We can't even begin to describe how incredible the staff are at Saruni. Our guide (and Samburu warrior), Lapayon, made the whole experience that much more special. He is so knowledgable about his people and the game in the Reserve. We didn't come up with a question he couldn't answer. The staff at the lodge are also amazing, willing at all times to help with any need, whether it be refreshments in the main area or help carrying bags to the safari vehicles. Though the rooms are spread out throughout the lodge, they are definitely not a 10 minute walk. Our room, the furthest from the main area, was at maximum a five minute walk. We were very lucky in our game viewing, and were able to see leopard, lion and cheetah. At one point, a leopard came within mere feet of the vehicle. In addition to the cats, we saw all of the Samburu Special 5, which are the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Somalian ostrich, Beisa Oryx and long-necked antelope, the Gerenuk. We also got within feet of a family of elephant, saw an abundance of gazelle and antelope, and enjoyed the many unique bird and lizard species, including crocodiles.
One note: Though the conservation area is nice and quiet, there isn't as much game as in the Reserve. The Reserve is about an hour drive on rough roads, so if that concerns you then this may not be the ideal place for you. We did see a leopard right at the lodge, and part of being located in the conservancy is understanding the relationship between the Samburu people and the lodge, which allows for them to graze cattle and camel in the area on a limited basis.
The only reason we aren't giving this lodge five star review was the (very) slight lack in maintenance. Our room's entryway was missing a stained glass tile, which allowed bugs in. Either as a direct result of the missing tile or just part of the experience, the stay was a bit buggy (which is to be expected, if somewhat inconvenient). The lodge is under new management, and with just a little bit of work all issues will be easily resolved. Johann and Zoe are lovely people, and sat with us at dinner one night, which allowed us to get to know them a little bit. We feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to get to know the Samburu tribesmen that work at the lodge, and would highly recommend this place for your next trip to Kenya. If you're looking for the herds of game and endless expanses of land, Mara is a one or two hour flight and well worth it, but without the Mara we still would've been very satisfied with our time in the Samburu Reserve.
