Saruni Rhino

Saruni Rhino is a three-banda camp. A banda is a rustic stone cottage with a thatched roof and canvas roll down windows. All bandas have flushing toilets, hot and cold water and natural stone showers. The bandas are situated along a spectacular dry riverbed lined with doum palms in a way that ensures maximum privacy for guests. The bandas sleep between two and four people. There is also a family banda with two bedrooms, each with an en-suite bathroom. Banda’s have a beautiful private sandy terrace with chairs and tables overlooking the ‘lugga’, the dry riverbed.

Guests can enjoy the nearby waterhole visited daily by herds of elephants, impala, kudu, monkeys and much, much more, including the famous sand grouse spectacle. All this can be enjoyed from the comfort of a guest’s veranda, the dining and lounge area, the swimming pool or the popular day bed. You are guided by Samburu warriors who are passionate about their land and their culture, learning firsthand about their fascinating customs and traditions and their ancient, local knowledge – a truly authentic experience.

Being on safari with a Samburu professional guide means that you will not only encounter more animals, but you will learn how to read the book of nature through their eyes. It’s the beginning of a friendship that, for many guests, lasts well beyond the duration of the safari. The vastness and purity of this landscape, combined with the untouched local culture, elegant comfort and welcoming hospitality makes for an intimate safari experience.

The camp offers the first black rhino tracking experience in East Africa. A pioneering walking safari providing a unique and exhilarating adventure whilst also allowing guests to actively contribute to the protection of this iconic species. Tracking black rhino on foot, accompanied by an expert Saruni guide and a highly trained Sera Community Conservancy ranger in safety, to spot any of the 16 rhino throughout the 54 000-hectare sanctuary. Sera Community Conservancy is the first community-owned rhino sanctuary in Africa, home to around 16,000 Samburu semi-nomadic pastoralists which form part of a sub-tribe of the Maasai.

A totally unique and intimate tradition, the singing wells of Samburu remain an exclusive experience for guests at the camp. Home to The Fifty Wells, ‘Kisima Hamsini’, a series of fifty springs where local pastoralists take their livestock to water, digging deep in the barren and filling up wells to in-turn fill up holders and troughs, whilst singing a unique melody.

The Sera Community Conservancy is home to one of the most fascinating ecosystems and guests have the opportunity to explore unique experiences, such as the ‘Samburu Five’. The ‘Samburu Five’ are rare and endemic to the Samburu ecosystem. These consist of the Gerenuk, the Reticulated giraffe, the Somali ostrich, the Grevy’s zebra and the Beisa oryx. In addition there is an abundance of other rare species such as the leopard, striped hyena, Civet cat and wild dog, not forgetting a plethora of birdlife.

All images copyright Saruni.