Samburu Holidays

 The trails in this park are uncrowded, all the better for spotting Samburu’s Special Five, the lesser-known cousin of Africa’s Big Five. Look out for the blue-skinned Somali ostrich and swan-like necks of gerenuks as you drive through the barren landscape. Herds of Grevy’s zebra, whose beautifully-striped skins have rendered them endangered, graze alongside pointy-horned Beisa oryx and the reticulated giraffe. You’ll often find these rare creatures gathered around the Ewaso Ngiro River, a lifeline in the dry, desert-like terrain.

The park is named for the native Samburu people, who, like the closely-related Maasai, continue to live a nomadic existence, often navigating the never-ending wilderness by camel. Life takes them wherever there’s fresh grazing for their flocks of sacred cattle, constructing temporary manyatta camps made from mud and animal hides along the way. Explore Samburu and you’ll likely spot this ancient community, dressed in their crimson robes, each member adorned in an exquisite collection of beaded jewellery and headdress that denotes the wearer’s status in the tribe.

Discover Samburu’s unique landscape, people and wildlife on a safari. Talk to our Kenya team to arrange your dream itinerary with daily game drives and lavish safari camps.