Samburu Safari Tours
AHSKL002
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3 Days Samburu Lodge
Safaris
AHSC004
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7 Days Masai Mara
| Samburu Adventure
AHSKL004 -
7 Days Tree Hotel | Samburu | Lake Nakuru | Mara
AHSKL007
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10 Days
Mt. Kenya/ Samburu/ Aberdares/ Nakuru/ Mara / Amboseli
Samburu is home to
large herds of elephants and elusive leopards. It is also well known
for providing the opportunity to see wildlife that only lives in the
dry north of Kenya. Your safari wouldn't be complete without seeing
a gerenuk - an odd yet distinguished gazelle with a long neck, which
stands on its hind legs to feed.
Samburu Safaris and Tours
Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves
Samburu National Reserve lies 325 km north of Nairobi in the hot and
arid fringes of the vast northern region of Kenya. The Reserve is
within the lands of the colourful Samburu people, close relatives of
the Maasai, and harbours a number of wildlife species rarely found
elsewhere in any numbers. These include Grevy's zebra, the
reticulated giraffe and the Beisa oryx all species found only north
of the equator. The long-necked gerenuk is a graceful antelope which
spends much of its time in a bi-pedal stance seeking succulence
among the withered scrub which dots this harsh terrain. Scenically
and faunally dramatic, for most of the year Samburu is sere under
the unsympathetic equatorial sun. But relief comes from the wide
swathe of the Ewaso Ngiro River which rises some hundreds of
kilometres to the west on the foothills of the Aberdares and which
vanishes beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian swamp.
The river is at its best in the Reserve, broad and sluggish with a
large population of crocodile seen on sandbanks at almost every
bend. In the lower reaches, where permanent pools have formed as a
tributary joins the river, are hippo. The river is fringed with
giant acacias, figs and doum palms all of which provide shade and
sustenance to the wildlife which comes to water. Elephant roam the
gaunt hills which punctuate the scrubland and where occasional
clusters of the vividly coloured desert rose challenge the arid
surroundings. These elephant seek solace and contentment in the
shallow waters of the river and from time to time a visitor finds
herds bathing and drinking in a spectacle of unconscious pleasure.
ANIMALS & BIRDS
The reserves are relatively small and animals are easy to find, with
a number of weird and wonderful species endemic to this area.
Notably the gerenuk - also known as the 'giraffe necked antelope'
because of its ridiculously stretched neck adapted for browsing high
into the bushes. Another local inhabitant is the Grevy's zebra,
which resembles an ass with wide stripes that don't quite go all the
way under the belly. Reticulated giraffes are different from their
southern cousins in their perfectly arranged pattern. A very common
dwarf antelope in these parts is the tiny dik dik, who is devoted to
its mate for its entire lifetime.
Many other species exist in these reserves and large crocs and
hippos inhabit the river. Leopard, lion, cheetah and hyena are found
here and an unusual treat is that leopards are commonly seen in
daylight.
Birds are numerous and 365 species have been recorded in Buffalo
Springs reserve.
SEASONS
Temperatures reach 104°F (40°C) in the day with a low of 68°F (20°C)
at night
Rainy Season: It may rain anytime during the hot months of April to
June, then again in November and December. November is usually the
wettest month.
Dry Season: January through to March are very hot and dry, and again
from July to October. July is normally the driest month.
