We started off the morning touring the beautiful Samburu Intrepids Camp, the luxuriously large family suite and the
young explorers area where we found a mural of the Samburu Special Five, animals only specific to the Samburu Reserve. These include the somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk gazelle, grevy zebra and the oryx. By this time we’d already seen 3 of the 5 so we set off to catch the last two.
Right off the bat on our game drive with Albert we saw the gerenuk gazelle, bringing the count up to four, We didn’t figure we would see the ostrich but nearly to the park gate we saw another vehicle pulled over and what did we see? Not only one ostrich but a family of 7, mama, daddy and 5 little babies!
With the special five ticked off our checklist, it was time to head to a local Samburu village where the ladies welcomed us with song and dance. They danced both for us and with us, the warriors made fire, sang and jumped to a love song. And lastly we were invited inside their traditional home made of reeds and cow or elephant dung.
Before departure, the most rewarding part was giving them maps; all the kids and mothers gathered around and were ecstatic to see the new addition to their classroom.
After our visit it was time to say goodbye to Albert as Alois, our guide and Samburu Warrior, took us to our new home for the next two days. And what an amazing home it was; after driving up a rock faced hill, as we came through the archway entrance, it took our breath away! The view from the top of this heaven on the hill was stunning, desert plains set amidst incredibly green trees with a backdrop of Mt. Kenya. Wow! Once escorted to our room the amazement did not end, having the same view from the living room, bedroom and outdoor shower alike. Just incredible!
After a decadent lunch and quick dip in our mountain top pool we took off on a game drive with Alois where we quickly saw a lioness basking in the heat of the day. The highlight of the day however was viewing a herd of elephants, led by the matriarch, cross a rapid river! We watched anxiously as nature unfolded. A mother and her baby, only months old attempt to cross the water! Her trunk held high as a snorkel, the struggle was real as we almost watched her wash away! The mother was fast to act, dropping down onto her side to stop the current and allow the baby to cross unharmed. After such an adrenaline rush we stopped by the river for our first sundowner where we enjoyed some gin and tonic as the sun set over the water. What an amazing day, we can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring!
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