5-Day Mount Kenya, Meru and Samburu Safari

The road safari leaves Nairobi and travels through the Mount Kenya highlands towards Meru National Park. The landscape changes from highland farms and wooded slopes to the lower riverine country of Meru. The arrival-afternoon game drive explores the park’s grassland, palm and riverine habitats, with the guide looking for wildlife and explaining the setting. Time at sightings focuses on the animals and birds encountered rather than a fixed species list. The outing returns to the Meru base for the first of two nights.

Morning and afternoon game drives provide a full day in Meru National Park. The morning outing explores open grassland and wooded habitats, searching for the wildlife present around the park’s river systems. The afternoon drive continues through additional riverine viewing areas, with opportunities to observe waterbirds, crocodiles and other animals encountered. The guide explains how the watercourses and vegetation support the park’s wildlife. The party returns to the same Meru base for its second night before the journey north.

Checkout at the Meru base is followed by the road journey towards Samburu National Reserve. The route enters the drier landscape of northern Kenya, providing a contrast with Meru’s riverine habitats. On arrival, the afternoon game drive explores Samburu’s viewing areas around the Ewaso Nyiro River. The guide searches the riverine vegetation and open scrub for the animals present, including northern species such as reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. The outing ends at the Samburu base for the first of two nights.

Morning and afternoon drives explore Samburu National Reserve. The early outing follows habitats near the Ewaso Nyiro River, with time to watch the wildlife encountered around the water and riverine vegetation. The later drive searches more open scrub and plains for northern species, including gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich alongside other animals. The guide interprets the relationship between the dry-country environment and its wildlife, without guaranteeing all of the Special Five. The programme returns to the Samburu base for the second night.

A final morning game drive in Samburu provides another opportunity to observe the reserve’s wildlife before departure. The guide follows current animal activity through the permitted viewing areas, allowing time at the sightings encountered. After returning to the Samburu base for checkout, the private road journey heads south through the Mount Kenya region towards Nairobi. This completes the five-day Meru and Samburu circuit, with no additional scheduled park visit or excursion after leaving the reserve area.