Encounter the road trip with 4×4 rooftop tent vehicles visiting to the Samburu National Park is set in the land of the Samburu people, this pocket-sized game reserve enables you to experience everything that is best about the burning semi-deserts of the NFD (the Northern Frontier District), as this wildly beautiful and mountainous province used to be called.
Samburu lies on the north side of the Ewaso Ng’iro, whose coffee – coloured waters sustain the animals through the dry season, and from here you can also go game-driving in the Buffalo Springs reserve on the other side of the river.
Elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard all come to drink under the graceful doum palms and shady riverside acacias, together with the animals unique to northern Kenya that make up Samburu’s “Special Five”: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa Oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. Like the Masai Mara, this popular reserve has too many lodges for its own good. Elephant Watch Camp, presided over by Saba Douglas-Hamilton, leaves the lightest footprint.
On my game drive along the river, I spotted some species rarely seen in milder climates including a long-necked gerenuk, the antelope that stands on its hind legs to reach foliage, Grevy’s zebra, with its finely defined stripes and bushy mane, and reticulated giraffe, with its handsome jigsaw pattern. I also watched a couple of lionesses pad across the sandy floodplain for a quenching drink in the shallows, ever-watchful of the especially large crocodiles basking in the sun.
Samburu’s birdlife was prolific too, and included martial eagle, pygmy falcon, and several species of horn bill. Safaris can be rewarding, although some may find the dry heat oppressive, but nevertheless Samburu has a good choice of comfortable lodges for a remote region, which provide a welcome respite from the equatorial sun.
Buffalo Springs National Reserve lies just over a bridge on the southern side of the river and Shaba National Reserve is a relatively short drive to the east, so combining a safari with game drives in all three is an excellent and varied option and makes the long journey from Nairobi all the more worthwhile.
The Masai Mara National Reserve
Nowhere else sums up the East African dream like the Masai Mara. Legendary Masai Mara is the most visited wildlife reserve in Kenya and it’s easy to see why. These 1,800 square km parks support a huge and diverse animal population and is one of the only places in the world where it is still possible to see vast herds of grazing animals.
Attracted by the abundant wildebeest, antelope, buffalo and zebra are the predators. There are more lions here than anywhere else in the country, and leopard, cheetah, jackal and hyena also wander the grasslands.
Far reaching views across open plains ensure that wildlife is almost never out of sight and it’s not unusual to see a dozen different species at the same time – all good news for big five enthusiasts!
The open plains certainly lend to the ease of game viewing, whilst the acacias and kopjes complete the archetypal image of safari, but less alluring are the crowds. Nevertheless, Masai Mara remains a great destination for safari virgins and those on a stricter budget. There are plenty of cheap and good camps as well as some of the more luxury offerings.
For a start you can either get there by air or road, and accommodation ranges from large family-friendly lodges in the reserve, super-luxurious and intimate camps in one of the conservancies or group ranches, to budget Banda/tented accommodation outside Talek, Sekenani and Ololaimutiek gates. But whatever your safari arrangements are for the Masai Mara, you can be sure of plenty of dazzling animal action.
Nevertheless, Masai Mara remains a great destination for safari virgins and those on a stricter budget. There are plenty of cheap and good camps as well as some of the more luxury offerings.
