Saruni Samburu

Saruni Samburu is a luxury Villa that's built into the side of a hill. The accommodations are top notch and the staff is incredible. Do not miss an opportunity to do all of the safaris because you'll see amazing wildlife. Even the drive up to the Villa is an adventure as you go through rocks and hills in your utility vehicle. ||Rose took amazing care of us each day and made sure we had everything we needed. Joseph was our driver and was very knowledgeable and skilled at finding the animals. He also took us to a Bush breakfast. That was unbelievable. The views are breathtaking and the wildlife is amazing. ||We learned a lot about Samburu culture from both Rose and Joseph and all of the people that worked there. We went to a local village to see what the home looked like and how some of the villagers have lived. Everybody was very hospitable and eager to share information about their culture. ||Elephants and giraffes are everywhere. You turn a corner and there's a giraffe staring you in the face. It's amazing. ||The Villa itself was gorgeous. In the evening with all of the windows open. You have a Cool breeze flowing through. There are actually two pools on site. The room has everything you need including sustainable amenities like soaps and lotions. The food is also amazing. We asked for some additional African items because the usual fair is pretty Continental. They offered a African evening where you got to sample some of the local Kenyan food. That was fantastic.||We were lucky to meet a person who was connected to the base camp company. She explained to us how the conservancy came about and how the Villa supports local people. It was fascinating. We were very lucky to receive additional information on the samburu camp.

The view is insane. The sky at night has hundreds of stars visible to the naked eye. Once your eyes adjust, you can see thousands. I stayed in 2A. The room is huge and had its own separate living room. Balcony is huge. Indoor and outdoor showers had great water pressure. One negative is the balcony is directly in the sun for the majority of the day with no shade, and the bedroom itself is several degrees hotter than outside in the evening. There are 2 fans which help mitigate this. Largest negative is I have never seen so many bugs in my life, but you’re in the middle of nowhere so that’s to be expected. The service is fantastic. Rose (waitress) was flawless. The food was also very good. Some meals were much better than others, but overall, the food was good. The meatball pasta was excellent and better than the one I had at Eagle View. Guide was good. I did miss Kampala, but Emmanuel was an excellent driver. Very good at finding game. The WiFi was excellent in the rooms, but the camp is very spacious and there’s no WiFi in the other areas. Wild and Eagle view are small enough to where you can walk quickly for WiFi, and both have signal. There is no signal at Samburu and I found myself not enjoying the 2 amazing pools as much as I wanted due to needing signal/WiFi to work from my phone. The selling point of this camp is the camp itself. Built into the cliffside, there’s nothing else like it. The night sky is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I would 100% recommend staying here at least 1 night for anyone who visits Samburu just to experience the views (both day and night).

We booked Saruni Samburu through Gamewatchers in Canada. It was a very special place that was a one of a kind experience. Everything from the pick up from the airstrip, to the amazing accommodations. service, food, security and of course the daily safaris. They went above and beyond in everything. We learned so much about Kenyan culture, nature, animals and the country. This was truly a once in a life time experience that we will always treasure. Our waitress was Rantez who was attentive and very knowledgeable about the food and the animals we would see passing by. The room was kept spotless and welcoming after a long day by Justus. Samson kept us safe nightly as security. And Evan prepared amazing food. Finally, Wilson was our guide for our entire visit. His knowledge was immense and he shared so much with us that we felt we had really immersed ourselves in both nature and to experience their culture. The pictures of the place does not capture how lovely it was. Highly recommend.

We really loved our time at Saruni Samburu. They do everything right here and they go way out of their way to make sure that your experience is just what you want. And that is what Saruni Samburu is: An experience! Yes, the rooms are beautiful and spacious with great views! But the food (fresh, delish, with different choices each day and with each meal), the game drives, the sundowners, the massages, the time by the pool, the climb to our Villa 6 and the fun bush BBQ, all add up to an outstanding and memorable experience.||But, what really makes this place is the genuinely kind and hardworking staff! Thank you to Lizzie, who delivered pre-game drive coffee to us at 5:45 am, served all of our delicious meals and wines, plus she planned our days with such patience and personality. She seemed to have endless energy and even taught my parents a new game.! Thanks also to Saitoti, Starlo, and Johnson. You each went out of your way to connect and make us feel welcome. To Evelyn, thank you for keeping our room in top shape--waters filled, mini-fridge stocked and laundry delivered. Martin, our guide, thank you for your hard work and for safely driving us all over and up the steep rock, for your tenacity in finding lions, and for teaching us so much along the way! Thank you, especially for the extra care and time you spent helping my parents! We were sad to leave and feel really luck to have met you all!

