At a glance
The Samburu National Reserve is reach in wildlife like large predators such as the Lion, Leopard and Cheetah are an important attraction (Kamunyak the Miracle Lioness that adapted the baby Oryx is a resident in the reserve). Wild dog sightings are also a common attraction to this unique protected area. Birdlife is abundant with over 450 species recorded. Its fame for abundance in rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx (Also referred as Samburu Special). The reserve is also popular with a minimum of 900 elephants. Ol Pejeta Conservancy boasts an astounding variety of animals, including the Big Five (the endangered black and white rhino, leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion), Grevy’s zebra, Jackson’s hartebeest, cheetah and chimpanzee. The combination of amazing wildlife and stunning views across the open plains of Ol Pejeta Conservancy is guarantees an unforgettable safari experience.
Detailed trip itinerary
Day 1: Samburu National Reserve, Ashnil Samburu (Fullboard)
Meet and greet at hotel reception or at the Jomo Kenya International Airport and be transferred to the Wilson Airport depending on your flight time of departure. We have daily departures from at 08:00 and others flights thereafter. Your departure time would be confirmed during your safari confirmation and depending on your arrival time. The flight from Nairobi City to Samburu National Reserve takes around 1 hour and flies between the lush highlands of southern Kenya and the arid north of the country where the triad of reserves lies. Samburu has dramatic scenery‚ rare wildlife and diverse birdlife.
On arrival in Samburu National Reserve you will be met and transferred using 4WD land cruiser to the camp for check in formalities then a short rest before lunch in the camp.
After relaxation in the camp and in the afternoon game drive from 15:30 to 18:30 and overnight at the camp.
- Swimming Pool
- Restaurant
- Business Lounge
- Bar Lounge
- Game Drives
- Sundowners
- Nature Walks
- Bush Breakfast
- Cultural Visits
Ashnil Samburu Camp is a luxury tented set in the spectacular backdrop drop of the Mighty Ol Olokwe mountain fronting Ewaso Nyiro River in Buffalo Springs Game Reserve. The 30 exclusive luxury Tents are spread out along the shady banks of the river under a thick stand of doum Palms.
It features an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by sun lounges, a garden and a Lounge bar offering views of the African savannah. Each tent features a decked Terrance with views of the Ewaso Nyiro River. The restaurant offers views of the river and serves a variety of menus comprising of Oriental, traditional and international cuisines. A range of activities are available on request and comprise of game drives, nature Walks and a cultural visit to the samburu village, bush meals like bush lunch/dinner and sundowners.
Samburu is the most popular reserve in northern Kenya. Wildlife viewing is good, and most big safari animals are easily spotted. The arid environment is home to a variety of north Kenya specials – both birds and mammals. A village visit to a nearby Samburu homestead is a worthwhile activity. Samburu offers great wildlife viewing and four of the Big Five are present. Rhinos are absent, but big herds of elephant cross the reserve. Of the big cats, leopards are very rewarding with some habituated individuals giving high-quality sightings. Most interesting are the northern Kenya specials including beisa oryx, lesser kudu, reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and the odd-looking gerenuk.