SAMBURU-SHABA-BUFFALO SPRINGS SPECIALITIES
· Gerenuk 'giraffe necked' antelope
· Reticulated giraffe
· Grevy's zebra
· Riverside lodges
· Leopards in daylight
· Samburu people
FACTS
Location: Kenya
Area: 4,007,076 hectares (15,471 square miles)
Key features: Mt. Kenya National Park; Laikipia; Samburu National
Reserve; Buffalo Springs National Reserve; Shaba National Reserve
The altitude of this area is between 2,500-4,000 feet (762-1,219
metres) This is a malarial area
Systems
Acacia-grassland savanna mosaic
Ewaso Nyiro River and watershed
Elephant migration corridors
Ecological Communities
Intact wet montane forest
Dry montane (cedar) forest
Loroki plateau grassland
Species Assemblages
Northern specialist species (reticulated giraffe, somali ostrich,
oryx, gerenuk)
Free ranging large predators (lions, hyenas, leopards)
Semi-endemic avifauna
Species
African wild dog
Grevy's zebra
Black rhino
Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Buffalo Springs National Reserve is separated from the Samburu
Reserve by the river; less hilly and less dense than its neighbour
it is equally as attractive. The Reserve takes its name from an
oasis of limpid crystal clear water at the western end of the
sanctuary. In addition to the wildlife found in Samburu the common
zebra is also an attraction often marching with its cousin the Grevy,
although they do not interbreed. An unexplained phenomenon is why
the common zebra is not found on the north side of the river.
Birdlife, too, is prolific with the Somali ostrich dominating the
plains. Larger than its southern relative the Maasai ostrich it is
more easily distinguished by its indigo legs and neck. Next in size
is the kori bustard who stands a metre high. His behaviour is
unpredictable, at times running or crouching at the first sign of
danger and at others completely fearless of humans. The male has a
remarkable display inflating his neck and neck feathers until the
head seems to disappear then raising his tail until it lies along
his back.
Shaba National Reserve
These two reserves, with Shaba which lies east of the road linking
Isiolo with Marsabit, form a trio of unusual and attractive game
sanctuaries very different from others in Kenya. Shaba has a
particular place in the history of Kenya game conservation for it
was in this reserve that the authoress, Joy Adamson, was murdered
early in 1980, her trilogy of books on the rehabilitation of the
compliant leopard to a wild environment unfinished. The reserve
takes its name from a massive cone of volcanic rock which dominates
the region and evidence of the intensity of its upheaval is
demonstrated by the formidable lava flow which the traveler has to
cross to reach the reserve and the lodge. The Reserve's northern
boundary is marked by the wide, sauntering motion of the Ewaso Ngiro
on its way to Chanler's Falls and beyond to its final destination at
the Lorian Sw& the tall doum palms which mark its course in silent
contrast to the rugged and pitted tracts which make up much of the
sanctuary. Many small hills dot the landscape and with four springs
Shaba is better watered than its neighbours.
Heavy downpours during the rainy months may render the already rough
tracks accessible only for four-wheel drive vehicles. But this only
serves to make the 220 sq km reserve even more of a getaway delight.
And that is the essence of Shaba. It is a place for the connoisseur,
where the quality of the experience exceeds the quantity of
wildlife.
Samburu has major activities like camel
riding walking single file along a
dry riverbed, you realise you are in a pretty parched area. The
three National Reserves of Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba are at
the beginning of the dry north where camels become commonplace.
However, it is not a completely parched area as it is watered by the
Uaso Nyiro River or 'River of Brown Water' in Samburu. This is an
essential and sometimes erratic water source for all the
inhabitants, including a considerable amount of wildlife in the
reserves and Samburu cattle and goats.
Out of the north Kenyan tribes of Samburu, Rendille, Turkana and
Borana, the Samburu dominate this area. To the uninformed eye they
could be confused with the Maasai - for they are closely related and
wear similar bright clothing and jewellery and have the same
cultural beliefs. They continue their nomadic pastoralist lifestyle
as they have done for hundreds of years.
The scrub desert, desiccated savannah and small hills of this region
create overriding colours of muted greens, dusty creams, sand
yellow, earthen ochre and every shade of brown. Perfect camouflage
colours for the many animals that inhabit these parks.
Samburu the heart of Kenya
Located just north of the equator in the rain-shadow of Mt. Kenya,
this Heartland includes parts of Mt. Kenya National Park and Samburu
National Reserve, plus extensive ranch and communal lands. Important
elephant migration corridors exist in this Heartland, as well as
northern specialty species like reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich,
beisa oryx and gerenuk. Free-ranging lions, hyenas and leopards live
along side avifauna, wild dogs, Grevy's zebra and black rhinoceros.
