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Map of Samburu: Three Reserves Along One Desert River
Samburu is really three reserves sharing one lifeline. The Ewaso Ng’iro river runs brown and slow through semi-desert, and Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba crowd its banks, each on a different side. This Samburu map shows how the three fit together, where the airstrip and gates sit, and why this dry northern country holds five animals you will not find in the Mara.
Interactive map of the Samburu reserves
Gold shapes are the three national reserves: Samburu north of the river, Buffalo Springs south of it, Shaba off to the east. The brown line is the A2 highway running north from Isiolo. Blue is the main airstrip. Tap each reserve for its numbers.
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You can still use the guide and tables below, or open the area on Google Maps.
Three reserves, one ecosystem
Samburu National Reserve (165 km²) has the riverine forest and most of the lodges. Buffalo Springs (131 km²), across the river, is named for its clear spring-fed pools and shares the same game; a bridge near Archer’s Post links the two, and most game drives work both sides on one ticket arrangement. Shaba (239 km²), east of the highway, is bigger, emptier and more dramatic, all lava ridges and doum palms; it is where Joy Adamson’s later story played out.
| Reserve | Size | Side of river | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samburu | 165 km² | North | Riverine forest, leopard, most lodges |
| Buffalo Springs | 131 km² | South | Spring pools, open plains |
| Shaba | 239 km² | East | Lava scenery, solitude, Born Free history |
The Special Five
The reason repeat safari-goers head north: Grevy’s zebra (bigger, finer stripes, round ears), the reticulated giraffe with its crisp geometric coat, the Somali ostrich with blue-grey legs, the long-necked gerenuk standing upright to browse, and the beisa oryx. All five are northern dryland specialists, and Samburu is the most reliable place in Kenya to tick the whole set, often in a single morning along the river.
Getting to Samburu
By road it is about 320 km from Nairobi, six to seven hours: tarmac the whole way up the A2 through Nanyuki and Isiolo to Archer’s Post, the gate town. Most guests fly: 90 minutes from Wilson Airport to the Samburu Oryx airstrip. Samburu pairs naturally with Ol Pejeta or Lewa on the way up, and the Map of Kenya shows how the northern route stacks together.
Samburu map questions
Where is Samburu in Kenya?
In the northern rangelands, about 320 km from Nairobi past Isiolo, where the tarmac A2 meets the Ewaso Ng’iro river at Archer’s Post.
What are the Samburu Special Five?
Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx: five dryland species you will not reliably see in southern parks like the Mara or Amboseli.
How do I get to Samburu from Nairobi?
Drive the A2 in six to seven hours, or fly 90 minutes from Wilson Airport to the airstrip. Many trips break the drive at Ol Pejeta or Nanyuki.
Are Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba separate?
Yes, three separate county reserves, but they share the same river and wildlife. Samburu and Buffalo Springs connect by a bridge; Shaba sits a short drive east.
Go north for the Special Five
Samburu rewards travellers who have done the classics, and it slots beautifully onto a Laikipia route. Ask us how to build the northern loop.
Get a Personalised SafariPark and reserve boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Basemap © OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Satellite imagery © Esri. Terrain tiles by Mapzen and AWS Open Data. Boundaries for Shaba National Reserve from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK. Available at protectedplanet.net.