Thirty-six places to stay across Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba and the conservancies around them, from a county campsite to a villa at $800. Because the three reserves are separately ticketed by two different counties, the first line of every entry tells you which one you are actually in and what it costs to be there.
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Samburu is sold as one destination and it is three reserves under two county governments, plus a ring of community conservancies around them. Samburu National Reserve belongs to Samburu County. Buffalo Springs and Shaba belong to Isiolo County, which charges less. There is no published combined ticket, so the first line of every entry below tells you which reserve or conservancy the camp is genuinely in and what you will be charged there. Three of the best-known properties carry Samburu in their name or their marketing and sit in Buffalo Springs: Ashnil Samburu Camp, Samburu Simba Lodge and Surana Buffalo Springs. The conservancies, Westgate, Kalama, Namunyak and Sera, are community-owned under the Northern Rangelands Trust. Their fee is usually inside the room rate, it funds the community that owns the land, and it buys you night drives, walking and off-road driving that the reserves do not allow. It does not buy you a reserve ticket.
Saruni Samburu is in Kalama Wildlife Conservancy on the eastern side of Samburu National Reserve, so the conservancy fee applies and a day inside the reserve costs $85 per non-resident adult on top. The lodge opened in 2008 as the first in Kalama and has six villas, four of them family units. Saruni's own page says rates start at US$800 without stating the basis, so confirm what that figure covers before you commit.
The public campsite is inside Samburu National Reserve on the bank of the Ewaso Nyiro, close to the lodge that used to be Samburu Game Lodge, so the $85 reserve entry is due on top of the camping charge. Samburu County's own Finance Act puts camping at $25 per non-resident adult per night, while the regional sites say $30, and the county's figure is the one with a legal document behind it. You cannot book ahead, and payment is in cash at the Archer's Post gate.
Special campsites, by permit · Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve also has special campsites, Naiburta and Koitogor among them, allocated by permit inside the reserve, so entry at $85 per non-resident adult applies as well as the camping charge. The Finance Act puts camping at $25 per non-resident adult per night with a reservation charge of KES 12,000 per week per site. Booking goes through the Samburu County offices in Maralal or Archer's Post, and you should come away with a written permit naming your site and your dates.
Public and special campsites · Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Buffalo Springs National Reserve has a public campsite by Ngaremara Gate and a set of special campsites, all under Isiolo County, so entry is $70 per non-resident adult rather than the $85 charged across the river. The county schedule puts camping at $30 per non-resident adult per night. Facilities are minimal, down to drop toilets, and the special sites have to be booked in advance.
The public campsites in Shaba National Reserve belong to Isiolo County, like the reserve itself, so entry is $70 per non-resident adult and camping is $30 a night for non-residents. Kenyan citizens are quoted KES 250 a night. Facilities are basic, and you should assume cash or mobile money rather than a card machine.
Elephant Bedroom sits on the Ewaso Nyiro inside Samburu National Reserve, so your gate money goes to Samburu County at $85 per non-resident adult per day. The camp's own site counts 14 tents, worth knowing because a great many agents still publish 12. No rate appears anywhere on that site, so the price comes back by email.
On requestProbably year-round; four seasons listed and no closure months
Larsen's now trades as Soroi Larsens Camp, on the west bank of the Ewaso Nyiro inside Samburu National Reserve, where a non-resident adult pays Samburu County $85 a day. Soroi's own website would not open for us in September 2026, so the count of 20 tents comes from listings rather than the operator. Anything you read about a Larsen's rate is coming from somebody reselling it.
The lodge built in 1962 as Samburu Game Lodge reopened in July 2025 as Soroi Samburu Lodge, in riverine forest inside Samburu National Reserve, where entry is $85 per non-resident adult per day. Any round-up still selling you Samburu Game Lodge is selling a name that stopped existing in July 2025. Listings count 50 rooms, and we could not reach the operator to confirm that or any rate.
Family rooms
On requestReopened July 2025 after rebuilding; closure months unknown
Samburu Intrepids lies along the Ewaso Nyiro inside Samburu National Reserve, so the county gate charge of $85 per non-resident adult per day applies. Heritage Hotels prices it in shillings on a full board basis and keeps those figures behind a booking form, which is why there is nothing to quote here. Twenty-eight tents, roughly twenty minutes from the Samburu airstrip.
Sopa's own page states plainly that the lodge is inside Samburu National Reserve, so guests pay Samburu County $85 a day and the agents who file it under Buffalo Springs have it wrong. It is a large property for this river at 60 rooms, two of them interconnecting and wheelchair accessible. Sopa keeps no rate on the lodge page, so ask reservations for the season you want.
On requestYear-round; activities described as available all year
Elephant Watch Camp stands on the bank of the Ewaso Nyiro inside Samburu National Reserve, so the Samburu County fee of $85 per non-resident adult per day applies. Six tents, run by the Douglas-Hamilton family. The camp's own website would not load in September 2026, so every figure quoted for it elsewhere comes from somebody else.
