Camel Back Safaris in Samburu National Reserve
CAMEL BACK SAFARIS IN SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE
Camel Back Safaris in Samburu National Reserve : Samburu national reserve is a reserve on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river in Kenya, on the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve, the Samburu National Reserve is 165km2 in size and is situated 350 kilometres from Nairobi and the reserve was established in 1962, the Samburu National Reserve is at altitude of range between 800 to 1230 meters above the sea level, Samburu national reserve covers an area of roughly 21,000km2 (8,000mi2) in the Northern Kenya in the county of the former Rift Valley Province.
Camel back safaris in Samburu national reserve.
Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya’s semi-nomadic people have always kept camels and therefore here you can immediately sense the intimate relationship between tribesmen and their animals in the reserve, for thousands of years, tribes like the Samburu have used camels to transport their camps across wild untouched landscapes, in Samburu national reserve we love how a camel safari remains true to this tradition and creates your own journey through the wilderness while spotting wildlife you connect with nature by riding these beautiful animals. For a very different take on Kenya’s best safari experiences try a camel ride through the country’s northern wilderness, traverse the stark, arid landscape at a gentle pace to the soft tinkling of camel bells, and relax into the seductive rhythm of this unique safari. The area boasts the highest diversity of large mammals in Kenya and is a home to several endangered species like the Grevy zebra, African wild dog and many others, so Camel back safaris is one of the breath-taking and amazing experience as in it is a traditional way of touring the reserve which allows you to get up close to the animals in the park.
The Samburu people and their camels are perfectly suited to northern Kenya, for them they train a camel through the wilderness as a way of life. Moving seasonally with their cattle herds, they know the land and the wildlife intimately, when the young Samburu boys are only five or six years old they are sent out to watch over the goats as they browse in the harsh terrain, this time is well spent learning the secrets of the land; discovering where barbets make their nests, how to recognise leopard tracks, and heeding the call of the honey guide. Travelling with these ochre – painted warani -the warriors and their camels is one of the best ways to truly get in touch with this elemental wilderness.
The Samburu traditional healing districts also serve as a training ground in camel riding for the local youth, the best riders are selected to race in the annual Maralal Camel Derby, which attracts thousands of tourists from Africa and beyond. The proceeds made from the camel riding race are ploughed into community social and wildlife conservation projects, held in every year in August. As a result, instead of racing and transport, the camel herds are being used currently for COVID-19 vaccine education and awareness across four remote sub -counties in a bid to reach almost 123,000 people, camel back safaris is an effective means of transport and people adopt and support using it that is during the COVID-19 exercise Mr. Lepankoi is part of local camel riders collaborating with 460 Samburu traditional healers and the local health officials who were reaching people in Samburu to vaccinate them against COVID-19 using the camel riding safaris.
Camel back safaris in Samburu National Reserve offers a deep and spiritual connection with the landscape, the elegant desert animal leading you on an adventure across wild and plains while observing various features of animals and birds in the reserve this mostly commonly experienced in northern Kenya in Samburu this is a chance to evoke the true meaning of the Swahili word safari, which translates into English as journey. The guests who come to the Samburu National Reserve rill experiences the amazing ecosystem of the reserve that is the camels take them to the areas where the vehicles cannot reach while exploring the nature.
Camel back safaris is the best with some experiences in the Laikipia conservancies as well as the area around Samburu National Reserve that is during the camel riding the shorter morning or afternoon camel safaris are very possible that is riding across the dry riverbeds of the northern Kenya and escaping the constraints of vehicles, these safaris takes you where the cars cannot reach and the calm brings it and on top of that it is a special experience hearing each enchoed call, breathing in the rustic smells of the red earth, and following the prints across the dust.
Best time to go on a Samburu Camel safari
December to March are the warmest months and usually the driest months in the Samburu national reserve, the scenery is always lovely and this is a place you visit for more than just wildlife, however if you are keen to see the game, then July to October and January to March are probably the best months.
Where to stay in Samburu National Reserve
Samburu has a quite number of accommodation to stay or live during your safari, here the guest can be recommended to stay in Intrepids Tented camp, elephant bedroom camp, Samburu Sopa lodge, elephant camp and among many more. During our stay in these areas you can be able to spot different animal and bird species with in the area.
For a very different take on Kenya’s best safari experiences, try a special that is a camel ride through the country’s northern wilderness that is in Samburu national reserve, traverse the stark, arid landscape at a gentle pace to the soft tinkling of camel bells, and relax into the seductive and have the great and the best memories of this unique safari. Camel ride is a fantastic alternative to the traditional game drive, where you can ride up to close to Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, Reticulated giraffe, observing animals and birds you might have missed otherwise, therefore the camel safari are very versatile and you can opt for a two-hour round trip with the sundowners in between or go on a longer camel safari and there you can fly camp in the bush.
