Name: Samburu Riverside Camp
Address: Samburu National Reserve park, Samburu, Samburu, Samburu, 60302, Kenya
Rating: 9

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Bottled water (at extra charge)

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Samburu Riverside Camp

Samburu

This was the fourth destination on our safari introducing our son and daughter in law to self drive in Kenya.  We arrived a little late for lunch from the luxury of Sweetwaters in Ol Pejeta and after a lot of payment hassle at the Archer's Post gate to the reserve.  
First impressions were only fair.  The camp looked a bit run down but the staff greeted us shyly but pleasantly enough and the freshly cooked lunch was very good.  The tents were better appointed than first impressions gave and we soon learned that if something was missing (drinking water in the bathroom) we only had to ask!
We also had to ask for a game drive in the camp vehicle but as we had arrived under our own steam it was not surprising that it was not offered.  It was very worthwhile, we had our only view of a cheetah on this trip as well as wonderful elephants.    
The beds proved as good as any of the ones we had slept in before, the shower, which looked pretty 'heath robinson' worked beautifully and Wilson's meals were freshly cooked from first class ingredients and were delicious, the best mandazis of our trip!  
Sleeping so close to the wildlife was magical and once the staff got to know us conversation flowed and we all four fell under the spell of staying in this camp and venturing out for game drives at any time we wished.  By the time we left after three nights we were wishing we could stay for much longer.  Thank you to the team at Samburu Riverside Camp.  

Perfect.  (For the right sort of traveller.)

Friendly staff, very comfortable tents in a great location.  Food was very tasty. Highly recommend for families.  Able to arrange ranger-guided hikes and hear the sounds of wildlife at night.  I would go back anytime!

Great tenting experience in the heart of Samburu National Reserve.

Samburu Riverside Camp is a tented camp with both permanent tents (two with en suite - we booked these at extra cost) and also pitches for your own tents which other people used during our stay. During our recent 16 day tour around Kenya we stayed in  9 different accommodations ranging from lodges to bandas to wooden cabins to luxury tented camps. Samburu Riverside Camp was our favourite (and incidentally, it was also the cheapest place we stayed!). The camp is located within the Samburu Reserve in a good location for game viewing. Within minutes of leaving the camp for our morning/evening game drives we saw two leopards, multiple lions, elephants and buffalo. The camp is not fenced, meaning that the animals are free to roam through the site - there's nothing quite as amazing as being able to see hyaena, elephants and monkeys from your own bed! 

The thing which made this camp exceptional compared to our other accommodation, though, was the people who run it. Wilson, Mike and Lino were incredibly welcoming, kind and friendly. They answered our many questions and nothing was too much trouble. Wilson's cooking was also the best we sampled in Kenya - fresh, tasty and personally cooked for us (compared to the many cold buffets we sampled elsewhere). 

If you're looking for luxury rooms with a swimming pool, massage parlour and wifi then this is not the place for you. If you are looking to spend time in the bush with the animals, a clear view of the stars and milky way. and wonderful people - I couldn't recommend Samburu Riverside Camp more!

As an aside - if the camp had had a curio/gift shop I would have definitely purchased some souvenirs to bring home. This might be an idea for future improvement and a way for the Samburu staff to supplement their income?

Our favourite place to stay in Kenya

It looks like our motto is ‘go compare’. In our case it means staying at extremely different places, after some days in a luxurious lodge we try a very basic, budget camp. We have been doing it for years and still find it entertaining and challenging.

We arrive at Riverside Camp in time for lunch which offers pasta, French fries, fried vegetables, salad and fruit, all very nice.

Our tent is called Tembo (elephant), there are two beds, a small bathroom with flush toilet and a wash basin with only one tap.
The access paths are set out with stones painted in zebra fashion which gives brilliant effect.

At 4pm when the temperature is 37 C we start our game drive.
It would be very appropriate to call it a drive through Elephant Kingdom.

What should clever animals like elephants do when in the scorching sun? They play in water, of course. So we stay glued to the river bank the whole afternoon and watch big elephants, small elephants and baby elephants, on our side of the river, then crossing the river, going back, mock fighting, splashing. From time to time they would get interested in our vehicle and come very close. We were demonstrated how to feed the babies if you have breasts between the forelegs or how to rub against the trees. For the first time we were able to see some elephants actually lying down in the shade of a bush.

When it is inevitable to start going back to the Camp, we are making a rather slow progress as the elephants are all the time around us: some are on our left, on our right and in front of the vehicle.

When we eventually get back to our camp and our very appropriately called tent (Tembo) we are offered dinner with a perfect tomato soup with croutons, choice of rice or potatoes, stew, cooked vegetables, coffee. Generally the food is a very strong point of this establishment.

