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Saruni Samburu sits in Kalama Conservancy, just north of Samburu National Reserve: 200,000 - acres of unspoiled northern Kenya wilderness, owned by the Samburu community who have called it home for generations. As the conservancy’s pioneer lodge, and one of only two Saruni Basecamp properties here, it offers access to this landscape that is as exclusive as it gets.
Our family villas are designed with the understanding that every family travels differently.
One of the villas offer separate entrance and can be booked as a complete private unit or as individual spaces. When taken separately, the seclusion is absolute, each entrance leads to its own world, with no reason to cross paths unless you choose to.
The other is designed as a single, flowing family home; one entrance, generous shared spaces, and a natural rhythm that suits families who want to move through their days together.
All open onto incredible views, large bathrooms with private outdoor showers, and a wonderfully unhurried living area, equally suited to quiet afternoons and private dinners under the northern sky.
It is a large house with one en-suite bedroom joined by a spacious living room and verandah. It has a very unique character and style and blends beautifully into its surroundings. With its outdoor shower, private dining and living room and interesting design, it makes for an exciting and memorable stay. It is a short walk away from the main dining area, the bottom pool and Samburu Wellbeing Space.
The Honeymoon villa has one bedroom and a spacious living area and verandah. It has been reviewed as the room with the most beautiful view and possibly the most amazing room in Africa. Built onto the edge of a hillside around the natural rock formations, it makes you feel as if you are on top of the world. The panoramic views of the wilderness below are enjoyed from the elegant bedroom and verandah.
Property Facilities
Bar, Barbeque Facilities, Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Internet Access (Complimentary), Kiddies Club, Mobile Connectivity, Pool, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa, Vegetarian
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, Fan, Fridge, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Shower, Verandah
Available Services
24-hour Security, Airport Shuttle (Complimentary), Credit Card Facilities, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Meal on Request, Private Vehicle (Available), Room Service
Activities on Site
Big 5, Bird Watching, Game Drives, Game Viewing Hide, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Gourmet Picnic, High Tea, Massages, Night Drives, Safaris, Walks (Guided)
Activities Nearby
Adrenaline Activities, Animal Encounters, Big 5, Bird Watching, Child Friendly Activities, Cultural Tours, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Helicopter Rides, Helicopter Scenic Flights, Hiking, Rock Climbing, Safaris, Scenic Flights, Walks (Guided)
Guests can enjoy morning, afternoon and all day game drives through renowned and teeming conservation areas; Kalama Conservancy and Samburu National Reserve, two fantastic habitats for African wildlife. We also highly recommends night game drives in Kalama Conservancy, when nocturnal species can be encountered. This is a unique activity not permitted in the National Reserve.
Meals at Saruni Samburu are rarely confined to a dining room. Breakfast finds you along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, and as evening falls, dinner moves to a dry riverbed beneath a sky so full of stars it feels almost implausible.
Then there are the secret spots our team have quietly claimed over the years for bush dinners and picnic lunches where the wildlife simply carries on around you. Elephants, waterbuck, lion, impala, and the Samburu Special Five stopping to drink, entirely unbothered by your presence. It's the kind of meal that makes conversation pause.
Saruni Samburu offers guests a unique experience for Kenya: access to an elephant-proof, open ground level hide based at a waterhole, where from both novice and professional photographers can photograph wildlife from ground level. Designed with the needs of photographers in mind, buried partially underground, located a few steps from a waterhole: the perfect spot for 'stealing' amazing images of what occurs at the well-frequented waterhole. It can have up to 8 guests inside, it has maps and books available, and bean bags for photographers. The waterhole at Saruni Samburu offers a unique opportunity to spot from very close up the elephants that come and drink its water, the fantastic birds species and the 'Samburu Five.' Being in the middle of an arid area, the hide also provides excellent opportunities to photograph from ground level and from very close up the predators of Samburu.
Walking safaris are individually tailored to guests' interests and are set in a breath-taking landscape. Walking with the Samburu warriors out in the African bush is a fantastic experience and guests learn from their authentic local knowledge of the plants, animals and landscape, about their traditions and about their lives. Having discovered Samburu rock art in several caves nearby the lodge, we include a visit to these extraordinary archaeological sites during the bush walks.
We run the Samburu Wellbeing Space in the most serene and relaxing environment, guests enjoy massage and wellness treatments under the supervision of highly trained staff. The techniques combine sophisticated methods developed at Centro Benessere Stresa with ancient Samburu wisdom and knowledge. The Spa therapists use the Olmurmuru seedas (Albizia Harvey) to reduce muscular discomfort and pure gel from Usunguru (Aloe Kedongesis) for sun burnt areas. Among the treatments available, guests can choose between the lymphatic drainage massage, decongestive or nourishing or purifying facials, manicare, pedicare and the popular sport massage. All with an open view of Kalama Wildlife Conservancy, where elephant and giraffe and other animals roam freely.
