5-Day Samburu, Mount Kenya Foothills and Ol Pejeta Safari

The safari leaves Nairobi in the morning and travels north through the central highlands towards Samburu National Reserve. Cultivated highland scenery gives way to the acacia, thorn scrub and riverine landscape of the northern reserve. The afternoon private game drive follows authorised tracks through the Ewaso Nyiro river corridor and adjoining wildlife habitats. The guide pauses at the animals and birds encountered, allowing time to watch behaviour and photograph the landscape. This arrival-day session introduces Samburu before the full viewing day that follows, and the party returns to the accommodation for the first of two Samburu nights.

Morning and afternoon private game drives provide a full day exploring Samburu. The morning circuit follows the Ewaso Nyiro river environment and its riverine woodland, while the afternoon explores the surrounding dry-country habitats. The guide looks for the distinctive species associated with Samburu, including reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich, with time at individual encounters for observation and photography. The sessions are separated by a break at the accommodation. The party returns to the same accommodation for its second Samburu night after the afternoon viewing period.

The safari leaves Samburu and travels south from the dry northern landscape towards the Mount Kenya foothills. The journey passes through changing countryside as acacia and thorn scrub give way to the central highlands. The afternoon is spent at the foothills accommodation, with time to relax between the Samburu game drives and the following day’s Ol Pejeta programme. This highland overnight provides a change of setting within the five-day road circuit. The party stays in the foothills for one night before continuing to Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

The party leaves the Mount Kenya foothills and continues by road to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The wildlife-viewing programme explores the conservancy’s grasslands and adjoining habitats, with the guide allowing time to observe and photograph the animals and birds encountered. The included conservation experiences comprise a booked northern white rhino viewing session and the standard Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary visit, where the focus is the rescued chimpanzees and their care. Their sequence follows the reserved rhino session and the sanctuary’s opening arrangements. The party stays in the Ol Pejeta area for its final night before the following morning’s game drive and Nairobi return.

A final morning game drive provides another period of wildlife viewing at Ol Pejeta. The guide follows authorised conservancy routes, pausing at encounters for observation and photography before checkout and the departure journey. The party then leaves the conservancy area for the private road return through the central highlands to Nairobi. The agreed Nairobi drop-off completes the five-day circuit after two Samburu nights, one Mount Kenya foothills night and one Ol Pejeta-area night, combining the northern reserve’s wildlife habitats, a highland stay and the conservancy’s included conservation visits.