6-day Kenya: Samburu and more

‘Jambo!’ As you walk out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, your personal Africa Safari Trips guide greets you with a big smile on his face. ‘Karibu Kenya – welcome to Kenya!’

Our Africa Safari Trips guide takes you straight from the airport to your hotel, which gives you the first impressions of the vibrant city of Nairobi. You take in the skyscrapers, the traffic with the motortaxis and colourful matatu’s (local public transport), and the hussle and bussle of people living their every day life…

Ask your guide anything that comes to mind, because he knows all about Kenyan life and culture. But not only that; he also gladly tells you everything about the beautiful national parks you are about to visit. So ask whatever you want – he will do his utmost best to answer all your questions…!

At a three to four hour drive from Nairobi you will find yourself in what we call heaven on earth for rhino fans. With a population of 140 black rhinos the Ol’ Pejeta Conservancy is the largest sanctuary for these massive animals in East and Central Africa.

Black rhinos are critically endangered since 1993. Back then, there were only an estimated 2300 left worldwide. These days their number is up to over 5000 again. In Ol’ Pejeta, their number grew steadily from 20 in 1995 to a population of 140 today. Besides, it’s also home to the last two remaining northern white rhinos in the world and 39 southern white rhinos.

To top it off Ol’ Pejeta also hosts a sanctuary for abused chimps, and in the park itself you can spot the Big Five and many more animals.

With beautiful landscapes and hundreds of animals, Samburu National Reserve guarantees the sort of game viewing you otherwise would only experience watching National Geographic. At a seven hour drive from Nairobi, it has a semi-dry desert and savannah landscape which causes the wildlife to be easy to spot…!

This park is 165 square kilometers big and, with over nine hundred elephants roaming around in large families, this is a spectacular park to visit. Follow the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River for the best game viewing. It is is the only source of water for many animals, especially during dry seasons. Four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo) roam around, as well as the Samburu Special Five: Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, and the Somali ostrich.

In this full day in Samburu you get the chance to really search for the Big Five, and of course observe the elephants. During the day it can be hot, and game viewing is best done in the morning and afternoon. In between you can take a rest at your hotel, or visit the beautiful Samburu people.

This is a traditionally nomadic tribe related to the Masai. They live in secluded bomas: little villages with a circular wooden fence. Their huts have rounded roofs made out of cowdung, since they are pastoralists with mostly herds of cows, sheep or goats. Especially the Samburu women wear complicated and colourful necklaces and headwear, that they make themselves out of small beads.

As a break in between safaris, it’s possible to visit one of their bomas to get familiar with the traditional life of Samburu people. You will see their houses, learn about their way of life, how their necklaces are made and what the secret messages are inside.

With its mountains, rainforests, moorlands, and possibilities for great hikes, Aberdare differs from most – savannah-filled – parks. It’s a protected area within the Aberdare Mountain Range, on the east of the Rift Valley at a five-hour drive from Samburu National Reserve. Here you can enjoy game drives as usual, alternated with beautiful hikes chasing the multiple waterfalls of the park.

Aberdare was established as a national park in 1950. It covers an area of 766 square kilometers and boasts both high mountain peaks (up to 4000 meters) and deep valleys. It’s a very green park with streams, waterfalls up to 300 meters high, rainforests, and bamboo forests with many animals. Elephants, lions, leopards, East African wild dogs, bushbucks, giraffes, baboons, buffalos, eastern black rhinos, and several endangered bird species are just a few of the animals you might encounter here. And if that’s not enough, a lucky observer might even spot a very rare black leopard.

Take the time for some last game drives in the Aberdare National Park, as on day 6 you drive back to Nairobi. Here your personal guide drops you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight back home.

Feel like you want more? Instead of going home it is possible to add more national parks to this program, or to end your holiday on the beach!

Kenya has some amazing tropical beaches to help you unwind after your safari. We at Africa Safari Trips especially like the stunning stretches of beach in the south of Kenya, which are reachable by plane or train. There is the beautiful Diani Beach 20 kilometers south of Mombasa, and lively Bamburi Beach north of the city. Think crystal blue oceans, sandy white beaches, endless pools and colourful cocktails. As a plus, historical Mombasa is just around the corner…!