We stay up long talking with our guide and the very friendly men who run this camp so efficiently.

Our breakfast was also perfect, fruit - pineapple, mango, pancakes, warm toast, fried eggs, coffee.

Remember: the choice is yours.

  

Riverside Camp and Elephants

We spent two nights at this place. It is far more affordable than the lodges and it offers a much greater sense of adventure. Much of the sense of adventure comes from sleeping in a tent though this is not as dangerous as you may think. The beds and facilities are comfortable though I would advice to keep everything closed to stop uninvited visitors. And of course do not leave any food lying around.
The meal facilities are basic to match the camp but meals are nevertheless very tasty. Staff are helpful, accommodating and knowledgeable. Don't be afraid to ask questions or to ask for things like towels or if you have food requests. 
I would recommend this place to anyone who wants that little bit of extra adventure in their visit to this wonderful park. 

Affordable adventure 

If you are looking for luxury this isn't the camp for you but if you are looking for the real African experience then this is the place to stay.  The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and Kelvin was a great guide - 9 visits to Kenya and at last we saw leopard!  Yes, it is basic but the food was very good and it was clean, no frills but we came to see the game and you certainly won't be disappointed.

Value for money

We opted to stay here as it was more affordable.  We booked the only two 'en suite' tents which had very comfortable beds.  It is a very simple camp with most of its tents having shared facilities.  (These were quite basic).  It has a simple mess tent.  We took our own drinks and meat but that isn't really necessary.  They do provide food, Sodas, beers.

The kitchen produced tasty simple food and cooked our fillet steak perfectly.  

Don't expect frills here but the service is good for the level of accommodation.

Kelvin who owns the camp is very pleasant, knowledgeable and trying hard.  We went on a game drive with him and found excellent sightings of Leopard.

Would definitely return.

A good alternative to pricey lodges in Samburu Reserve.

Good location, nice staff, good tents to sleep in, safe. 
Only downside is that electricity is not available for charging at night so bring your powerbank if you want to be sure you can take all the pictures you want. Tents are rather small for 3 people but we managed even with our large backpacks so it is certainly doable.
If you bring your own padlock you can lock your tent. "Cages" to store your valuables are under the bed. We were 12 people and all were positive about this place.
Great value for money!

Great place to stay

I am writing this review as it was extremely difficult to find information about the Samburu campsite before booking a trip with GAdventures, who uses this site often on their Kenya Camping Safari. I hope this helps future travelers.

We came to this campsite at the end of a long day of driving, followed by a short and exhilarating game drive in Samburu NP. This is situated very near the gate, and is in a clearing of a copse of trees, with a permanent cooking and toilet facility. Make no mistake, this is not "glamping" - the tents are all nylon with fly tarps and a thin piece of foam with a blanket on the ground as a sleeping mat. There is no light bleed, as it's within the park, and no artificial lighting to guide your way.  It is simply a beautiful, wild site, with vervet monkeys in the trees all around you, elephant calls and other animal sounds in the near distance as you fall asleep.  Also, at dusk, little mouse bats come out and fly manically around the umbrella acacias near the cook tent, so you have a show as you wait for supper.

The tents were quite clean and well maintained, and mine had a metal D-ring at the inside top-most part which I could attach my headlamp with a carabiner, making an overhead light. I could also stand up in the center, (I'm 5'8 or 1.73 meters), making life much easier.  The zippers were sturdy, and the mesh allowed for cool breezes and no bugs.  Common sense applies - don't leave trash or food inside the tent, and you won't have curious monkeys or ravenous bugs come visit. Take off your shoes outside the tent if you want a clean sleeping area inside. 

The toilet facility was a concrete block structure across the road with Western style flush toilets into a long drop tank, and cold water showers with gravity feed force from the roof. The lighting was completely provided by your torch, so be prepared, and the route can be disorienting at night, since you're walking through some bushes towards other bushes, which obscure sight of both the tents and the toilet structure. Best done during the day the first few times. In truth it was much more of a toilet facility than I expected, so it was all fine with me.

The cooking shelter is a dark shack made of palm leaves and posts with a tarp slung over the roof and between the trees and the table, as there are many vervet monkeys in the trees who fear nothing when tasty buffets are laid out. The staff carries slingshots to scare the monkeys off (not to hurt them), but they are clever bandits. There is a standing collapsible tub of water for doing dishes and cleaning hands, and the cook stove is run on fuel, not a generator. There is a long picnic table with those ubiquitous plastic molded deck chairs for seating. Given the rudimentary nature of the facilities, I was impressed by the meals the camp cook was able to make every night.

Finally, at night, there was a small bonfire area towards which the plastic chairs were pulled from the dining area to enjoy the huge moon and stars over the park. Thoroughly a delightful, rustic place.

Samburu Riverside Camp

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