Samburu Intrepids Camp | Samburu & Meru Lodge

Introduction

Samburu Intrepids Camp, with her dry, rugged and stunning, Samburu's landscape, is at once stark and sensual, with its iconic loaf shaped Lolokowe Mountain and hills spreading in every horizon. Its life lung is the Usao Nyiro River coursing through its craggy terrain full of stone, thorn bush and the forked doum palms.

In this arid zone where water is scarce and the land baked by the eternal sun, herds of elephants and the big cats roam the plains with the Samburu special - the Reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and the long-necked antelope, the gerenuk easily seen despite its harsh climes.

This Samburu Tented Camp is located 345 kilometres north of Nairobi. The journey to the camp involves a 50-minute flight to the Samburu airstrip followed by a 20-minute drive through the reserve.

Rooms and Suites

All the tents at Samburu Intrepids Camp are large and spacious under palm-thatched roofs with netted screens to allow for the river breeze to keep them cool and give you stunning views of the land that is Samburu. Each tent sits on a raised deck overlooking the brown river where the elephants sometimes make an appearance or the crocodiles come out to lounge by the river's banks.

You can also choose to have private candlelit dinners on the deck of your canvas villa, and should it get a trifle too hot, all tents are fitted with fans.

For families with children wanting more space, you have a choice of family tents, an ensemble of two tents with a spacious lounge and a wide deck complete with lounging chairs and tables, ideal for relaxing and private meals. Beautifully styled with ethno-African and modern pieces, they are superb for family stays.

Cuisine and Wine

Because of the warm climate, Samburu Intrepids Camp's public areas are all palm-thatched and open to the elements, raised on stilts to catch the cooling breeze blowing off the river.

The main dining room has a seating capacity of 60 and opens onto an outdoor terrace where buffet breakfasts and lunches are served overlooking the river. (Meals can also be enjoyed on your private veranda or at one of a series of specially selected 'bush sites' close to camp.)

Activities

Game Drives; Samburu is simply stunning - a photographer's delight with its surreal settings and different lights to photograph it in. Guests at Samburu Intrepids can enjoy game drives in Samburu game reserve and the adjoining Buffalo Springs game reserve, where you will see the natural spring pool believed to have medicinal properties.

Nature Walks; With its unique blend of flora and fauna, a nature walk in Samburu is a must. The naturalist will tell you about everything that comes in the path, whether it's a bird (of which there are more than 350 species in Samburu) or the history of the land. The varied landscape - from the river to the forest and then the arid plains offer a rich profusion of birds, and one can record more than a hundred species in a day.

Cultural Visits; The Samburu are a regal people related to the Maasai. Like the Maasai, the Samburu have a rich history, a people who tracked down the Nile many centuries ago and separated from the Maasai. Traditionally pastoral people in search of water and grazing land for their god-given cattle, the Samburu are also adapting to life in the 21st century.

Camel Rides: A camel is a biblical affair crossing the Uaso Nyiro to the Samburu villages on the land opposite the reserve. With a high vantage point, you may chance upon the giraffes or the tiny dik-diks of the drylands or have to cut back your ride when the elephants block your passage.

Child Friendly

Recommended for children accompanying their parents on safari, this family program provides a fun and exciting opportunity for the kids to learn about the wild from our Samburu naturalists who specialize in plants, wildlife and survival skills.

Children will be edu-tained through various activities and facilities on-site, including an obstacle course that portrays the challenges wild animals face. Don’t be surprised if your child comes out looking like Mowgli from Rudyard Kipling’s all-time favourite Jungle Book.