Samburu National Reserve Safaris
Located 350km from Nairobi and totalling 104 sq. km, Samburu National Reserve has a lot to recommend it as a safari destination.
When to go to Samburu National Reserve
Best Time to Go
Famous for its own Big Five
Great game drives & walks
Home to over 900 elephants
Exceptional birdwatching
Home of the Special Five
Samburu is situated on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which runs from the glaciers of majestic Mount Kenya and supplies water for wildlife all year round! It is this reliable water source that first attracted the Samburu people to the region. The Samburu remain here today and it is a privilege for travellers to observe their ways of life, similar to yet distinct from the culture of the Maasai.
Of all the animals in Samburu and Buffalo Springs, the reserves are most famous for their own ‘Special Five’ – Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, and Somali ostrich.
Samburu National Reserve Trips
Activities & Wildlife
Samburu National Reserve is an exceptional region to explore, home to well-known animals as well as rarer species unique to the area.
The Samburu Special Five
Notable Wildlife
Birdlife
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Samburu is home to its own unique version of the “Big Five,” often called the Samburu Special Five or Kenya’s Northern Five, it’s made up on Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, and gerenuk. A visit here also provides meaningful cultural immersion with the Samburu people, offering a rich blend of wildlife and authentic cultural experiences.
Beyond the Samburu Special Five, the reserve is teeming with classic African wildlife including elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo, buffalo, hyena, and wild dog.
Samburu is a bird‑watcher’s paradise, home to hundreds of species. These range from raptors and colourful bee‑eaters to Somali ostrich, vulturine guineafowl, and William’s lark.
Samburu’s desert-like terrain and ancient mountain ranges make it one of Kenya’s most stunning safari destinations. Having grown up there, I find its true magic is in the authentic cultural encounters with the vibrant Samburu people. While wildlife is not the ultimate focus, you can have some unreal elephant experiences. With the Save The Elephant team in this area, the herds have become very accustomed to people. Mine has been the only vehicle within a herd of 80–100 elephants as they ate and moved around us, it was incredible.Talk to someone who’s been there
Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.Good to Know
01.The elephants of Samburu National Reserve
Samburu is home to the Douglas-Hamilton family, elephant researchers – Saba Douglas-Hamilton and her father Iain presented the BBC documentary series The Secret Life of Elephants in 2009. Today, Saba directs the family’s own property, Elephant Watch Camp.
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