A guided unconventional camping journey visiting the secluded and serene game park of Meru and the unique game reserve of Samburu with ascensions of Mt. Ololokwe the sacred mountain of the Samburu people being the highlight. This area north of Mount Kenya is a vast semi arid region with a wide variety of animal and bird life, some endemic to the region. This program offers a unique and enlightening way to explore this contrasted scenery, wildlife environments and diverse cultures of the rugged northern region of Kenya. En-route you’ll experience some of the day-to-day life of the Meru, Borana and Samburu people. You’ll have chances to visit some of them in their farms and villages and be guided by them through their lands and way of life. The last night is spent on the slopes of Mt. Kenya to offer a relaxing moment after the dynamic journey north. Accommodation on this trip is 4 nights camping, 1 night park Bandas and 1 night in a moderate standard lodge.

Day to day

Day 1: Departing Nairobi early we head northwards and drive through agricultural rich country destined for Meru Park in an area bordered by both the Meru and Borana tribes. En-route we pass across vast swathes of coffee, pineapple and rice plantations to a picnic lunch point in a local village homestead. Our journey proceeds further north past plantations of khat (qat) - a stimulating and intoxicating shrub grown as a cash crop in this part of the Country for export to the Arab world. We arrive at our overnight camp close to Meru Park to commence our cultural experience, trekking through local farmlands with a rare kind of farming practice. Our local guide offers detailed insight into the day-to-day life of the Meru sub tribe living on the slopes of Nyambene hills. Dinner and overnight at a well maintained campsite.

Day 2: After breakfast we proceed for morning and afternoon game viewing drive in the Meru park. Our experienced nature guide offers in-depth details of the attractions and wildlife. Meru National park is among the most geographically diverse parks in Kenya. The ecosystems in the park consists of over 10 permanent rivers, rain forest, swamps and tall grasses that provide fodder and shelter to a wide variety of herbivores and their predators. There is a good chance to see elephant, buffaloes, reticulated giraffes, Oryx, lesser Kudu, reedbuck, eland, gazelles, impala, lion, cheetah, crocodiles among others. This park is also famous for being the former base for renowned conservationists, Joy and George Adamson. It is here that they raised lion and leopard cubs before releasing them into the wild. Lunch, Dinner and overnight at the Bwatherongi Bandas.

Day 3: After an early morning game drive in the park and breakfast we depart and go via a local Borana village for insights into their ways of life. In contrast to their Wameru neighbours they are nomadic and depending chiefly on livestock. After this interactive cultural session we set off to the base camp of Ololokwe Mountain in the Namunyak conservation area – the magnificent land of endless hills. On arrival we meet our local hosts, the Samburu tribesmen who will give us a detailed overview of their land and culture. Our bush camp today is at Kirish Camp site, the base of the Olololokwe Mountain. This mountain is sacred to the Samburu sub tribe of northern Kenya who apparently are related to the Maasai found in the southern part of Kenya. We use this evening to sort out logistics of guides, security and donkeys for the next day’s trek. Dinner and overnight at Kirish bush Camp.

Day 4: Start the hike of the Olololokwe with the donkeys carrying provisions for two days. You hike up the steep slope through the high altitude forest comprising of acacia trees, pencil cedar, cycad palms and podo carpus arriving at the campsite after about 4 hours for a picnic lunch. You set camp then hike to the Mt. Olololokwe summit (2000m) and explore the various viewpoints. The views from these viewpoints are awesome. On one side is Mathew ranges with its Warges Peak (2600) majestically standing out. On the other are expansive plains extending to Nyambene Hills in the southeast. Namunyak Conservation area is a Samburu community run conservancy that acts as a dispersal area for the wildlife from Samburu and Meru parks. Our visit to this conservancy goes along way to help the local people and consequently encourage them to conserve and protect the environment. Dinner and Overnight at Bush Camp.

Day 5: After a 2 hour descent back to Kirish campsite, say good bye to our guides and board the vehicles to drive to Samburu National reserve to a picnic lunch point in the bush. Samburu national reserve is a semi arid ecosystem that teems with a host of wildlife endemic to the northern part of Kenya chief among them being the reticulated giraffe, grevy zebra, oryx, somali ostrich, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, impalas and dik-diks, lions, cheetahs and leopard and gerenuk – the gazelle with the longest neck. Dinner and overnight at a campsite in the park.