Full List of Mammals found in Samburu National Reserve
- Aard-wolf
- African Buffalo
- African Civet
- African Dormouse
- African Elephant
- African Wild Cat
- Aftrican Hare
- Angola Free-tailed Bat
- Banana Bat or African
- Banded Mongoose
- Bat-eared Fox
- Beisa Oryx
- Black Rhinoceros
- Black-backed or Silver-backed jackal
- Black-faced Vervet Monkey
- Blue Duiker
- Blue or Sykes’ Monkey
- Burchell’s or Common Zebra
- Bush Baby
- Bush Duiker
- Bush or Large-spotted Genet
- Bush Squirrel
- Bushbuck
- Caracal
- Cheetah
- Clawless Otter
- Common and Defassa
- Common Waterbuck
- Dwarf Mongoose
- East African Red Squirrel
- Eland
- Epauletted Fruit Bat
- False Vampire Bat
- Gerenuk
- Golden Jackal
- Grant’s Gazelle
- Greater Galago
- Grevy’s Zebra
- Guenther’s Dik-dik
- Hippopotamus
- Hollow-faced Bat
- Hunting Dog
- Impala
- Intermediates between
- Kirk’s Dik-dik
- Klipspringer
- Lander’s Horseshoe Bat
- Large Grey Mongoose
- Leopard
- Lesser Kudu
- Lesser Leaf-nosed Bat
- Lion
- Marsh Mongoose
- Mongoose
- Naked Mole Rat
- Neumann’s or Small-spotted Genet
- Olive Baboon
- Pale-bellied Fruit Bat
- Pipistrelle
- Porcupine
- Ratel or Honey Badger
- Red Duiker
- Reticulated Giraffe
- Rock Hyrax
- Rousette Fruit Bat
- Serval
- Side-striped Jackal
- Slender or Black-tipped
- Spectacled Elephant Shrew
- Spotted Hyaena
- Spring Hare
- Steinbok
- Striped Ground Squirrel
- Striped Hyaena
- Tree Hyrax
- Unstriped Ground Squirrel
- Warthog
- Waterbucks
- Whie-bellied Tomb Bat
- White-bellied Free-tailed Bat
- White-tailed Mongoose
- Yellow-bellied Bat
- Yellow-winged Bat
- Zorilla
There have been more than 390 bird species recorded in Samburu and Buffalo Springs national reserves. The reserves protect a variety of habitats, home to different bird species including arid acacia savannah, scrub and gallery forest alongside the Uaso Nyiro River. The dry, open country offers very rewarding birding opportunities and boasts a number of northeast African dry-country species shared with Ethiopia and Somalia, such as vulturine guineafowl, Somali bee-eater and golden-breasted starling.
- Abdim’s Stork
- Abyssinian Scimitar-bill
- African Barn Owl Single record
- African Cuckoo
- African Darter
- African Fire Finch
- African Fish Eagle
- African Hawk Eagle Rare
- African Hoopoe
- African Marsh Owl
- African Pied Wagtail
- African Rock Martin
- African Sand Martin
- African Scops Owl
- Angola Swallow
- Arrow-marked Babbler
- Ashy Cisticola
- Ashy Flcatcher
- Banded Martin
- Banded Tit-warbler
- Bare-eyed Thrush
- Barred Warbler
- Bat Hawk
- Bateleur
- Bearded Woodpecker
- Black and White Cuckoo
- Black Cuckoo
- Black Cuckoo Shrike
- Black Rough-wing Swallow
- Black-backed Puff-back
- Black-breasted Apalis
- Black-breasted Glossy Starling
- Blackcap Warbler
- Black-capped Social Weaver
- Black-chested Harrier Eagle
- Black-faced Sandgrouse
- Blackhead Plover
- Black-headed Heron
- Black-headed Oriole
- Black-headed Tchagra
- Black-necked Weaver
- Black-throated Wattle-eye
- Blue-capped Cordon-bleu
- Blue-cheeked Bee-eater
- Blue-eared Starling
- Blue-faced Waxbill
- Blue-headed Wagtail and races
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- Booted Eagle Rare visitor
- Bristle Crowned Starling
- Broad-billed Roller
- Bronze Mannikin
- Bronze-winged Courser
- Brown Harrier Eagle
- Brown Parrot
- Brown-breasted Barbet
- Brown-hooded Kingfisher
- Brown-throated Barbet
- Buffalo Weaver
- Buff-backed Heron or Cattle Egret
