Where is Samburu in Northern Kenya

Where is Samburu in Northern Kenya : The Samburu National Reserve is located in the North of Laikipia the region is hilly savannah, one of the less-visited regions in Kenya, this reserve promises an authentic wilderness experience. The traditional homeland of the Samburu people, this arid terrain features northern Kenya’s biggest river, Ewaso Ngiro. On the side of river there is Buffalo Springs National Reserve which is found in Samburu county in the former Rift Valley Province, in Kenya, Turkana and many other tribes live there, the reserve stretches North from the Ewaso Ngiro to the south of Lake Turkana. Samburu National Reserve is 165 km in size and is situated 350 kilometers from Nairobi.

Samburu national reserve is situated at the south-eastern corner of the Samburu District in the rift valley province of Kenya. It is bordered to the south by the Ewaso Nyiro River, which separates it from the Buffalo Springs National Reserve. The reserve ranges in altitude from 800 to 1230 m above sea level. As it said in the middle of the Samburu national reserve the Ewaso Ngiro flows through doum palm groves and thick riverine forests, it provides water, without which the game in this arid region could not survive. The most extreme northern point of Kenya has altitude coordinates of 05⁰ 45’N. The northern most point is located along the border that Kenya shares with Sudan. This point is called the iiemi Triangle de factor, which is currently under Kenyan power and control. Within the Samburu National reserve, there is Samburu county consists of   various towns of Maralal (capital and the largest town), Baragoi, Archers Post, South Horr, Wamba, lodosoit and Kisima. It also includes the Samburu National reserve and the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Mount Ngiro (Ol Doinyo Lenkiyo), Kirisia Hills and the Loroki forest. The main access road to Samburu County is the A4 road from Rumuruti-Maralal-Baragoi, which as of 2019 was being tarmac.

Samburu National reserve is located in Isiolo Town in the Eastern province of Kenya. The town had a population of 268,002 (2019 census) and its capital and the largest city in Isiolo. Isiolo is the first town to be developed as part of the Kenya Vison 2030 program other upcoming urban centres in the area includes Garbatulla, Modogashe, Kinna, Merti and Oldonyiiro. The local topography is arid or semi-arid low plains, Ewaso Nyiro River flows through the town and partly bounds it, it borders Marsabit county to the North, Wajir county to the East, Garissa and the Tana River counties to the South East, Meru county to the south, Laikipia county to the south west and the Samburu county to the west. There are three different national reserves that are located in the Isiolo town namely Samburu National Reserve, Bisanadi National Reserve and the Shaba National Reserve. Isiolo town is also becoming a cennter of interest because of its newly acquired status as a resort city cashing in on the popular Samburu and Shaba Game reserves, which have become preferred destinations after the famed Maasai Mara. The Isiolo lies along the A2 Road, leading towards Marsabit and the Moyale much farther north.

The Isiolo town is a home to the Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan-speaking Ameru, Samburu and Turkana, as well as the Cushitic –speaking Renille, Somali and Boran people, the town is majorly Muslim populated and have several mosques, and the Jamia mosque is the largest of all and also remarkable landmark, Where is Samburu in Northern Kenya.

The Samburu National reserve consists of the Samburu tribe which lives in the North of the equator in the geographically fascinating Samburu county of the Northern Kenya. The Samburu people are closely related to the Maasai tribe who also live in East Africa. Both these tribes speak a similar language, derived from Maa. These tribes play a major role as a part of tourist attraction in the Samburu National Reserve due to their unique cultural experiences by the tourists through in their traditional ceremonies, food, dances, and the sale of traditional crafts the down palms. The Samburu National reserve has other dominated tribes including the Rendille and the Boran.

The Samburu National Reserve is a home of the northern species or the rare animals which are only found in the northern part of the country that is the Samburu national reserve the species includes the Reticulated giraffe, Gerenuk, Somali ostrich, Grevy Zebra, Beisa Oryx which makes the reserve to be unique in Kenya. Not only the northern species of animals in the reserve it has other species like the antelopes, impalas, waterbucks, lions, elephants, leopards, dik-dik which can be seen among the acacia and the doum trees and along the river banks as they drink, also the elephants and the lions are common in the Samburu National Reserve.

Best time to visit Samburu National Reserve.

Samburu National Reserve is best visited in the months of December through March and July through October which are the dry months thus making the best visit in the reserve and also supports the activities such wildlife viewing.

How to get to Samburu from Kenya.

Samburu can be accessed by both the road and air means of transport from Nairobi.

By Road means.

Samburu National Reserve is a reserve that is located about 310 km from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The drive from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve takes approximately 5 to 6 hours by using the Thika Superhighway Road, then to Archer’s Gate which is the main entry to Samburu National Reserve. This is the common mode of transport used to travel from Nairobi to the reserve.

By Air means.

Air means from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve is a more convenient option, its only being about a 1.5 hours’ flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to a variety of different airstrips in Samburu, also several airlines fly from Nairobi to various strips in Samburu, and several of these offer return flight to the reserve, with a one-way flight taking approximately 1.5 hours. The same plane then usually turns back to Nairobi after dropping off or collecting passengers from a number of airstrips in Samburu.

Almost all these flights take off from Wilson airport in Nairobi (as opposed to the Jomo Kenyatta International airport) and you need only be at the airport 45 min prior to the flight. The two main airlines are Air Kennya and Safarilink.These two airlines have a reliable service and credible safety record. There are also connecting flights from Samburu to Maasai Mara through the Nanyuki during the peak season.

Morning Flight; Depart Nairobi 09:15 am –Arrive Samburu 10:45am

Return Morning Flight; Depart Samburu 10:55am-Arrive Nairobi 12 :40 pm

Morning Flight; Depart Samburu 10:05am –Arrive Maasai Mara 11:30 am.

There several airstrips in Samburu and surrounding game ranches and conservancies, these airstrips are spread in different parts of the reserve to serve lodges and camps on close proximity to them in order to cut down transfer time from the airstrip to the hotel they include Kalama airstrip, Buffalo springs airstrip and the Samburu Oryx airstrip.