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This unique camp of four 'bandas' (stone cottages) is located in the large and remote Sera Conservancy, in the wild, undiscovered northern frontier of Kenya. Located just over 1.5 hours' drive from our Saruni Samburu lodge in nearby Kalama Conservancy, it is unique not only for the unforgettable, raw beauty of its habitat, but because it serves as the gateway to an extraordinary place: a rhino sanctuary where black and white rhinos have been successfully re-introduced and are guarded by the community.
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Banda One is the largest of the original Kauro bandas, comfortably sleeping two adults with the option to add up to two single beds for children. Open plan in design with no room dividers, it is best suited to guests who are comfortable sharing the space; a family travelling together, or a couple who want room to breathe.
A covered outdoor bathroom and toilet sit just outside, and a private sandy terrace with chairs and tables looks directly out over the 'lugga,' the dry riverbed that draws wildlife to the valley below. It is the kind of view that makes it very difficult to leave your seat.
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, Bath Towels, Bath, Camp Beds, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Hand Towels, Laundry Service (Available), Shower, Twin Bed
Banda Two is the more intimate of the original Kauro bandas. A private retreat for two, with a double bed, an en-suite natural stone shower, and a flushing toilet tucked within the banda itself.
Outside, a sandy terrace with chairs and tables looks out over the *lugga,* the dry riverbed that draws wildlife through the valley at every hour. A tree bed nearby offers a different kind of stillness; somewhere to lie back, look up, and let the afternoon pass at its own pace.
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Banda 3 is our Family Banda. A two-bedroom retreat built from local stone beneath a traditional thatched roof, designed for families or small groups who want space without sacrificing intimacy.
One bedroom carries a queen double, the other two twin singles, with the flexibility to add a third single on a case by case basis. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom with a flushing toilet and natural stone shower.
A shared lounge connects the two rooms and offers a cool retreat from the heat of the day. Beyond it, a spacious verandah with outdoor seating opens onto what is arguably the best view of the waterhole in camp. Sit long enough and the wildlife will come to you.
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, Bath Towels, Bath, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Drinking Water Filtration System, Hand Towels, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Available), Table, Telephone, Wardrobe
Each banda sleeps two, with an en-suite natural stone shower and flushing toilet. Outside, a private sandy terrace with chairs and tables looks directly over the *lugga,* the dry riverbed where wildlife moves through at every hour of the day. It is the kind of view you will find yourself returning to long after breakfast is finished..
Property Facilities
Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Pool, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Vegetarian
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, Detached Private Bathroom, Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, Fan, Laundry Service (Available), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Pure Cotton Linen, Shower, Verandah
Available Services
24-hour Security, Airport Shuttle (Complimentary), Credit Card Facilities, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Meal on Request, Private Vehicle (Available)
Activities on Site
Big 5, Bird Watching, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Gourmet Picnic, Night Drives, Safaris, Walks (Guided)
Activities Nearby
Animal Encounters, Big 5, Bird Watching, Child Friendly Activities, Cultural Tours, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Helicopter Scenic Flights, Rhino Tracking, Rock Climbing, Safaris, Scenic Flights, Walks (Guided)
We offer guests a scintillating, ‘thrill-of-a-lifetime’ experience: a walking safari tracking black rhino on foot, accompanied by our expert guides and a highly-trained Sera Community Conservancy ranger, guiding you in safety on foot to the whereabouts of the 16 rhinos throughout the 54,000 hectares-large sanctuary. The vast rhino sanctuary has been fenced in what is one of the most advanced conservation projects in Kenya. Our guides game drive guests to a tracking distance away from the nearest rhino, leaving the vehicle and continuing on foot (very lightly to not give away any presence) to metres from the grazing rhino. The tension is palpable as guests come across the rhino in such close proximity for the first time; heart beating, pulse racing, curiosity and excitement mounting – it doesn’t get more thrilling than this!
Game drives through Sera Community Conservancy run morning, afternoon, and all day; and the landscape rewards every hour you give it. This is prime habitat for the Samburu Special Five: Beisa Oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Grevy's zebra, animals that exist almost nowhere else in Kenya and move through this conservancy as though the land was shaped around them.
Breakfasts, lunches and starlit dinners unfold in the dry riverbed beneath an open sky, and on special evenings, the camp takes guests to one of its secret spots for a bush dinner or picnic lunch where elephants, waterbuck, lion, impala and the Samburu Special Five come to take water nearby. It is the kind of meal that has nothing to do with the food and everything to do with where you are sitting.
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.
Just metres away from the comfort of your verandah at Saruni Rhino, there is a waterhole that attracts wildlife throughout the day and evening, when it is lit with a spotlight. Herds of elephants gather daily to enjoy the water, right in front of your eyes. Record sightings in one day has been over 60 elephants!
At the heart of camp, a curved swimming pool follows the line of the dry riverbed, the perfect place to unwind after a morning tracking rhino on foot. It faces the waterhole directly, which means the resident elephant herds that come to drink each day become your backdrop. There are very few places in the world where you can swim while watching an elephant. This is one of them.
As the day draws to a close, your guide will drive you to a panoramic viewpoint to watch the sun go down over the conservancy. Your favourite drink arrives, alongside a selection of small bites, and for a while there is nothing to do but sit with the landscape and let it settle into you. It is one of those unhurried safari rituals that sounds simple and feels extraordinary every single time.
Tucked into the remote Matthews Range within Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first community-owned and managed elephant sanctuary in Africa. It sits among Kenya's second largest elephant population; a landscape that makes its purpose feel entirely natural.
Like the world-renowned Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Reteti takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves, caring for them with the singular goal of returning them to the wild herds that roam the land surrounding the sanctuary.
Tens of thousands of Lichtenstein's sand grouse descend on the water in swarms; a spectacle so overwhelming to the senses that no photograph fully prepares you for it. The sound arrives before the birds do: a building rush of wings that fills the air and then, suddenly, the sky darkens with movement. For birdwatchers it is extraordinary. For everyone else, it is simply one of the most astonishing things this landscape produces on a daily basis.
Sera Community is also home to The Fifty Wells, ‘Kisima Hamsini’, a series of (50!) springs where local pastoralists take their livestock to water, digging up water from the wells to fill up holders and troughs. The Singing Wells are also a driving distance away and can be visited with some notice, a rare treat to see the local community singing proprietary songs recognisable only by their own cattle, to encourage them to come to the wells to drink.
Swara House
"Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are", famously said gastronome Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. At Saruni Basecamp 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. 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.