- Buff-bellied Warbler
- Buff-crested Bustard
- Bunting
- Button Quail
- Capped Wheatear
- Cardinal Quelea
- Cardinal Woodpecker
- Carmine Be-eater
- Caspian Plover
- Chestnut Sparrow
- Chestnut Weaver
- Chestnut-backed Sparrow Lark
- Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
- Chestnut-headed Sparrow Lark
- Chin-spot Flycatcher
- Cinnamon-breasted Rock
- Collared Sunbird
- Common Sandpiper
- Cream-coloured Courser
- Crested Francolin
- Crombec
- Crowned Crane
- Crowned Hornbill
- Crowned Plover
- Cut-throat
- D’Arnaud’s Barbet
- Didric Cuckoo
- Donaldson-Smith’s Nightjar
- Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow
- Drongo
- Dusky Flycatcher
- Dusky Nightjar
- Dwarf or Lesser Brown-necked
- Egyptian Goose
- Egyptian Vulture
- Emerald Cuckoo
- Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
- Ethiopian Swallow
- European Bee-eater
- European Black Kite
- European Common Wheatear
- European Cuckoo
- European Golden Oriole
- European Hobby Spring
- European Hoopoe
- European Kestrel
- European Marsh Harrier
- European Nightingale
- European Nightjar
- European Rock Thrush
- European Roller
- European Sand Martin
- European Sedge Warbler
- European Spotted Flycatcher
- European Swallow
- European Whinchat
- European Willow Warbler
- Fan-tailed Raven
- Fawn-coloured Lark
- Fire-fronted Bishop
- Fischer’s Sparrow Lark
- Fischer’s Straw-tailed Whydah
- Flappet Lark
- Freckled Nightjar
- Gabar Goshawk
- Garden Warbler
- Giant Kingfisher
- Golden Pipit
- Golden Weaver
- Golden-breasted Starling
- Goliath Heron
- Grasshopper Buzzard
- Great White Egret
- Greater Honeyguide
- Greater or White-eyed Kestrel
- Great-spotted Cuckoo
- Green Pigeon
- Green Sandpiper
- Green Wood Hoopoe
- Green-backed Heron
- Greenshank
- Green-winged Pytilia
- Grey Flycatcher
- Grey Heron
- Grey Hornbill
- Grey Tit
- Grey Woodpecker
- Grey Wren Warbler
- Grey-backed Camaroptera
- Grey-headed Bush Shrike
- Grey-headed Kingfisher
- Grey-headed Silverbill
- Grey-headed Social Weaver
- Grey-headed Sparrow
- Grey-rumped Swallow
- Hadada Ibis
- Half-collared Kingfisher
- Hamerkop
- Harlequin Quail
- Harrier Hawk
- Helmeted Guinea-fowl
- Heuglin’s Bustard
- Heuglin’s Courser
- Hildebrandt’s Starling
- Honey Buzzard
- Hooded Vulture
- Hunter’s Sunbird
- Indigo-bird
- Issabeline Wheatear
- Jameson’s Fire Finch
- Kenya Violet-backed Sunbird
- Klaas’ Cuckoo
- Kori Bustard
- Lammergeyer
- Lanner
- Laughing Dove
- Layard’s Black-headed Weaver
- Leser Spotted Eagle Rare
- Lesser Grey Shrike
- Lesser Honeyguide
- Lesser Kestrel
- Levaillant’s Cuckoo
- Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse
- Lilac-breasted Roller
- Little Bee-eater
- Little Egret
- Little Grebe
- Little Ringed Plover
- Little Sparrow Hawk
- Little Swift
- Little Tawny Pipit
- Lizard Buzzard
- Long-billed Pipit
- Long-crested Hawk Eagle
- Long-tailed Cormorant
- Long-tailed Fiscal
- Long-tailed Nightjar
- Madagascar Bee-eater
- Magpie Starling
- Malachite Kingfisher
- Marabou Stork
- Mariqua Sunbird
- Martial Eagle
- Masked Weaver
- Montagu’s Harrier
- Mottled Swift
- Mourning Dove
- Mouse-coloured Penduline Tit
- Namaqua Dove
- Narina’s Trogon
- Night Heron
- Northern Brownbul
- Northern Brubru
- Northern White-tailed Lark
- Nubian Nightjar Uncommon
- Nubian or Lappet-faced
- Nubian Woodpecker
- Nyanza Swift
- Olive Thrush
- Olive-tree Warbler
- Open-bill Stork
- Orange-bellied Parrot
- Osprey
- Pale Chanting Goshawk
- Pale Flycatcher