Sentrim Samburu is placed inside Samburu National Reserve by almost every source, which would make entry Samburu County's $85 a day, though Sentrim's own website has not confirmed it and one operator files the camp under Buffalo Springs at $70. That gap is real money at the gate, so ask the camp which side of the river you will be sleeping on. Twenty-one tents and one family house, ten minutes from the Oryx airstrip.
Despite the name, Ashnil Samburu Camp sits inside Buffalo Springs National Reserve, which is Isiolo County, so entry is $70 per non-resident adult against Samburu's $85. Ashnil's own site says so in as many words and adds that the river forms the boundary with Samburu National Reserve, which you would pay for separately. The same page counts 19 deluxe tents in September 2026, while almost every agent still writes 30.
Surana is Ashnil's second camp in Buffalo Springs National Reserve, on a ridge above the Ewaso Nyiro valley, so the Isiolo County rate of $70 per non-resident adult applies. Some of the tented suites have a private plunge pool and the grounds carry a 24-hour electric fence. It is new enough that most lodge lists have never heard of it, and it publishes no rate.
Swimming pool
On requestProbably year-round; the owner's page runs a season-by-season section without stating it
Samburu Simba Lodge stands deep inside Buffalo Springs National Reserve near the airstrip, so the ticket is Isiolo County's $70 a day whatever the name suggests. It is a large property, around 70 rooms across seven two-storey blocks, including interconnecting rooms. We found no operator website, which is why there is no rate and no contact address here.
Sarova Shaba is the one conventional lodge working inside Shaba National Reserve, which is Isiolo County, so entry runs $70 per non-resident adult per day. Eighty-five rooms along the Ewaso Nyiro, in the quietest of the three reserves. Sarova's website blocked us in September 2026, so go to their own booking channel for a price.
On requestTrading in 2026 according to current booking listings
Lodge with tented suites · Westgate Community Conservancy
Sasaab sits in Westgate Community Conservancy on the edge of Samburu National Reserve, so what you pay is Westgate's conservancy fee, usually inside the room rate, and the reserve's $85 only on the days you drive in. The owner's own site counts 11 suites of more than 100 square metres, each with a plunge pool, which corrects the older listings that say nine. The Safari Collection publishes its rates in documents we could not read, so the price comes by email.
Tented camp with star beds · Kalama Wildlife Conservancy
Basecamp Samburu opened in January 2025 as the second camp in Kalama Wildlife Conservancy, where the conservancy fee applies and a drive into Samburu National Reserve is charged separately at $85 per non-resident adult. Five tents, four doubles and a family tent, plus star beds for a night out under the sky. No rate is published, so Saruni Basecamp quotes on request.
Sarara Camp is in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy on the southern flank of the Mathews Range, well north of the three reserves, so you pay the conservancy and get no reserve access with it. Six en-suite tents plus Sarara House, a two-bedroom family unit with its own plunge pool. This is a destination in its own right rather than a day trip from Samburu National Reserve, which is several hours away and separately ticketed.
Sarara Treehouses stands in the same Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, in forest near Wamba, where the conservancy fee applies and none of the three reserve tickets do. Eight tents raised into the canopy, each en suite with a solar outdoor shower. Sarara has a 2026 and 2027 rate document for the treehouses on its own site, which we could not open, so ask the camp for it.
Exclusive-use house · Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy
Reteti House is a community-owned, exclusive-use house in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, so the conservancy fee is what you pay and a reserve ticket is a separate purchase. It sleeps six and only books as a whole, which makes it a family or small group option rather than a room you take for a night. The rates circulating for it come from resellers, so ask Sarara.
Tented camp, usually exclusive use · Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy
Kalepo Camp sits on a dry riverbed in the northern part of Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, so the conservancy fee is what you pay here and none of the three reserve tickets are included. Five guest tents, with a sixth mentioned as being built, and exclusive use of around 390,000 acres either side of the Mathews Mountains. It has been open since April 2020 and publishes no rate we could find.
Eco tented camp with bandas and a dormitory · Ol Donyo Sabache, in the Namunyak area
Sabache Camp is a community-run camp at the foot of Mount Ololokwe in the Namunyak area, about 37 km from Archer's Post, so no reserve ticket is involved until you drive into one. Eight en-suite tents plus a dormitory, which makes it one of the very few genuinely affordable beds around here. The camp has not published its own tariff, so ask before you count on a figure you read elsewhere.
Saruni Rhino is the only place to stay in Sera Community Conservancy, some 70 km northeast of the reserves, so the conservancy fee applies and none of the reserve tickets are included. Three to four stone bandas with their own bathrooms, a shared sitting area and a pool, beside a sandy lugga lined with doum palms. Sera is community-run, and the camp publishes no rate, so Saruni Basecamp quotes on request.
Community eco-lodge · Westgate Community Conservancy
Ngutuk Ongiron is a community eco-lodge in Westgate Community Conservancy, which was the Ngutuk-Ongiron Group Ranch before the conservancy existed, so the conservancy fee applies and Samburu National Reserve is a separate $85. We could not find a website, an address, a bed count or a rate, and only one regional listing mentions it at all. If you run this lodge, write to us and we will fill the entry in properly.