Exceptional views, with elephant and giraffe almost constantly visible moving past and hyena calling at night, clean very comfortable and stunning room, really lovely laid back atmosphere with great food. The view from the top pool is like standing on top of the world- the view is unbeatable. It’s a quiet and stunning retreat. Value for money and within easy reach of airports and by road, but also has the remote bush and local character. The star gazing at night is breath taking. You can take excursions to Mt Ololokwe and also to the elephant sanctuary, whilst game drives, early morning, day and sundowners with the sunset across the Matthew’s Ranges directly in front of the camp every evening! The game drives are through Samburu and Kalama. The only improvement is more coffee!

We had a magical stay for our honeymoon - the setting is beautiful and the hospitality from the Samburu hosts was top tier. This location is truly exceptional and not to be missed: stunning views, beautiful pools, amazing accommodation and wildlife on the doorstep. The food is also fantastic and you will not go hungry!||We were looked after by Starlo & Saitoti in the camp and Martin as our guide, who were all great throughout - making the stay fun, informative and truly once-in-a-lifetime.||While this location has unmatched beautiful and privacy, alongside a unique landscape, it is worth noting that the main safari area is a c. 40 minute drive from the camp.

This small eco friendly lodge has 2 room villas with stunning hilltop views of the Kalama Conservancy. The partnership between the lodge and the Samburu people works very well. It was important to me that where I stayed benefited the people whose land it is on. |The game drives, visit to Reteti Elephant Orphanage and a Samburu village were unforgettable. |What really stood out though was the staff. All were warm and proficient. Two that really stood out were our guide Simon and our waiter Stephano.||Simon narrated our drives, sharing information about the tiniest bird to the social behavior of the elephants. He left nothing out!|Our conversations with Simon about being a Samburu warrior were so heartfelt. He talked about everything from his childhood to present day. Our visit to a Samburu village, similar to his own, was eye opening. As a semi -nomadic people, everything is made to be movable and no frills. ||Our conversations with Stephano were equally significant. He had the same background and warm honesty that Simon had. |As an independent American woman after getting to know these two wonderful young men, I realized how balanced and full their lives are. Their strong family and community ties are enviable. ||Travel for me includes keeping an open mind. I knew I would marvel at the natural beauty and animals. The unexpected human connection and getting a glimpse of Samburu life was a gift I will never forget.

My wife and I flew from Canada to visit our daughter and family temporarily living in Nairobi for a couple of years. Before we came our son-in-law offered to organize a safari for us. My wife's reply was "I don't really want to go anywhere where bugs might bite me or animals might eat me!" I told him to go ahead! Saruni Base Camp was way above expectations. The accommodations couldn't be more comfortable or better in any way. The food was excellent. The various safari treks - early morning, mid afternoon and early evening were all awe inspiring. Our guide Sumaro was the best! Friendly, knowledgeable and kept us well informed on all that was going on around us. As we trekked to various spots on the plains to see as many of the big 5 of Samburu as we could it became clear that many of the guides from other Safari companies didn't have the knowledge and experience of Sumaro. Many wandered aimlessly with their disappointed clients. Our last trek was delayed, due to possible heavy rains which forced a diversion around a possibly swollen river to cross, returning to base camp after dark. I don't know how Sumaro found his way in the pitch black but we arrived and the staff had another great meal waiting for us. My wife, initially reluctant, now raves about the "experience of a life time" and is eager to come back next year and do another safari - but only with Saruni. Saruni is more expensive than other companies but if this is a one time experience do it with the best.