- Pallid Harrier
- Palm Swift
- Paradise Flycatcher
- Paradise Whydah
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Pectoral-patch Cisticola
- Pennant-wing Nightjar
- Peregrine
- Pied Kingfisher
- Pied Wheatear
- Pink-breasted Lark
- Pin-tailed Whydah
- Plain Nightjar
- Pratincole
- Purple Grenadier
- Pygmy Falcon
- Pygmy Kingfisher
- Pygmy Puff-back Flycatcher
- Rattling Cisticola
- Raven
- Red and Yellow Barbet
- Red-backed Scrub Robin
- Red-backed Shrike
- Red-billed Fire Finch
- Red-billed Hornbill
- Red-billed Oxpecker
- Red-billed Quelea
- Red-capped Chat
- Red-capped Lark
- Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
- Red-chested Cuckoo
- Red-eyed Dove
- Red-faced Apalis
- Red-fronted Barbet
- Red-fronted Tinkerbird
- Red-headed Weaver
- Red-necked Falcon
- Red-rumped Swallow
- Red-tailed Shrike
- Redwing Bush Lark
- Richard’s Pipit
- Ring-necked Dove
- Robin Chat
- Rosy-patched Shrike
- Rufous Chatterer
- Rufous Sparrow
- Rufous-crowned Roller
- Ruppell’s Long-tailed Starling
- Ruppell’s Vulture
- Sacred Ibis
- Saddle-bill Stork
- Scimitar-bill
- Secretary Bird
- Senegal Plover
- Shikra
- Shining Sunbird
- Silverbill
- Silverbird
- Singing Bush Lark
- Slate-coloured Boubou
- Smaller Black-bellied Sunbird
- Somali Bee-eater
- Somali Fiscal
- Somali Golden-breasted Bunting
- Somali Ostrich
- South African Black Flycatcher
- Speckled Mousebird
- Speckled Pigeon
- Speckle-fronted Weaver
- Spectacled Weaver
- Spotted Eagle Owl
- Spotted Morning Warbler
- Spotted Stone Curlew
- Spotted-flanked Barbet
- Steel-blue Whydah
- Steppe Buzzard
- Steppe Eagle
- Stone Partridge
- Striped Kingfisher
- Striped Swallow
- Sulphur-breasted Bush Shrike
- Superb Starling
- Swahili Sparrow
- Swallow-tailed Kite
- Taita Fiscal
- Tambourine Dove
- Tawny Eagle
- Tawny-flanked Prinia
- Temminck’s Courser
- Three-banded Plover
- Three-streaked Tchagra
- Thrush Nightingale or Sprosser
- Tiny Cisticola
- Tropical Boubou
- Two-banded Courser
- Variable Sunbird
- Verreaux’s Eagle Owl
- Verreaux’z Eagle
- Violet-backed Starling
- Vitelline Masked Weaver
- Von der Decken’s Hornbill
- Vulture
- Vulturine Guinea-fowl
- Wahlberg’s Eagle
- Water Dikkop
- Wattled Starling
- Waxbill
- Weaver
- White Stork
- White-backed Vulture
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
- White-breasted Tit
- White-browed Coucal
- White-browed Robin Chat
- White-browed Sparrow Weaver
- White-crowned Shrike
- White-faced Scops Owl
- White-headed Buffalo Weaver
- White-headed Mousebird
- White-headed Vulture
- White-naped Raven
- White-rumped Swift
- White-throated Bee-eater
- White-throated Robin
- White-winged Scrub Robin
- White-winged Widow-bird
- Wire-tailed Swallow
- Wood Ibis or Yellow-Billed Stork
- Wooly-necked Stork
- Yellow Bishop
- Yellow White-eye
- Yellow-bellied Eremomela
- Yellow-billed Hornbill
- Yellow-billed Oxpecker
- Yellow-fronted Canary
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
- Yellow-rumped Seed-eater
- Yellow-spotted Petronia
- Yellow-throated Longclaw
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Yellow-vented Eremomela
Day 2: Samburu National Reserve, Ashnil Samburu (Fullboard)
Early in the Morning at 06:00 take tea or coffee and a snack then depart for morning game drive from 06:30 with packed full breakfast to be consumed at a designated place in the wilderness then carry on with game drive until time for lunch in the camp at 13:00 followed by relaxation in the camp thereafter.