Budget bandas, tents and a campsite · Archer's Post, outside the three reserves
Umoja Women's Camp sits just outside Archer's Gate on the edge of Archer's Post, outside every reserve and every conservancy, so nothing is due until you drive through a gate. It is run by the Umoja Uaso Women's Group, with simple bandas, tents and a campsite. The figures circulating for it disagree wildly and none of them comes from the camp, so ask when you arrive.
Budget camp · Archer's Post, outside the three reserves
Lion's Cave Camp is in Archer's Post, roughly 1.6 km from the centre and outside all three reserves, so a gate fee is due only on the days you drive in. It turns up as budget lodging on listing sites, with no website, no published rate and no confirmed bed count. If you run it, tell us and we will list it properly.
Community campsite · Westgate Community Conservancy
The West Gate campsite is inside Westgate Community Conservancy, outside the reserves, so the conservancy is what you pay and Samburu National Reserve costs $85 per non-resident adult on any day you drive in. The conservancy has not published a camping rate, and the figure circulating on listing sites is somebody else's estimate. Ask Westgate directly, and ask what the fee covers.
Tented camp · Samburu National Reserve or Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Lion King Bush Camp stands by the bridge that links Samburu and Buffalo Springs, and the sources disagree about which side it is on, which decides whether you pay $85 or $70 at the gate. Six very private tents on the Ewaso Nyiro, with en-suite toilets and bucket showers. Ring the camp or the county before you buy a ticket, because we will not guess this one for you.
Small solar-powered tented camp · Samburu National Reserve or Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Samburu Riverside Camp is a small solar-powered camp on the Ewaso Ng'iro, and the two regional sites that cover it put it in different reserves, which is the difference between a $70 ticket and an $85 one. The same sites give rates that disagree by a factor of three, and neither figure comes from the camp. Self-catering and full board are both mentioned, so confirm the gate, the basis and the price before you travel.
Rustic walking camp, possibly mobile · Kalama Wildlife Conservancy
Samburu Trails Camp is listed as a rustic walking camp in Kalama Wildlife Conservancy, where the conservancy fee applies and reserve entry is a separate purchase. Only one regional site mentions it, there is no website, no rate and no bed count, and it may be a mobile or seasonal operation. We have kept the name here so you know it exists in listings, and we would rather say that than invent the rest.
Semi-permanent canvas camp · Shaba National Reserve
Shaba Safari Camp is described by one regional site as a semi-permanent canvas camp among the volcanic hills inside Shaba National Reserve, where entry would be Isiolo County's $70. Nearly every other source says Sarova Shaba is the only lodge working inside Shaba, so we could not establish that this camp exists at all. No website, no rate and no capacity, and we would welcome a correction from whoever runs it.
Rustic eco camp · Archer's Post, outside the three reserves
Samburu Eco Camp appears on one regional site as a rustic camp at Archer's Post on the edge of the reserve, which would put it outside the gates and outside any entry fee until you drive in. We found no website and no second source, and it may well be one of the other Archer's Post budget camps trading under a different name. Treat the name as unverified until somebody confirms it.
Samburu Serena stands in Buffalo Springs National Reserve across the river from Samburu National Reserve, which would make entry Isiolo County's $70 per non-resident adult. What we could establish in September 2026 is that Serena's own safari page lists five Kenyan properties and this is not among them, and that serenahotels.com/samburu returns a 404, while booking sites carry on selling the lodge. What we could not establish is whether it is trading, and the lodge was badly damaged in the flood of March 2010. If it is open, tell us and we will put the 62 rooms back on the page the same week.
Joy's Camp sits in Shaba National Reserve on the site of Joy Adamson's original tented camp, where entry is $70 per non-resident adult. What we could establish is that Elewana's page for the camp returns a 404, that the camp's own Facebook page says it is closed, and that several travel sources report the same. What we could not establish is a reopening date or any current statement from the owner. If the camp is open, write to us and we will correct this entry.
Lodge, also listed as a tented lodge · Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Buffalo Springs Lodge, also listed as Buffalo Springs Tented Lodge, appears in older round-ups of Buffalo Springs National Reserve, where entry is $70 per non-resident adult. What we could establish in September 2026 is that there is no working website, no way to book it and no recent mention of it anywhere. What we could not establish is when it stopped trading, though the flood of 2010 is the obvious suspect. If the lodge is open, write to us and we will list it with its real details.
On requestAppears to be closed
Nothing matches all of those at once. Take one filter off and try again.
Every price on this page is in US dollars.
Checked in September 2026. This region publishes almost no rates in the open: nearly every camp hides its tariff behind an enquiry form or a PDF, and several operators' own websites were unreachable on the day we looked. Where that happened we say so and list the place as on request, because we only print a rate the owner has published. Agent and tour operator quotes are deliberately left off this page. County entry is extra everywhere: $85 per non-resident adult per day for Samburu National Reserve, $70 for Buffalo Springs and Shaba, and a conservancy fee instead of either if you stay outside the reserves.
Facilities come from each property's own website, read in September 2026, and we only record what that page states. In this region that is a short list: several operators' sites were unreachable when we looked, one had an expired certificate and another blocked us outright, so most entries here carry no facility data at all. A blank means we could not check it, not that the facility is missing.
