SAFARI DESTINATIONS:

Want to receive free, regular updates?
Join the Bush Journal ezine.

SARARA, NAMUNYAK

. . . meaning ‘the place of peace'.

The Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust, an area of approximately 75,000 hectares, lies folded around the southern corner of the fabled Mathews Mountain range of northern Kenya, home to the proud Samburu tribes people, a group of semi-nomadic pastoralists who have for long shown tolerance for the wildlife that co-exists alongside their cattle.

The Trust was set up in 1995 specifically to promote wildlife conservation and to assist the local community to benefit from tourism, in return for protecting the wildlife species living on their land.

The conservation work carried out by the Namunyak Trust to date has been hugely successful. As a result of the severe ivory poaching crisis of the mid 1970's and early ‘80's, there were no recorded elephants remaining in the Mathews range by 1985. Today, several thousand elephant are recorded as living and breeding peacefully in the southern Mathews range area, together with a variety of other wildlife species such as buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, greater and lesser kudu, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, impala and dik dik.

Activities

In addition to the usual viewing of big game, the main focus of activities on Namunyak are as follows:

• Escorted bush walks with our expert local field scouts.
• Hiking into the Mathews rainforest.
• Climbing to the top of Lolokwe with donkeys.
• Fly camping safaris with camels along the wide sand ‘luggas'.
• Moonlit bush dinners beside natural animal watering points.
• Day trips to Samburu and Shaba game reserves.

Sarara Camp

The main lounge and dining area are on a wooden deck with commanding views of the Northern Frontier. Accommodation is in five double tents, each with flush-loos and open air showers. A natural rock swimming pool overlooks an animal waterhole frequently visited.

One of the highlights of the Namunyak area must be a visit to the famous ‘Sarara Singing Wells'. Samburu warriers bring their cattle to these watering holes on a daily basis during the dry season. Some of the wells are up to 10 metres deep. The warriors strip off, descend to form a human chain and chant traditional Samburu songs as they pass water up by hand for the cattle. This mind-blowing ritual goes on for several hours a day.