Samburu Circuit

The Samburu Circuit covers three interconnected reserves in Kenya's arid north: Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba. They lie along and around the Ewaso Ng'iro river and are often visited together on one itinerary.

The Samburu Special Five are Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. These northern Kenya species are the main draw of the Samburu Circuit and are not found on typical East African safari routes further south.

Most guests drive north from Nairobi via Nanyuki and Isiolo, a journey of roughly five to six hours, or take a light aircraft charter to an airstrip serving the reserves. Ecological Wilderness Adventure can arrange either option as part of a tailored itinerary and quote it on request.

The dry seasons, roughly June to October and January to February, are generally best because wildlife concentrates around the Ewaso Ng'iro river and remaining water sources. The circuit sits in semi-arid country, so game viewing remains rewarding year round but vegetation is thickest after the rains.

Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba are separately managed reserves, each with its own entry requirements, even though they form one connected circuit. Ecological Wilderness Adventure handles the permits as part of your trip and can quote the full cost on request.

It is a distinctly different experience rather than a substitute: Samburu country is dry, rugged and less crowded, with riverine forest along the Ewaso Ng'iro supporting elephants, lions and leopards alongside the Special Five. Many guests combine it with Mount Kenya or the Rift Valley on a longer northern Kenya itinerary.