Saruni Samburu: Our Personal Experience

Saruni Samburu: Our Personal Experience

Saruni Samburu pool

Getting to Saruni Samburu

It was time to get out of the city and into the wild! Bags packed, my husband and I, along with a dear friend headed to Samburu in Northern Kenya.
We were really looking forward to staying at and experiencing two of the Saruni properties – Saruni Samburu and Saruni Rhino.

Saruni Samburu is located in the private 95,000 hectares Kalama conservancy bordering the Samburu National Reserve. Leaving Nairobi early, It was a comfortable three hours drive to Nanyuki, stopping at Barneys restaurant for breakfast.

After a hearty breakfast, it was time to hit the road again for another 3 hours drive north along a scenic route to Saruni Samburu. Rather than driving ourselves, we opted to take a transfer vehicle – what a great choice!

About Saruni Samburu

#ahnasadreams
Enjoying the beautiful views from Saruni Samburu

Saruni Samburu is perched on top of a large hill with spectacular views all around. Walking in, a beautiful Desert Rose plant greets you and beyond that, the stunning views just take your breath away! The lodge is open to the surroundings, so no matter where you are, you can enjoy the beautiful landscape. 

Arriving in time for lunch a delicious three course menu awaited us, true to Italian style dining. A lovely light starter, main course and then dessert, accompanied by a chilled glass of wine – a perfect way to start the stay!

The lodge has a wonderful selection of house wines and if you really want to indulge, their additional premium wines are very reasonably priced. Over the course of our two days stay, we enjoyed our delicious meals in the main dining area, out in the bush and a private dinner in our villa. These different settings added so much delight to our meals.

Saruni Entrance
Saruni Dining

With 6 villas (10 rooms total), a main dining and lounge area and two swimming pools, Saruni Samburu offers the perfect relaxation destination. I made sure to make the most of every minute, indulging in a massage at the Spa, enjoying a refreshing dip in the pool, the game drives, a bush breakfast and sundowners. Experiencing all the Saruni Samburu has to offer, I saw what makes the place so special.

Saruni Villa
The Villa Interior at Saruni Samburu
During our first night, we had the lodge to ourselves, so I took the opportunity to see all the villas –  they are all spectacular! Large comfortable beds, a lounge area and a large, spacious en-suite bathroom. Some villas have a bathtub to enjoy a relaxing soak, and some have also an outdoor shower. All the villas command spectacular views of the majestic landscape.  It’s almost heaven on earth!
#ahnasaexperiences
Our guide Sambara was incredible – extremely friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Sambara took good care of us during our stay at Saruni Samburu and also at Saruni Rhino. Being part of the local community, he certainly knows the area very well. Sambara took us on game drives in the Kalama conservancy as well as the Samburu reserve, and on our last evening we enjoyed relaxing sundowners in the wilderness. 
Bush Breakfast
Bush Breakfast
Game drives
Game drives
Relaxing in the Pool
Relaxing in the Pool
Sundowners
Sundowners
My 2 nights at Saruni Samburu were just not enough to enjoy everything the lodge has to offer. In addition to the game drives and sundowners, guests can enjoy guided walks, a visit to the photographic hide by the waterhole, the spa (where I enjoyed my half hour massage which is included). The lodge also caters very well for the children with their ‘Warriors Academy’ – something which I would have loved to experience too!  Next time I’m staying for 4 (or more) nights!
The Night Sky
The night sky at Saruni Samburu is a sight to behold – so clear and bright without all the light pollution.  Luckily, during our stay, it was the night of a new moon!  Benson, the assistant manager, is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about Astronomy. One evening he took us through a lesson about the stars. We saw the constellations, the Milky Way, the Black hole and also the International Space Station. For budding astronomers and night-sky photographers I would highly recommend the lodge, and Benson will be most happy to share his knowledge with you too.

What's Really Special About Saruni Samburu

Though I could go on and on, let me sum it up in a few short points :

  • The location! It’s spectacular, private and exclusive! It’s the only lodge in over 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness teeming with wildlife to explore exclusively.
  • The cuisine. Incredibly delicious!
  • The Villas. Luxurious, spacious and comfortable!
  • The Spa – because even on safari, you deserve to be pampered!
  • The wide variety of activities – enough to keep you as busy as you wish!
  • The night sky – Looking up and seeing the millions and millions of stars – it’s incredible!
  • The eco friendly practices – Saruni Samburu operates completely on Solar for power and water heating. They collect the rain water. Each guest receives a stainless steel water bottle as a gift from Saruni in their effort to minimize plastic use, and they employ from the local community. What’s better than empowering and supporting the local communities, while providing a luxury guest experience.
We’ve had first hand experience at Saruni Samburu. We’ve scouted out the property, met the managers and staff, experienced the guides and activities, tasted the food and indulged in the spa. We’ve developed great relationships with them. We KNOW Saruni Samburu.  If you are you interested in visiting this amazing property, we’ve got the expertise to ensure that you have the most incredible experience. Get in touch with us for your personal experience at Saruni Samburu.

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