Things to do in Samburu
Samburu & Isiolo
In the arid north the Ewaso Nyiro river keeps Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba green beneath Ol Olokwe mountain, holding wildlife found nowhere else in Kenya.
Best time to visit
June to October and January to March, when animals concentrate along the riverbanks.
Getting there
Five to six hours by road from Nairobi via Nanyuki and Isiolo, or a short scheduled flight from Wilson Airport.
What to do
Find the Samburu Special Five
Gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Somali ostrich and beisa oryx.
Elephants digging in the riverbed
In the dry months elephants dig for water, drawing everything else in behind them.
Riverine birdwatching
Palm-nut vultures, vinaceous doves and kingfishers along the doum palms.
Leopards at dusk
The forested banks are among Kenya's better leopard territory.
Shaba and the Born Free story
Joy Adamson wrote her last book here; the reserve keeps her memory.
Samburu village visit
Spend time with the semi-nomadic Samburu, close cousins of the Maasai.
Good to know
- • This is the only place in Kenya to reliably see the Special Five.
- • Much hotter and drier than the Mara — light clothing and plenty of water.
- • Combine with Meru or the Laikipia conservancies for a northern circuit.
- • Late afternoon drives along the river give the best sightings.
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