The next two full days will be spent exploring Samburu where we hope to discover five rare species of animals that are endemic in the northern part of Kenya: the Somali Ostrich, Reticulated giraffe, Gerenuk, the endangered Grevy’s zebra, and the Beisa oryx. Samburu is very different to other Kenyan reserves. The landscape is unique in that it has very different vegetation than the larger open plains reserves like Amboseli and the Mara. It is a wildly beautiful, dry and arid mountainous area that depends on the Ewaso Ng’iro River. The combination of this near-permanent water and the forest shade along the banks draws lots of wildlife. We will leave daily for our game drives after our pre-dawn morning coffee. For the rest of our safari, we will take our breakfast al fresco in the bush in order to increase our chances of wildlife action and behavior during the cool mornings.
We will spend one afternoon into early evening at a traditional Samburu village. Not only will we learn about their culture and traditions, but we will have a unique experience with the Morani warriors of this colorful people. The Samburu are known amongst other tribes as the “butterfly people” because of their colorful beadwork and tribal dress. There is no doubt that they love color and you will have complete freedom to photograph them during our visit – unlike most other tourist tribal visits. You will also have a chance to buy some of the beautiful beadwork handmade by the Samburu women. After our time with them in the village, we will have a short game drive back to our lodge where dinner awaits.
Overnight Elephant Bedroom Camp (B,L,D)