Afternoon game drive from 15:30 until at 18:30 then dinner and overnight in the camp.
Day 3: Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Sweetwaters Serena Camp (Fullboard)
Early in the Morning at 06:00 take tea or coffee and a snack then depart for morning game drive from 06:30 up to 08:00 when you will come back to the camp for full breakfast. A rest at the lounge to wait for your morning flight back to Ol pejeta Conservancy where you will arrive after about 30 minutes. On arrival at Nanyuki Airstrip you will be met and transferred using 4WD land cruiser to the camp for check then lunch.
Your game viewing tour drives in this conservancy the only with chimpanzees in Kenya starts at 15:30 until time for dinner and overnight in the camp.
- Game Drives - Day & Night
- Bush Walks
- Visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary
- Swimming Pool
- Cultural Visits
- Private Waterhole + Night Viewing Bar
- Conference Room
- Wedding Planning + Honeymoon Venue
- Gift Shop, Business Center, Wi-Fi
- Baby Sitting Services
- 24Hrs On-Call Medical Services
- Camel treks, guided nature treks, bird spotting
Embrace the awe-inspiring natural beauty of your surroundings, and set the stage for a visit you won’t soon forget. Located within the sprawling Ol Pejeta Conservancy, one of Kenya’s most noteworthy conservancies and home to the ‘Big Five’ (elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard), Sweetwaters Serena Camp offers a holiday experience unlike any other.
Framed by picturesque views of Mount Kenya, Serena Sweetwaters tented accommodation offers a tranquil respite in the wild, with ensuite bathrooms, free Wi-Fi and a private balcony or veranda. Begin or end your day with a delicious meal and superb views at our light-filled restaurant, enjoy a guided game drive on the conservancy, indulge in a massage in our treatment room or simply relax by the pool. With a dedicated event venue, modern facilities and exceptional planning services, Sweetwaters Serena tented camp is one of central Kenya’s most stunning destinations for weddings and corporate retreats with a difference. The unparalleled location in Ol Pejeta Conservancy facilitates exploration and discovery of the spectacular wildlife for which this region is famous. We look forward to helping you create cherished memories at Sweetwaters Serena Camp.
Ol Pejeta is one of the prime sanctuaries of Laikipia Plateau and all of the Big Five are present. Its highlights include the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa; a population of southern white rhino; a refuge for the last two northern white rhino left in the world; and Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, housing orphaned and abandoned chimpanzees.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy offers excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities. All of the Big Five are here and sightings of both black rhino and white rhino are common. It has some of the highest predator densities in the region, and aside from the big cats, there is a chance of seeing wild dogs. Other endangered species here include the beisa oryx, Jackson's hartebeest and Grevy's zebra.
Full List of Mammals found in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Aardvark
- African Ground Squirrel
- African Wild Cat
- Ankole Cattle
- Black Rhino
- Bush Duiker
- Caracal
- Chimpanzee
- Common Warthog
- Eland
- Leopard
- Lion
- Olive/Anubis Baboon
- Patas Monkey
- Savanna Elephant
- Senegal Bushbaby
- Sengi sp.
- Serval
- Southern White Rhino
- Steinbuck
- Striped Hyaena
- Tree Hyrax
- Vervet Monkey
With more than 500 species recorded, Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a bird-watcher's paradise. Early morning and afternoon bird walks can be organized at the lodges (maximum six people), but on game drives, the main focus tends to be on large animals so it might be worth booking a private vehicle if bird watching is your main interest.
