Kenya : Day Thirteen : Lewa to Samburu

Early next morning, before breakfast, we were entertained by being visited by a number of antelope on the hillside just outside our cottage. First of all was a nervous dik-dik, (camera icon) an extraordinarily tiny animal, followed by, a new species to us, the Chandler's Mountain Reedbuck (camera icon).

We then said goodbye to Borana, and headed off by road on the 3 hour drive to the Samburu National Park. Opened in 1965, Samburu is one of Kenya's lesser-known parks, yet is teeming with wildlife. Located in the hot and arid lowlands just north of Mt Kenya, it is covered in mainly acacia woodland and scrubland. Samburu is home to the nomadic tribe of the same name, and who are second only to the Maasai in their interest and individuality. Many camps and lodges work closely with the Samburu people, and will, on request, arrange for you to visit one of their villages.

Our first night here was actually planned for Saruni Samburu Lodge, situated in the Kalama Community Conservancy, a half hour's drive from the actual National Park. The lodge's location is quite spectacular, set amidst rocks, reached by a drive straight up the really quite steep rock face. The individual rooms were perched on the edge of the hillside, reached by means of a rocky path (camera icon).

The rooms themselves were magnificently furnished (camera icon), below, with spectacular views down into the valley from their terrace (camera icon), below. A winding path then led down to the main part of the camp lower down the hillside (camera icon).

     

A splendid pool was located even lower still (camera icon), below, and from here it was possible to look down onto the valley floor far below, where a number of camels could be seen trundling along (camera icon), below. Similar views could be obtained from the camp's main communal area (camera icon), opposite.

     

An afternoon's game drive then yielded pictures of some grazing donkeys (camera icon), numerous gerenuk (rapidly becoming one of Africa's most common antelopes), a vulturine guinea fowl, strutting importantly across the road in front of us, oryx, Grant's gazelle and ostrich, and then a very sleepy lion (camera icon).

Much more exciting was our first proper daytime sighting of a leopard (camera icon), below, first seen crossing the road ahead of us, and then followed up just sitting quietly in the grass to the side of the road (camera icon), below.

     

Not far away a herd of impala trotted along unhurriedly (camera icon), seemingly quite oblivious to the predators nearby.

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