covered, cut by a single green river that everything depends on. Because it sits well north of the main tourist circuit it receives a fraction of the visitors, and the wildlife here has adapted to conditions the southern parks never face.
| Detail | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Location | Samburu County, northern Kenya, on the Ewaso Nyiro River |
| Distance from Nairobi | Approximately 350 km, 5 to 6 hours by road or 1 hour by air |
| Size | 165 km2 |
| Established | 1985 |
| Known for | Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, beisa oryx |
| Time zone | EAT, GMT +3 |
WILDLIFE AND ACTIVITIES
What You Will See and Do
The Special Five
Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx. All five are dry country specialists and all five are realistically seen in a single day here.
Elephant and Big Cats
Large elephant herds come down to the river daily. Leopard are unusually visible along the riverine forest, and lion prides work the open scrub.
Samburu Culture
The reserve is named for the Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai. Community visits are arranged directly with the villages themselves.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
When To Go
| Months | What to expect | Crowds |
|---|---|---|
| Jun to Oct | Dry, animals concentrate on the river, best viewing | High |
| Jan to Feb | Hot and dry, excellent for the Special Five | Medium |
| Mar to May | Long rains, green, some roads difficult | Low |
| Nov to Dec | Short rains, fresh grazing, quiet and good value | Low |
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