Samburu Game Reserve - City of Kenya

The first thing you'll notice on a Samburu safari is that it is worlds apart from the other parks in Kenya. It's not particularly well-known and as a result is less crowded than most Kenyan reserves.

Samburu National Reserve is situated on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River in the dry northern reaches of Kenya. It is a hot and arid area characterised by a parched landscape of hills and plains.

The presence, however, of the river - and its shady trees - attracts plenty of wildlife. Giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck and zebra from the surrounding savannah plains trek to the water. Lion, leopard and cheetah are also quite easy to spot, thanks in part to the lack of grass cover.

Samburu is also home to large herds of elephants, and the reserve is well known for providing the opportunity to see wildlife that only lives in the dry north of Kenya. Be on the look out for gerenuks - these odd, yet distinguished looking, gazelle have long necks, and stand on their hind legs to feed.

For the birders, around 365 species have been recorded and the river area is particularly rewarding.