- Abdim's Stork
- African Black Duck
- African Goshawk
- African Grass Owl
- African Green Pigeon
- African Harrier-Hawk
- African Hawk-Eagle
- African Hoopoe
- African Jacana
- African Open-billed Stork
- African Scops Owl
- African Snipe
- Bateleur
- Black Cuckoo
- Black Kite
- Black Stork
- Black-chested Snake Eagle
- Black-headed Heron
- Blacksmith Lapwing
- Black-winged Lapwing
- "Black-winged Kite"
- Blue-naped Mousebird
- BUttonQUaiLS
- Caspian Plover
- CHaRaDRiifoRmeS: turnicidae
- Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater
- Collared Pratincole
- Common Buttonquail
- Common Greenshank
- Common Kestrel
- Common Ostrich
- Common Quail
- Common Redshank
- Common Sandpiper
- Common Swift
- Crested Francolin
- Crowned Lapwing
- Dusky Turtle Dove
- Eastern Chanting Goshawk
- Egyptian Goose
- Emerald-spotted Wood Dove
- Eurasian Hobby
- Eurasian Marsh Harrier
- European Bee-eater
- Gabar Goshawk
- Great Egret
- Great White Pelican
- Greater Kestrel
- Grey Crowned Crane
- Grey Heron
- Grey-headed Gull
- Harlequin Quail
- Helmeted Guineafowl
- Heuglin’s Courser
- Hottentot Teal
- Intermediate Egret
- JaCana
- Kittlitz's Plover
- Klaas's Cuckoo
- Knob-billed Duck
- Lanner Falcon
- Lappet-faced Vulture
- Laughing Dove
- Lesser Kestrel
- Little Bee-eater
- Little Swift
- Long-crested Eagle
- Maccoa Duck
- Martial Eagle
- Meyer's (Brown) Parrot
- Montagu's Harrier
- Mottled Swift
- Namaqua Dove
- Northern Shoveler
- Nyanza Swift
- Pallid Harrier
- Pearl-spotted Owlet
- Pennant-winged Nightjar
- Pink-backed Pelican
- Red-billed Teal
- Red-eyed Dove
- Reed (Long-tailed) Cormorant
- Ring-necked Dove
- Rüppell's Vulture
- Scaly Francolin
- Scissor-tailed Kite
- Senegal Lapwing
- Shelley's Francolin
- Shikra
- Speckled Mousebird
- Spotted Eagle-Owl
- Spur-winged Goose
- Squacco Heron
- Steppe Eagle
- Striated Heron
- Tawny Eagle
- Temminck's Courser
- Three-banded Plover
- Verreaux's Eagle-Owl
- Vulturine Guineafowl
- Western Cattle Egret
- White Stork
- White-backed Vulture
- White-bellied Go-away-bird
- White-breasted Cormorant
- White-rumped Swift
- White-throated Bee-eater
- White-winged Tern
- Yellow-billed Duck
- Yellow-billed Stork
- Yellow-necked Spurfowl
Day 4: Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Sweetwaters Serena Camp (Fullboard)
Early in the Morning at 06:00 take tea or coffee and a snack then depart for morning game drive from 06:30 with packed full breakfast to be consumed at a designated place in the wilderness then carry on with game drive until time for lunch in the camp at 13:00 followed by relaxation in the camp thereafter. Afternoon game drive from 15:30 until at 18:30 then dinner and overnight in the camp.
Day 5: Fly Nairobi
Early in the Morning at 06:00 take tea or coffee and a snack then depart for morning game drive from 06:30 up to 08:00 when you will come back to the camp for full breakfast. A rest at the lounge to wait for your morning flight back to and be transferred to Nairobi City CBD hotel, Jomo Kenya International Airport or to Wilson Airport.
Tour Inclusions
- Return flight to Masai Mara National Reserve from Nairobi City Wilson Airport
- Full board accommodation in Governors’ Loldia House and in Governors’ Camp
- All reserve fees
- 3 game drives in a day while in Masai Mara National Reserve in a 4WD land cruiser both side open
- All transfers
- All our transport has insurance
Tour Exclusions
- Drinks
- Any of excursions while in Zanzibar Island
- Gratuities for the service
- Yellow fever vaccination
- Visa of USD 50.00 as at year 2020
- Things of personal use
Easter & Christmas Surcharges
A surcharge would be charged per person per night on Good Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Easter Monday and on 24th 25th, 26th, 31st December and 1st January. The Surcharge would be confirmed at the time of booking for clarity purposes.
For optimal enjoyment of your safari, we urge you to carry the following:
All weather firm shoe pair, short and dress to use during the day, trouser for use in the evenings with long sleeved shirt, sweater or jacket, hat, swimming costume, sunglass, camera, binocular, sun protection cream and insect repellent spray or cream.