Saruni Rhino

The secluded 3-banda camp of Saruni Rhino, in partnership with Sera Community Conservancy, offers the first rhino tracking experience in East Africa, an amazing experience that provides a uniquely thrilling experience, but also allows guests to actively contribute to the protection of this iconic species.

Comprised of three elegant ‘bandas’ (rustic stone cottages) and a main ‘mess’ cottage for dining and relaxing, Saruni Rhino is nestled amidst swaying doum palms dotted along a dry river bed with sweeping views of a nearby waterhole and dramatic landscape so typical of the north. There is also a beautiful infinity swimming pool, built in harmony with the natural beauty of the surrounding landscape. The dry river bed proves the quintessential torch-lit bush dinner location under the vast African skies. (Opened February 2017).

Banda One
Banda One is our larger of the original Kauro bandas, that can sleep up to 4 persons, depending on nature of relationship of the group (1 x double and the possibility to add up to 2 additional singles), with a shared, covered outside bathroom and toilet. The room is open plan in style with no room dividers - so guests need to be comfortable with sharing the space. A beautiful private sandy terrace has chairs and tables overlooking the ‘lugga’, the dry river bed.

Banda Two
Banda Two is the smaller of the original Kauro bandas, that can sleep 2 people (1 x double bed). The bathroom and flushable toilet is en-suite within the banda, and has a natural stone shower. A beautiful private sandy terrace has chairs and tables overlooking the ‘lugga’, the dry river bed. A nearby tree bed provides additional relaxation space.

Banda Three - Family Villa
Banda Three is a newly-built family double villa (Jan 2018) consisting of 2 double bedrooms - 1 x queen double, and 1 x queen double or 2 x twin singles (can also accommodate a 3rd single if required on a case by case basis). Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom with flushing toilet and natural stone shower. A shared lounge provides a cool retreat from the spacious, large verandah which also has outside seating & tables and has the best view of the waterhole visited daily by elephants, monkeys, impala, sandgrouse, guinea fowl, kudu – and much, much more. It was built from local stone and has a traditional thatched roof. 

Black Rhino Tracking on foot
Saruni is delighted to be able to offer guests a scintillating, ‘thrill-of-a-lifetime’ experience: a walking safari tracking black rhino on foot, accompanied by an expert Saruni guide and a highly-trained Sera Community Conservancy ranger, guiding you in safety on foot to the whereabouts of the 16 rhinos throughout the 54,000 hectares-large sanctuary. The vast rhino sanctuary has been fenced in what is one of the most advanced conservation projects in Kenya. Our guides game drive guests to a tracking distance away from the nearest rhino, leaving the vehicle and continuing on foot (very lightly to not give away any presence) to metres from the grazing rhino. The tension is palpable as guests come across the rhino in such close proximity for the first time; heart beating, pulse racing, curiosity and excitement mounting – it doesn’t get more thrilling than this!

Guided Game Drives
Guests can enjoy morning, afternoon and all day game drives through Sera Community conservancy; a fantastic habitat for African wildlife - especially the Samburu Special Five - baisa Oryx, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and Grevy's zebra.

Bush Meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner
Guests enjoy breakfasts, lunches and starlit dinners in a dry river bed under the vast African skies. Saruni loves to take guests to their secret spots for a bush dinner or for a picnic lunch that allows guests to be with elephants, waterbuck, lion, impala and the Samburu Five that stop to take water.

Guided Bush Walks
Walking safaris are individually tailored to guests' interests and are set in a breath-taking landscape. Walking with the Samburu warriors out in the African bush is a fantastic experience and guests learn from their authentic local knowledge of the plants, animals and landscape, about their traditions and about their lives.

Waterhole Watching!
Just metres away from the comfort of your verandah at Saruni Rhino, there is a waterhole that attracts wildlife throughout the day and evening, when it is lit with a spotlight. Herds of elephants gather daily to enjoy the water, right in front of your eyes. Record sightings in one day has been over 60 elephants!

Swimming Pool
Saruni Rhino has at its centre a beautiful curved swimming pool situated along the dry river bed - the perfect place for unwinding after a long morning rhino tracking. Facing the camp's waterhole you can swim whilst watching the daily visits of the resident elephant herds that come into drink.

Sundowners
The sundowner is a well-deserved drink at the end of a long day on safari to ‘salute’ the African sun as it is setting. Saruni guide's drive guests to an unforgettable panoramic viewpoint and serve guests' favourite drink along with a selection of scrumptious ‘bitings’; small snacks to whet appetites ahead of the delicious dinner which awaits.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Located in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in Samburu County of Northern Kenya, Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is the first community owned and managed elephant sanctuary in Africa. The Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is situated in the remote Mathews Range, among Kenya’s second largest elephant population. Similarly to the world-famous Sheldrick Orphanage in Nairobi, it takes in orphaned and abandoned elephant calves with the aim to release them back into the wild herds adjoining the Sanctuary. This excursion needs to be arranged in advance with lodge management and is payable extra.

Sand grouse Spectacular
Spectacular bird-watching, with the unique 'show' of tens of thousands of sand grouse that swoop to take the water, the flapping of their wings en masse creating one of the most sensory delights possible. Every day, these rare Lichtenstein sand grouse descend in swarms upon the few sources of water providing fantastic photographic opportunities.

Singing Wells Visit
Sera Community is also home to The Fifty Wells, ‘Kisima Hamsini’, a series of (50!) springs where local pastoralists take their livestock to water, digging up water from the wells to fill up holders and troughs. The Singing Wells are also a driving distance away and can be visited with some notice – a rare treat to see the local community singing proprietary songs recognisable only by their own cattle, to encourage them to come to the wells to drink.

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