Northern Rangelands

Become one of the first westerners to explore this vast, unopened territory. Here in Kenya’s Northern Rangelands indigenous tribes engage in practices they have used since the beginning of time. Traveling by foot, explore from the low-lying bush to the high altitude rainforests greening the mountainside. Walk amongst the animals as they congregate around the river oasis. The only people you’ll encounter are the semi-nomadic Samburu people herding cattle on the open land. Spend evenings resting under canvas, while remaining fully immersed in the experience as sounds of the animals penetrate the walls. On the comforting clear nights, take in the star filled sky, as the rush of natural pools tumbling down to animal watering holes provide a soothing soundtrack for the brilliant light show.

Sarara is located within the lands of the Namunyak (meaning 'a place of peace') Wildlife Conservation Trust, an area of approximately 75,000 hectares folded around the southern corner of the fabled Mathews Mountain range of northern Kenya. This is home to the proud Samburu people, a group of semi-nomadic pastoralists who have long shown tolerance for the wildlife that co-exist alongside their cattle.

The conservation work carried out by the Namunyak Trust to date has been hugely successful. Today, several thousand elephant are recorded as living and breeding peacefully in the southern Mathews Range area. A variety of other wildlife species are also regularly seen including buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, Grevy's Zebra, greater and lesser kudu, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, impala and dik dik.

Your EpicQuest adventure may take you to the Northern Rangelands from a number of points in East Africa. If you are arriving in Kenya and going directly to Sarara, you will be met at the jetway of your international flight upon arrival in Nairobi. Ease through a private immigration and customs process before transferring to a city hotel or your next flight onward. Whether starting in Nairobi or another part of Kenya, your EpicQuest guide will join you on a chartered flight into Sarara. The flight into the Northern Rangelands displays a stunning, overhead perspective as the rolling grasslands turn to rocky peaks to deep and heavily forested valleys.

The Namunyak area is generally warm and dry, with crystal clear starlit nights. Average rainfall is around 14 inches per year, the majority of which falls during the months of November and May, when EpicQuest avoids the area.

Even though the region is very near the equator, it offers surprisingly temperate weather year round. Expect warm sunny days and cool nights. Clothing should be light for the day and warm for the evenings, as bush dinners and nighttime game drives are always an option. A windbreaker or fleece is essential, as are good walking shoes. The Northern Rangelands are above the malarial line, so risk from mosquito bites is low.