Sarara Wilderness
Location
Broadly speaking, it operates in the lands bordered to the south by the Ewaso Ngiro River as it flows through the wider Samburu, an ancient elephant corridor through the riverine woodlands bisecting this semi-arid region. Away from the river, acacia scrub dotted with doum palms intersects with savanna to create a patchwork of habitats supporting a rich assortment of animals.
The camp can be accessed via either the Kalama or Buffalo Springs airstrips. From Sara’s locations in the Matthews Range – Sarara Camp, Sarara Reteti House and Sarara Treehouses – the transfer by road is under three hours.
Accommodation
When you and your small party head out with Sarara Wilderness, there’ll never be more than six tents. They’re custom-made canvas affairs, made to invoke that romantic sense of adventure in days gone by but designed for modern comforts too. There’s certainly more than a hint of David Livingstone, but you’ll also enjoy super-soft bedding, a flush toilet and a hot outdoor shower.
There’s even a curated library of books to help you to get to know the environment you are passing through – both wildlife and culture – but the other alternative to browsing indexes is just to ask your Samburu hosts. It’s their environment, and they are the experts from having grown up living and farming sustainably along the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro.
Experiences
- Safari excursions here, particularly with the tracking skills and local knowledge of the Samburu, will yield an excellent array of animals. In addition to plentiful elephants, there are buffalo, leopards, hippos, cheetahs and lions.
- Get above everything in a helicopter. You can fly over sweeping savannas and see the beautiful forms of extinct volcanoes and get photos that do justice to the scale of the land.
- Your Samburu hosts will take you to their manyatta homesteads to learn more about their rich pastoral culture. This is unscripted and immersive, and you’ll enjoy genuine connection with the people you meet.
- Spend a morning with the Samburu ladies and learn about their striking jewellery – both its cultural significance and how to make it.
- Join a Samburu blacksmith for an artisanal masterclass and watch him fashion beautiful items over a fire.
- Be mesmerised by the rhythms, power and elegance of the Ngoma, a timeless dance with songs and percussive sounds that combine into an extraordinary spectacle.
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
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