Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Expert Reviews (6)
Kenya Parks
Stuart is a travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including 'Kenya', 'Rwanda' and 'Tanzania'.
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The Mirror of Samburu
Buffalo Springs, which covers the northern scrublands on the southern bank of the Ewaso Ngiro River, sits directly opposite the more famous, and more frequently visited, Samburu National Reserve and in many ways is almost identical to Samburu. All the classic animals of the north are present here and the birding is superb. On the negative side though, and this might be factually incorrect, I have always felt that there are less animals on this side of the river than in Samburu itself or at least that the wildlife spotting isn’t quite as guaranteed as Samburu. But that’s a minor quibble because this is still a great park for northern specialities; elephants are very common and all except once (during my last trip in mid-2014) I have seen lion. The other huge plus for this park is that it’s considerably quieter than Samburu (itself not that busy a park). There are three probable reason for this. Firstly, the generally perceived impression that wildlife here is not as numerous as Samburu, secondly, most of the accommodation is over in Samburu and, thirdly, at the time of writing the bridge between Samburu and Buffalo Springs was down (and had been for a few years) which meant that driving from one to the other entailed a lengthy drive back to the main road and back through the entrance gate of each park. The good news though is that the local council recently announced that work would begin on a new bridge which would make crossing between the two parks a breeze and no-doubt see visitor numbers rise again. Buffalo Springs certainly deserves more attention because this is a fantastic prk.
Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
3 people found this review helpful.
Samburu’s Southern Twin
Buffalo Springs forms a contiguous unit with Samburu National Reserve, with the Ewaso Nyiro River – crossed by two bridges – being the common border; please note that the bridges had been destroyed by floods at the time of writing, and a new policy of separate entry fees now applies to the reserves, making for an expensive visit if you visit both. The bush on this southern side of the river is a little more open than in the north, and wildlife seems slightly less plentiful, perhaps because so much of it concentrates in the vicinity of the eponymous hot springs for which the park is named. Buffalo Springs also tends to carry less tourist traffic, because most of the lodges lie on the north side of the river. Otherwise, the two reserves are very similar in overall feel.
Stephen is a travel writer and avid conservationist whose work appears in prestigious magazines such as Africa Geographic and Travel Africa.
1 person found this review helpful.
Samburu’s lesser-known neighbor
Located in the foothills of Mount Kenya, Buffalo Springs National Reserve takes its name from an oasis found in its western region. The springs attract thirsty elephants and are full of big crocodiles, but it is the Ewaso Nyiro River, with its distinctive tall doum palms, that offers the main source of water and some great dry-season wildlife watching. The picturesque river also separates Buffalo Springs from its more illustrious northern neighbor of Samburu.
The reserve is managed by the Isiolo County Council, which means that its roads and other park infrastructure tend to be in a poor state of repair. It also feels like the county council has permitted too many large hotels to be developed along the river, destroying the sense of wilderness and negatively impacting the migratory and resident wildlife in this tiny 131km2/51mi2 protected area.
The main geological feature of this semi-arid reserve is an ancient lava-terrace in the southeast known as the Champagne Ride. The elephants here are both plentiful and incredibly relaxed, providing some of the best elephant-viewing opportunities in all of East Africa. The Buffalo Springs supporting cast are equally impressive with endangered Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, Beisa oryx, gerenuks, buffalos, hippos, lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and some enormous crocodiles. A bird list in excess of 365 species rounds off the Buffalo Springs safari spectacle.
Brian is an award winning travel writer, author of safari books and regular contributor to magazines such as BBC Wildlife and Travel Africa.
1 person found this review helpful.
Leafy Oasis in a Thirsty Land
Buffalo Springs is a mirror image of the Samburu reserve that lies on the other side of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, whose waters are crucial to the survival of the local wildlife in the burning semi-deserts of what old-time Kenyans called the NFD – the stark and spectacular Northern Frontier District. Game drives here and across the river on the Samburu side will bring you up close and personal with elephant and buffalo as well as Northern Kenya’s “Special Five”: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. As for cats, I have never failed to find lion, leopard and cheetah. Birding is also good – especially along the river. The only downside is the presence of too many tourist vehicles – inevitable with such a popular small reserve.
Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
A continuous reserve of Samburu on the southern banks of the Ewaso Ng'iro River
Buffalo Springs is located in dry, scrubby bush country on the richest stretch of the Ewaso Ng'iro River and is the continuation of Samburu, which lies on the northern banks. The two national reserves are connected by a bridge, although in some years of heavy rains this has washed away, but if the bridge is out of action there is the option to go back to the highway (A2), via Archers Post, and cross a bridge there. I visited Buffalo Springs on a game drive from Samburu (where most of the accommodation is), and obviously the types of animals seen were the same, making the two different in name only. These included many distinct northern species such as the reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich and Beisa oryx, and I saw plentiful elephant – their well-worn tracks around the river evidence of their numbers and they frequently splash across the floodplains to and from Samburu. The springs themselves were also a target; two pools of clear if weedy water, which (like the river) attract wildlife and I was lucky to spot a small pride of lion resting under the bushes nearby.
Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.
Buffalo Springs on the other side of the big brown river
Buffalo Springs is the sister park of Samburu National Reserve. They are on either side of the Ewaso Nyiro River, which is the lifeline for this arid area. Aside from the usual waders, I’ve seen some impressive big crocodiles on the banks of this brown river. Big animals can easily swim across and tourists can drive between the parks, so the distinction feels a little arbitrary. Buffalo Springs is named after hot springs, which you can visit. The springs itself aren’t much to look at, but the surrounding area is marshy, which often attract some animals.
Safari Tours to Buffalo Springs NR
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![8-Day Kenya Wildebeest Migration-Masai Mara Safari]()
8-Day Kenya Wildebeest Migration-Masai Mara Safari
$4,180 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & HotelYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Buffalo Springs NR, Samburu NR, Lake Naivasha (Naivasha), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Nyumbu Beyond Journeys
5.0/5 – 5 Reviews
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3-Day Private Buffalo Springs National Reserve Safari
$1,210 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Buffalo Springs NR, Nairobi (End)
Expedition Kenya Safari
5.0/5 – 24 Reviews
