Samburu

Why people go

Samburu is dry, rugged and much less visited than the Mara, and it holds four animals you will not find further south: Grevy’s zebra, the reticulated giraffe, the Beisa oryx and the Somali ostrich.

Everything here is arranged around the Ewaso Nyiro river, which is the only permanent water for a long way in any direction, so the wildlife comes to you rather than the other way around.

The heat is real. We pace Samburu with early starts, long middays at the lodge and late afternoon drives, and it works well for families who do not want back-to-back game drives.

What you will actually do

• Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, oryx and gerenuk
• The Ewaso Nyiro river and its elephant herds
• Samburu cultural visits at the local manyattas
• Low visitor numbers — a genuine alternative to the Mara