- Tier
- Classic
- Style
- Safari lodge
- Size
- 85 rooms
- Region
- Samburu
- Nearest airstrip
- Samburu (Buffalo Springs)
- Drive from strip
- 45 min
Built around natural spring-fed streams that meander right through the lodge grounds, with a famous Born Free heritage — it sits in the reserve where Joy Adamson worked.
A relaxed, well-run lodge on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro in Shaba National Reserve, with rooms strung along terraces overlooking the river. Spring water channels run through the gardens and a large pool looks out over the bush, making it a comfortable, family-friendly base for game drives in this quieter, less-visited reserve. A dependable Sarova-brand choice, with good value and consistent service.
Flying in
The nearest airstrip is Samburu (Buffalo Springs), about 45 min by road from the lodge. See the real fly-in routes and how the rest of the region connects on the Getting Around map.
Open the fly-in mapEvery Wildtouch safari is quoted individually — rates depend on your dates, the camps you choose and how it all links together. Jacob prices the whole journey, not a per-night sticker.
Other places to stay nearby
Samburu Sopa Lodge
A solid, good-value Sopa property of spacious cottages on a hillside above Samburu, a dependable comfort-tier option for the northern circuit.
ComfortSentrim Samburu
A comfortable, well-priced tented camp with private river views, giving easy access to game drives in both Samburu and Buffalo Springs.
ComfortLion King Bush Camp
An informal, owner-hosted bush camp where wildlife including elephants regularly passes through, set near the bridge linking Samburu and Buffalo Springs.
ClassicSamburu Serena Safari Lodge
Set under a verdant stand of riverine acacia forest right on the Ewaso Nyiro, with a celebrated riverbank viewing terrace where crocodiles and visiting leopards are baited at dusk.
ClassicAshnil Samburu Camp
Spacious en-suite tents fronting directly onto the Ewaso Nyiro, so wildlife — including elephant — frequently passes the verandas, with an outdoor swimming pool overlooking the river.
ClassicSamburu Intrepids
A well-established riverside tented camp on raised wooden platforms beneath thatched roofs, with game viewing across both Samburu and Buffalo Springs. A polished yet relaxed base on the northern frontier.
ClassicSaruni Rhino
The only lodge inside Sera Conservancy, offering East Africa's pioneering on-foot black rhino tracking in a community-owned sanctuary, where stays directly fund rhino protection.
LuxuryElephant Bedroom Camp
Each tent has its own plunge pool on a private deck, and elephants regularly wander right through the unfenced camp beneath the doum palms — hence the name.
LuxurySoroi Larsens Camp
A reimagined boutique tented camp set quietly along the Ewaso Nyiro, offering a refined riverside retreat that welcomes families and couples alike, with an emphasis on privacy and personal service.
LuxuryElephant Watch Camp
An intimate, conservation-led camp founded by the Douglas-Hamilton family, where Samburu guides trained with Save the Elephants know hundreds of individual elephants by name.
Ultimate luxurySaruni Samburu
Perched high in the Kalama Conservancy with vast open-fronted villas and infinity pools framing sweeping views to Mount Kenya and the Samburu plains — an exclusive, community-owned wilderness with no other lodges nearby.
Ultimate luxurySasaab
Vast open-fronted rooms, most with private plunge pools and rooftop star beds, perched on a ridge above the Ewaso Nyiro in the community-owned Westgate Conservancy, with bush walks and camel rides alongside game drives.
Stay at Sarova Shaba Game Lodge
Build it into a Wildtouch safari and Jacob will confirm availability, the flights to reach it and a price for the whole journey.