Intact wet montane forests, dry cedar forests, Loroki plateau
grassland, acacia-grassland and the Ewaso Nyiro River are part of
the Samburu Heartland.
TRIBES & PEOPLE GROUPS
SAMBURU
The Samburu are related to the Masai although they live just above
the equator where the foothills of Mount Kenya merge into the
northern desert and slightly south of Lake Turkana in the Rift
Valley Province of Kenya.
They are semi-nomadic pastoralists whose lives revolve around their
cows, sheep, goats, and camels. Milk is their main stay; sometimes
it is mixed with blood. Meat is only eaten on special occasions.
Generally they make soups from roots and barks and eat vegetables if
living in an area where they can be grown.
Most dress in very traditional clothing of bright red material used
like a skirt and multi-beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings,
especially when living away from the big cities.
The Samburu developed from one of the later Nilotic migrations from
the Sudan, as part of the Plains Nilotic movement. The broader
grouping of the Maa-speaking people continued moving south, possibly
under the pressure of the Borana expansion into their plains. Maa-speaking
peoples have lived and fought from Mt. Elgon to Malindi and down the
Rift Valley into Tanzania. The Samburu are in an early settlement
area of the Maa group.
Those who moved on south, however (called Maasai), have retained a
more purely nomadic lifestyle until recently when they have also
begun farming. The expanding Turkana ran into the Samburu around
1700 when they began expanding north and east.
The language of the Samburu people is also called Samburu. It is a
Maa language very close to the Maasai dialects. Linguists have
debated the distinction between the Samburu and Maasai languages for
decades.
Generally between five and ten families set up encampments for five
weeks and then move on to new pastures. Adult men care for the
grazing cattle which are the major source of livelihood. Women are
in charge of maintaining the portable huts, milking cows, obtaining
water and gathering firewood. Their houses are of plastered mud or
hides and grass mats stretched over a frame of poles. A fence of
thorns surrounds each family's cattle yard and huts.
Their society has for long been so organized around cattle and
warfare (for defense and for raiding others) that they find it hard
to change to a more limited lifestyle. The purported benefits of
modern life are often undesirable to the Samburu. They remain much
more traditional in life and attitude than their Maasai cousins.
Duties of boys and girls are clearly delineated. Boys herd cattle
and goats and learn to hunt, defending the flocks. Girls fetch water
and wood and cook. Both boys and girls go through an initiation into
adulthood, which involves training in adult responsibilities and
circumcision for boys and clitoridectomy for girls.
Accommodations in Samburu
Samburu Serena Safari Lodge
This safari lodge is situated on the fertile banks of the Uaso Nyiro
River, in the centre of the Samburu Game Reserve in Kenya's rugged,
semi-arid Northern Province.
Samburu Intrepids Club Samburu Intrepids Club
Samburu Intrepids is set in the semi-arid desert in the quiet
western section of Samburu National Reserve. The luxury-tented camp
is shaded by acacias at the Uaso Nyiro River and forms a cool oasis
and creates a romantic setting.
Samburu Sopa Safari Lodge
Samburu Sopa Lodge is built overlooking the wildlife-rich banks of
the Ewaso Nyiro river, and is comprised of 60 en-suite rooms, all
with balconies from which to view the hills, plains and river.
Larsen's Samburu Larsen's Samburu
Located north of Nairobi, Larsen's is a small luxurious tented camp
set in lush lawns on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River.
Samburu Lodge Samburu Lodge
Samburu Lodge is situated on the Uaso Nyiro River bank with a
backdrop of mountains and its own indigenous animals, unique to the
region.
Elsa's Kopje - Samburu
Elsa’s Kopje has been named after the famous lioness reared by
George & Joy Adamson from the movie fame "Born Free", as she
frequented this area often.
Sarova Shaba Samburu
Located in the Shaba National Park is Sarova Shaba. The park is home
to a host of wildlife, unique to the area, including the reticulated
giraffe, grevy's zebra, gerenuk, oryx and ostrich.
Thank you
and enjoy!.
