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A young giraffe standing in a misty clearing just after sunrise in Samburu

Sample journey · 8–10 days

The dry north: Samburu and Meru

Nairobi, Samburu, Buffalo Springs & Meru National Park

Photo: Terry Granger / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

North of Mount Kenya the land dries out, grass gives way to acacia scrub and red, dusty plains, and the only green ribbon runs along the Ewaso Ng'iro River. Here, in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs reserves, live drought-adapted animals you won't find further south: the reticulated giraffe with its crisp, almost painted pattern, the rare Grevy's zebra, the beisa oryx, the long-necked gerenuk, which feeds standing on its hind legs, and the Somali ostrich with its bluish neck. Guides call them the 'Samburu Five'. Elephants often gather along the river, and leopards rest in the trees on its banks.

The second part of the journey is Meru National Park, greener, laced with rivers and very quiet, where Joy and George Adamson once returned Elsa the lioness to the wild. Here you often go a whole drive without meeting another vehicle, and rhino live in a fenced sanctuary. The journey suits experienced travellers who have already seen a classic safari and want a different landscape: hot days, early mornings, small camps by the river and long, quiet hours in the wild.

The route

The journey

  1. Nairobi
  2. Samburu National Reserve
  3. Buffalo Springs National Reserve
  4. Ewaso Ng'iro River
  5. Meru National Park
  6. Nairobi (by air)
  1. A family of elephants beside the trees in Samburu National Reserve

    01Days 1–3 · Nairobi to Samburu

    Flying past Mount Kenya

    The first night is in a quiet Nairobi suburb. The next morning, a light aircraft north from Wilson Airport; on a clear day the snowy peaks of Mount Kenya pass the window, and beneath them the land slowly turns from green to red. The flight takes about an hour and a half, and from the airstrip to a camp by the river is only a few minutes. Four nights in Samburu. The first afternoon is a slow drive along the Ewaso Ng'iro, where in the late afternoon elephants often come to drink and bathe, and the calves splash in the mud. In the evening, dinner by the river, from whose far bank you may hear the rasping, cough-like call of a leopard. The road from Nairobi is possible too, but takes about six hours.

  2. Two slender antelope on dry grass in Samburu

    02Days 3–4 · Samburu

    The Samburu Five

    In the north the heat sets the rhythm of safari: we leave at dawn while the air is still cool and return to camp at midday to rest in the shade. In the mornings, on the dry plains beyond the river, you'll often see animals adapted to life with little water: gerenuk stretching on their hind legs to reach the highest acacia leaves, beisa oryx with long straight horns, reticulated giraffe and Somali ostrich. Grevy's zebra, of which few remain in the wild, are seen fairly often, though not every day. The predators here include lion, leopard and sometimes cheetah. One afternoon goes to a Samburu community: with local guides and on their terms, we visit a village or a community conservancy and hear how herders and wildlife share water in the dry season.

  3. A glowing sunrise framed by the fronds of a tall doum palm in the Samburu region

    03Days 4–6 · Buffalo Springs & the Ewaso Ng'iro

    The river that holds life together

    On the south bank of the river lies the Buffalo Springs reserve, reached by a bridge. There are more open plains here and springs where zebra and oryx gather, with eagles and colourful birds along the way. Two days allow you not to hurry: one morning could be a picnic by the river beneath the doum palms, another a walk beyond the reserve boundary with an armed ranger and a Samburu guide, on paths past termite mounds and dry riverbeds. In the evenings it's worth sitting by the river as the sun sets behind the palms and acacias and the elephants wade slowly across. The river changes greatly through the year: in the dry season it can almost disappear, and after the rains it can rise fast.

  4. An elephant tinged red with dust, among long grass and bushes in Meru National Park

    04Days 6–9 · Meru National Park

    A park you have almost to yourself

    On day six, a short flight south-east to Meru National Park (by road it would be about five hours via Isiolo and Meru town). Three nights here. Meru is quite unlike Samburu: many streams run through it, lined with doum palms and tall grass, and in the east the park falls away towards the Tana River. This is where Joy and George Adamson released Elsa the lioness, whose story became the book Born Free. Today the park is little visited, so on a whole drive you often meet only animals: elephant, buffalo, reticulated giraffe, lion and, in a fenced sanctuary, white and black rhino. The bush is thicker here, so finding wildlife takes more patience. On the last day, a light aircraft back to Nairobi and your connection home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Samburu Five

    Reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich: species absent from the south.

  2. 02

    Elephants at the river

    Late afternoons on the Ewaso Ng'iro, when elephant families often come to drink.

  3. 03

    On foot with Samburu guides

    A walk beyond the reserve with a ranger and a local guide.

  4. 04

    Quiet Meru

    A park of rivers, Elsa's story and a rhino sanctuary, with hardly another vehicle in sight.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • At a slower pace

    A fifth night in Samburu or a fourth in Meru leaves more room for midday rest and longer mornings.

  • With Laikipia

    Between Nairobi and Samburu you could stop on the Laikipia plateau, with riding, rhino and views of Mount Kenya.

  • With the coast

    From Nairobi it's an easy flight to Lamu or Diani for a few slow evenings by the Indian Ocean.

  • With the Mara

    First time in Kenya? Add three nights in a Maasai Mara conservancy before the north: two very different safaris in one journey.

Practical considerations

  • The most rewarding months are usually roughly June to October and January to February, when it's dry and animals gather near the river. During the long rains (April–May) and short rains (November) some tracks become hard going.
  • The north is hot: days are often above 30°C, so game drives happen in the morning and late afternoon, with midday given to rest.
  • We suggest light aircraft between Nairobi, Samburu and Meru, which saves long, dusty road journeys; we check schedules before you travel.
  • Before every trip we check current official travel advice for Kenya's northern counties and shape the route around it.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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