We leave Baringo after breakfast and head Samburu, a place of endless skies, dust-red plains and palm-fringed rivers, Samburu National Reserve lies on the fringes of the vast and arid desert once known as the Northern Frontier District, whose heat-scorched scrublands extend all the way to the jade-green waters of Lake Turkana and beyond. Physically dramatic, the 104 sq kilometres landscape of the Reserve features rocky battlements, craggy scarps, dry river beds and fallen boulders rising out of the thorn scrub against a backdrop of the far-distant hills and the great red table mountain known as Lololokwe. As for wildlife, Samburu provides one of the few sanctuaries in Kenya for the endangered Grevy’s zebra, the rare Beisa Oryx, the long necked antelope “Gerenuk” and the Blue-shanked Somali ostrich whilst large herds of elephant roam the gaunt hills during the day before returning to bathe on the banks of the river in the evening.
Birdlife in this reserve is not raging behind as it is profuse, and species such as Somali and white throated bee-eaters, golden pipit, Vulturine guinea fowl, White headed Mouse bird, Buff Crested Bustards, Black capped Social Weaver, Donaldson-Smith’s Sparrow Weaver, Golden Breasted Starling among other dry land species. Lunch will be at Nanyuki Town before descending to the reserve and arriving at time for the evening Game cum bird viewing before checking -in at Sarova Shaba Game Lodge (BLD).
|