Is Samburu National Reserve Safe For Tourists? : Samburu national reserve is the most popular Kenya wildlife destination in the northern region of Kenya, the reserve is situated at the southeastern corner of Samburu District in the Rift Valley Province in Kenya and is bordered to the south by Ewaso Nyiro River which separates it from the Buffalo Springs national reserve.
From Nairobi City, it is approximately 345 kilometers to get to Samburu national reserve.
Samburu national reserve is a home to a rich variety of wildlife including abundance of rare northern specialists species (The Samburu Special Five) such as the Grevy Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx.
Samburu national reserve offers excellent wildlife viewing throughout the year which is why it is loved by many tourists, in Samburu most big safari animals are easily spotted.
Is Samburu national reserve safe for tourists?
One of the first questions asked by tourists as they plan their Kenya safari to Samburu national reserve, is about their personal security during their visit.
Samburu national reserve is a very safe destination to visit, the reserve is well protected by professionally – trained park rangers and wildlife wardens, also the reserve is located hours away from the urban areas of Kenya where safety is more of a concern.
Here are the reasons to why Samburu national reserve is one of the safest protected areas to visit for a safari or tour in Kenya.
Location
Samburu national reserve is located miles away from towns and cities at the southeastern corner of Samburu District, this area is basically in the wilderness hence naturally peaceful and with a low population of human.
As a tourist, it is worth noting that Kenya as a country is generally safe, however during your visit you are advised to exercising cautioned in parts of urban cities such as Nairobi and Mombasa where most safaris to Samburu national reserve start from.
National importance
With tourism being one of the leading sources of revenue in Kenya, the Kenya Government has taken tourism as a priority and has put in measures to ensure the personal safety of tourists visiting Kenya’s national park and reserves including Samburu national reserve.
Samburu national reserve is a premier reserve and a safari destination in Kenya attracting a huge number of tourists from all across the world thus making it a big income earner for Kenya. Therefore, the Government of Kenya takes a keen attention to security in these destinations.
Management of the Reserves
Samburu national reserve is professionally managed by a combination of local Country administration which in turn have deployed highly trained park and wildlife rangers, some of these are armed.
There are teams of personnel patrol the reserve on a constant basis and to further ensure your safety, hotels, camps and lodges in the reserve have their own guards around the clock monitoring movements of wild animals in and around their properties and also ensure the safety of their tourists/guests. Wild animals can be dangerous so there are a set of park rules which visitors are asked to adhere to for their own safety, one of these rules is to stay in your vehicles in all times while in the reserve, unless at designated picnic or walking areas.
Driving in the dark is also not allowed in Samburu national reserve and all visitors must exit the reserve or return to their camps or lodges by dusk usually at 06:30 pm.
Note: Night game drives are not allowed inside Samburu national reserve.
Best time to visit Samburu national reserve
Samburu national reserve is a year round Kenya safari destination, however wildlife viewing is usually best in the dry months from June to October and December to March. In the dry season, animals tend to congregate along the Ewaso Nyiro River to drink water and eat on the remaining grass which makes it easy to spot them.
The best time to avoid visiting Samburu national reserve is during the wet season (November, April and May) as the high grass will make spotting of the animals very challenging. However, if you are a bird lover, the wet season is the perfect time of the year to enjoy bird watching as many migratory birds arrive in the reserve during this season from North America and other parts of the world.
