Samburu and the Special Five

North of Mount Kenya the land turns hot, dry and red, and the animals change. Samburu is where you find the species that live only in Kenya's semi-desert north.

Samburu National Reserve sits on the north bank of the Ewaso Ng'iro river in Samburu County. Across the river is Buffalo Springs National Reserve, and to the east is Shaba. Together they make one easy, uncrowded safari area.

The Special Five

These five animals are adapted to the dry north and are hard or impossible to see in the southern parks:

Grevy's zebra, the largest zebra, with thin, close stripes and a white belly. It is endangered, with only a few thousand left.

Reticulated giraffe, with neat, net-like patches outlined in white.

Somali ostrich, whose males have blue-grey necks and legs instead of pink.

Gerenuk, a long-necked antelope that stands on its back legs to reach leaves.

Beisa oryx, a desert antelope with long, straight horns.

Life on the river

In the dry months, everything comes to the Ewaso Ng'iro to drink. Herds of elephants cross the shallows, crocodiles bask on the sandbanks and leopards rest in the riverside trees. Lions and cheetahs hunt on the plains just behind.

When to go

Samburu is good most of the year because it gets little rain. The driest months, June to October and December to March, bring the most animals to the river. The rains in April, May and November are short but can make the tracks muddy.

Getting there from Nairobi

It is about 330 km north through Nanyuki and Isiolo to Archer's Post, around five to six hours on tarmac. It combines well with Ol Pejeta or Mount Kenya on the way. Light aircraft also fly from Wilson Airport.