Samburu National Reserve

North of the equator along the Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu feels different from anywhere else in Kenya — drier, wilder, and home to the Samburu Special Five: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx, species found nowhere else on a typical safari. The reserve's riverine forest draws elephants, lions and leopards down to drink, especially in the dry season, while the surrounding red-earth plains and doum palms give it a striking, almost otherworldly landscape. Samburu is also home to the Samburu people, whose culture and traditions remain deeply connected to this land, and community conservancies here have become a model for conservation done in partnership with local communities. Its remoteness means smaller crowds and a genuine sense of wilderness.