The Special Five, in the semi-arid north.
Kenya is home to several species of guinea fowl, but it is in Samburu National Reserve, in the semi-arid north, that the Vulturine Guineafowl, the most striking of them all, is found in numbers. Cobalt blue, black, white, and chestnut, it is a bird that stops most people who see it for the first time.
Samburu is a destination that rewards visitors with encounters found nowhere else in Kenya. The reserve hosts what are sometimes called the Samburu Special Five: species adapted to the arid north that do not appear in the parks further south. The Reticulated Giraffe, Beisa Oryx, Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, and Gerenuk, the long-necked antelope that browses on its hind legs. Alongside these are elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which draws wildlife to its banks throughout the day.
This safari runs north from Nairobi into terrain that feels genuinely remote. It is the right itinerary for travellers who want something beyond the southern Kenya circuit.
The itinerary.
Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve
Pick-up from your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Drive north through the foothills of Mount Kenya and down into the semi-arid landscape of the Northern Frontier, entering Samburu National Reserve with a game drive en route to the lodge for lunch. An afternoon game drive follows along the Ewaso Ng’iro River, where crocodiles bask and elephants come to drink.
Samburu, Full Day
Collect picnic lunch boxes and spend a full day in the reserve. Morning game drives in Samburu belong to predators: this is consistently one of the better reserves in Kenya for leopard sightings. The Reticulated Giraffe and Grevy’s Zebra are common and unlike anything found in the south.
Return to the lodge in the late afternoon.
Samburu to Nairobi
Early morning game drive at first light, followed by breakfast at the lodge. Depart for Nairobi, arriving in time for lunch and onward connection, or transfer to your Nairobi hotel.
Inclusions & exclusions.
- Return road transport in a private 7-seater safari vehicle with pop-up roof and guaranteed window seats
- Services of a professional multilingual driver-guide throughout
- All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
- Two nights full-board accommodation
- All national park entrance fees
- 3 bottles of mineral water per person per day
- One safari hat and one safari bag per person
- Picnic lunch on Day 2
- Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- All applicable government taxes
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
- Personal expenses including telephone calls, laundry, and similar
- Travel insurance
- International flights and airport transfers not specified above
- Any items not specified above
Lodges shown reflect our standard arrangement for this route. Where we hold a fixed relationship, the named property is used; otherwise a lodge of equivalent standard is substituted.
What you will see.
Book this safari, or shape your own version of it.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will confirm availability and tailor the route, the pace, and the lodges to your group.