The Maasai people are a large pastoral community living along the Great Rift Valley of Kenya and Tanzania. While their exact origins are unknown, Maasai are strongly independent people who still value tradition and ritual as an integral part of their day to day live. They regard themselves not just as residents of the area but that they are as much a part of the life of the land as the land is part of their lives. Traditionally, the Maasai rarely hunt and living alongside wildlife in harmony is an important part of their beliefs. Lions and Wildebeest play an important a role in their cultural beliefs as their own herds of cattle.

This unique co-existence of man and wildlife makes this Maasai land one of the world’s most unique wilderness regions. At the heart of the

Maasai Mara Game Reserve,

it’s widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises 200 sq miles of open plains, riverine forest, and woodlands. Contiguous with the plains of the Serengeti (Serengeti National Park), Maasai Mara is home to a breathtaking array of life. The vast grassland plains are scattered with herds of Zebra, Giraffe, Gazelle, and Topi. The Acacia forests abound with Birdlife and Monkeys, Elephants and Buffalo.

The Mara and Talek rivers are ever brimming with Hippos and Crocodiles. Each year the Mara plays host to the world’s greatest natural spectacle, the Great Wildebeest Migration from Serengeti National Park, starting from July to October, the promise of rain and fresh life giving grass in the north brings more than 1.3 million Wildebeest together into a single massive herd. They pour across the border into the Mara, making a spectacular entrance in a rising and falling column of life that stretches from horizon to horizon.

At the Mara River they mass together on the banks before finally plunging forward through the raging waters, creating passion as they fight against swift currents and waiting crocodiles. The wildebeest bring new life to the Mara, not just through their cycle of regeneration of the grasslands, but for the predators that follow the herds. Maasai Mara has been called the Kingdom of Lions and these regal and powerful hunters dominate these grasslands. Cheetahs are also a common sight in the Mara, as are Hyena and smaller predators such as Jackals.

Maasai Mara is an awesome natural wonder, a place where Maasai warriors share the plains with hunting lions, a place of mighty herds and timeless cycles of life, death, and regeneration. Mara is probably the best serviced of all Kenyan Parks and Reserves with a wide range of Accommodation for any budget. The Reserve is a popular attraction, the reserve is ideal for game drives, and some lodges and camps offer good accommodation walks and balloon safaris.

Is a ‘designer’ lodge located 7km north of Samburu National Reserve, in Kenya’s wild northern part which is surrounded by 95,000 hectares of private wildlife conservancy, and perched on top of a spectacular viewpoint, its four houses and large swimming pool overlook several waterholes where the famous Samburu elephant, leopard, reticulated giraffe, Oryx, and Grevy’s zebra gather to drink.

The vastness and purity of this African landscape, combined with the untouched local culture, make your safari to Samburu a unique experience. The traditions and semi-nomadic heritage of the local Samburu people are an important part of the experience led by professional Samburu guides; guests to Saruni enjoy a new dimension of this rightfully popular region: the feeling of individuality, of having an incredibly large area totally to their own, and a high level of comfort and tailor-made service. Saruni Samburu has its own private airstrip near the Kalama Wildlife Conservancy headquarters, but it is also easily served by the other airstrips of the area where scheduled flights land.

ACCOMMODATION

Samburu Saruni Camp consists of 4 open-faced houses (accommodating 12 guests or more if triples needed) all of which have their own seating areas, multiple verandahs and private dining areas (2 of the houses are large family villas with two separate en-suite bedrooms and dressing rooms).

Saruni Family House

Saruni Samburu also offers a large swimming pool with dramatic views over Samburu, an area for massage and beauty treatments called Samburu Wellbeing Space, and several other are unique areas to use as hide-ways or view point to the waterholes that attract elephant, reticulated giraffe, zebra, Oryx and all the species that make Samburu Saruni so special.

WILDLIFE

Elephant, reticulated giraffe, grevy’s zebra, Oryx, leopards, ostrich’s, greater and lesser kudu, gerenuk, hyenas among other species.

ACTIVITIES

In addition to game drives to Samburu National reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve and West Gate Conservancy, activities will include night and morning game drive in Kalama Conservancy, rock climbing, professionally-led game walks, bush dinners, and star gazing.

The traditions and semi-nomadic heritage of the local Samburu people are also an important part of the experience. Led by professional Samburu guides, guests enjoy a new dimension of this rightfully popular region: the feeling of exclusivity, of having an incredibly large area to yourself, and a high level of comfort and tailor-made service.