Samburu & Matthews Range

Wild and soul-stirring, Samburu National Park lies in the tribal lands of the Samburu people. It is nestled in a hot and arid thorn bush area north of Mount Kenya.

Samburu National Park lies north of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, with a mix of rolling plains, rocky outcrops and thorn bush. Whilst Buffalo Springs lies south of the river. To the east lies Shaba National Reserve, dominated by Shaba Hill. This is a beautiful little park. Here you may  encounter endangered wild dog.

The river is the lifeblood of the whole Samburu region, especially in the dry season. Elephant, buffalo, cheetah, lion and leopard make a beeline to the water to quench their thirst. Plus the dry terrain gives low grass cover and thus easier game-viewing.

A particular attracrive facet of Samburu is the interaction with the local Samburu tribes. They are excellent guides and you gain a fascinating insight into their culture. So you may want to visit the community projects which are run by many Samburu camps.

There are some great private safari camps in the region and our favourite camps are the luxurious Sasaab Camp and Saruni Samburu camp.

Matthews Mountain Range

North of both Laikipia and Samburu is the Matthews Range, a remote, unspoilt and rarely visited area. This verdant forest is a natural refuge for wildlife amid its more arid surroundings.  Here you can spot elephant, buffalo, kudu, waterbuck and giant forest hog. As well as a variety of forest birds. Leopard, lion and wild dog are also present but less commonly seen.

One of the Matthews Range camps we like is the charming Kitich Camp which specializes in scenic walking safaris. This is a welcome change after several days of sitting on game-vehicles.

Back to Kenya safari main page.