Should it get too hot up on the hot rock, and most times it does, guests have the option of relaxing and taking a refreshing dip in not just one but two infinity pools! The upper infinity pool is located high on an impressive panoramic view point near to villas 5 & 6. The spectacular lower infinity pool is situated close to Kudu House (main communal area) on a rocky formation.
For those who find as much joy in a rare bird sighting as in a lion encounter, Samburu delivers. The species here are abundant, often out in the open, and for photographers especially, wonderfully cooperative.
Our guides are birdwatchers by both instinct and training, with a genuine passion that makes itself known the moment a new species appears on the horizon. Field guides are always to hand in the vehicle, but more often than not, it's our guides' own knowledge that gets there first.
The sundowner is a well-deserved drink at the end of a long day on safari to ‘salute’ the African sun as it is setting. Our guide's drive guests to an unforgettable panoramic viewpoint and serve guests' favourite drink along with a selection of delicious ‘bitings’; small snacks to whet appetites ahead of the delicious dinner which awaits.
The Warriors Academy is a special interactive safari experience with a strong educational flavour, designed especially for families with children or small groups. It is a fun learning experience, that allows families to explore not only the wildlife, but also the authentic lifestyle of one of the most well-known and culturally fascinating tribes left in Africa; the Samburu. Under the tutelage of their ‘Moran’, or warriors, participants get to know, enjoy and understand these unique people and see the Kenyan wilderness from a different perspective.
Our safaris are not only focused on wildlife but also on culture and people. Some call it ‘cultural tourism,’ we calls it ‘meet the neighbours’. Guests visit genuine Samburu villages - the lodge's neighbours and friends, and are privileged to share moments of their life. They are the ancient custodians of this land and we feel it is an integral part of the overall experience for guests to see how they live, how they protect the environment and in what way they differ from other African tribes. Be prepared for the Samburu to ask questions too as they will be curious about life outside of their way of life! Consider it an exchange of ideas and information.
Located in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in Samburu County of Northern Kenya, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first community owned and managed elephant sanctuary in Africa. The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is situated in the remote Mathews Range, among Kenya’s second largest elephant population. Similar to the world-famous Sheldrick Sanctuary in Nairobi, it takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves with the aim to release them back into the wild herds adjoining the Sanctuary.
Saruni Samburu is the perfect place if guests want to be part of an unusual but very genuine Samburu wedding ceremony. The experience can be enjoyed either by newlyweds who want to re-affirm their vows in the middle of a very spiritual land or by those who plan to actually get married in Kenya. The ceremony takes place in a Samburu village, with the participation of the elders, the women and the warriors, or on the top of a mountain overlooking the endless landscape.
Opening up a wider journey through northern Kenya for those who want to venture further. From the ancient slopes of Mount Kenya to the remote shores of Lake Turkana and everything that lies in between, our team will help you shape an itinerary as expansive or as unhurried as you'd like.
As part of the guided bush walks, guests can also visit nearby mountain caves where, hundreds of years ago, the Samburu have drawn hunting scenes and animals in what the experts call ‘white rock art’. The caves evoke a past when the Samburu were mostly pastoralist warriors.
Mount Ololokwe is the Samburu tribe’s sacred mountain. It is a pillar of cultural significance to the Samburu and an exciting trekking venture to many others. Setting off at dawn, our professional guides will accompany guests during this day’s excursion to the summit (with picturesque pit stops for breakfast and lunch) teaching guests along the way about the mountain, its cultural significance and all of its wonders.
Not all of Saruni Samburu's wildlife announces itself. For those curious about what lives just beneath the surface, our scorpion safari offers a fascinating after-dark glimpse into a world most guests never think to look for. Guided by our team, you'll discover the surprising variety of scorpion species that make their home in the earth surrounding the lodge, each one a small masterpiece of adaptation to this arid landscape.
When the sun drops below the Kalama horizon, a different kind of spectacle begins. The skies above Saruni Samburu unpolluted, unobscured, and elevated on the ancient hot rock upon which the lodge sits reveal a depth of stars that stops even the most seasoned traveller in their tracks.
Pull up a chair. The night up here has a way of making everything else feel very far away.
Cuisine
"Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are", famously said gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. At Saruni we believe in the importance of good, healthy and tasty meals. Our cuisine has a strong Italian flavor but we also love to experiment with the great ingredients that are found in Kenya, especially fish and vegetables. We easily accommodate vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free (you name it) and guests who have special requests. Food can be tailored to suit children’s requirements and earlier meal times can be arranged where necessary. Some options include but are not limited to the usual ‘treats’: pizza, plain pasta or pasta with tomato sauce, chicken or burgers with chips etc.
