Samburu National Park lies 325 kilometres north of Nairobi in the hot and arid fringes of the arid northern region of Kenya. The Reserve is within the lands of the colourful Samburu people, close relatives of the Maasai, and boasts a number of wildlife species rarely found elsewhere.

These include the Grevy zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the Beisa oryx all species found only north of the equator. The long-necked gerenuk is a graceful antelope, which spends much of its time in a bi-pedal stance seeking succulence among the withered scrub, which dots this harsh terrain. Other animals commonly seen are elephants, lions, cheetahs, gerenuks, buffalos, grants gazelles, dik diks and waterbucks. There are over 350 varieties of birds. These include the famous Somali Ostriches (distinguished by their unique purple/blue legs during mating season), kingfishers, humming birds, eagles, guinea fowls and vultures.

Scenically and faunally dramatic, for most of the year Samburu National Reserve is under the unsympathetic equatorial sun. But relief comes from the wide swathe of the Ewaso Ngiro River which flows for some hundreds of kilometers to the west on the foothills of the Aberdare ranges and which vanishes beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian swamp. The river is at its best in the Reserve, broad and sluggish with a large population of crocodile seen on sandbanks at almost every bend.

In the lower reaches, where permanent pools have formed as a tributary joins the river, are hippos. The river is fringed with giant acacias, figs and doum palms all of which provide shade and sustenance to the wildlife, which comes to water here. Elephant roam the gaunt hills, which punctuate the scrubland and where occasional clusters of the vividly coloured desert rose challenge the arid surroundings. These elephant seek solace and contentment in the shallow waters of the river and from time to time a visitor finds herds bathing and drinking in a spectacle of unconscious pleasure.

Close relatives of the Maasai people, the Samburu are a nomadic people, numbering just over 100,000 who moved south from the horn of Africa into the current day Kenya. The similarity between the Samburu tribe and the Maasai is quite close and is evident in their nomadic culture and dependency on livestock for livelihoods. The Man difference is that the Samburu are found on the northern part of Kenya whilst their relatives, the Maasai, are found to the south of Kenya.
The Samburu are pastoralists with a close attachment to their livestock, which they live off. Meat from sheep, goats and milk from cattle are their principal foods, supplemented by the blood of living cattle. The land they inhabited is mainly semi - arid and offers few opportunities for agriculture except around the hilly areas where maize, sorghum and wheat is now actively grown.

Despite sharing the same language as the Massai community, the Samburu are more tolerant of other groups and their cultural rites are elaborate, carefully followed with social ceremonies being loud and colourful.