Saruni Samburu

Saruni Samburu is located in the private Kalama Conservancy on the edge of Samburu National Reserve, with all 200,000 acres reserved just for guests at the lodge.

The beautiful private villas are one of the major highlights at Saruni Samburu. Each is carefully built into the rockface, with a canvas front wall which rolls up to reveal fantastic views of the conservancy below. The decor is simple but luxurious, pairing natural rock features and a neutral colour scheme with rich red rugs and billowing white linens. Outside, enjoy large decks from which you can admire the views.

There are two standard villas and four family villas - which have an additional en suite bedroom and a shared sitting and dining area in between the rooms.

Meals have a strong Italian leaning, drawing on the owner’s heritage, and are served in the large central dining area, which has fantastic views of the conservancy. That said, dining is by no means confined to the lodge and you’ll want to enjoy sundowners on the bonnet of your Land Rover, breakfasts out in the bush, and dinners under the stars.

The main lodge at Saruni Samburu has stunning views which are best enjoyed with a cool drink. There are also two large swimming pools built into the rocks – an essential in our book, as this area can get seriously hot in the summer months - and a dedicated photography hide, from where you can get amazing up-close encounters with wildlife at a watering hole.

Here you're both in the heart of Samburuland and in excellent game viewing country, so activities are split between game drives and the more cultural side of things. Children will adore learning bush skills on the brilliant ‘Warrior Academy’ programme, and for a small extra fee there are fascinating visits to the local community. Alongside this you can do morning and afternoon game drives, and bush walks out into the wilderness. For those interested in conservation a visit to the nearby Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is another must-do.