Larsens Tented Camp Samburu Kenya
Larsens Tented Camp Samburu is situated on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River in the ruggedly beautiful Samburu National Game Reserve Kenya, features safari-chic style luxury tented camp in the midst of Kenya’s untamed wilderness. Unquestionably one of Kenya’s pre-eminent safari destinations, Larsens camp Hotel Samburu is named after Erik Ole Larsen, a legendary Dane credited with defining the Kenya luxury safari under a tented camp and Mobile camping. Designed in contemporary safari style, luxury is blended with the stunning surroundings of the spectacular Samburu Game Reserve.
Samburu Larsens Camp was opened in 1987, and is 320 km north of Nairobi, Kenya, on the border of the old Northern Frontier Province. Tranquility and nature embrace you the minute you enter Larsens Lodge Hotel with the river being the perfect stage for an endless pageant of wildlife – elephants rolling and trumpeting in the shallows, timid impala nervously drinking, baboons and vervet monkeys swinging through the canopy of trees. The only man made noise is that of the young Samburu flutist as he slowly makes his way along the river front. He unobtrusively doubles as a palm nut thrower when the monkeys become too bold. Larsens Tented Hotel is located in Samburu Game Reserve. It is a fifteen minute drive from the Samburu Airstrip.
Larsen’s Tented Camp has undergone a recent refurbishment and although it has changed a bit from its original rustic bush image, it is still a pleasant and now more comfortable place and fills a niche between the small exclusive tented camps and the bigger hotels & Lodges in Samburu. Large tents on raised platforms overlook the Euaso Nyiro and guests can enjoy fully kitted-out en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water. The decor in Larsens Camp Samburu has retained it’s 1920’s feel and there are old trunks and pith helmets for authenticity.
A new pool and open air jacuzzi adds a little luxury and is a nice feature for the hot afternoons, although some may find it a little incongruous in the dry bush of Samburu. Larsen’s camp provides quite a good alternative if guests are looking for something a bit more affordable than the exclusive camps but would prefer a smaller, more intimate option. The leopard is the big attraction and other big cats are fairly common, but you should also look for Grevy’s zebra and the reticulated giraffe. Both species are particularly finely marked and can only be seen in Samburu.
You can also expect to see elephants, greater kudu, gerenuk, oryx, Somali ostrich and the vulturine guinea fowl among many others. Many a tale is exchanged around the fire each evening. Amidst the glow from the embers, the calls of the African night, a waft of cigar smoke and the kick of a White Mischief liqueur, game drives are relived and personal histories exchanged – it’s a wonderful venue for making new friends and imbibing the essence of Africa as did the safari pioneers so many years ago. An animal viewing platform in a tree lets you scan the vast Samburu plain.
There are game drives, champagne breakfasts on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro river, sunset cocktails in the wild, bird walks and black tie dinner in the dining tent. The hotel dining options are an integral part of the Camp Larsens experience and are designed to pleasantly surprise: from a champagne breakfast by the river to a five-course dinner served by the campfire.
The weather at Camp Larsens is great and the camp is a true delight. The tents are large and recently renovated, beds and furnishings are excellent and the bathroom is huge. Tents are old time safari decorations and gave you the feel of being on a classic safari.
The food at all meals is excellent and the service from all of the staff is superb and friendly. Monkeys join you at your tents and at outdoor lunches but they never get overly friendly and they are fun to watch. The grounds are beautifully set on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River with a lovely deck where you can eat lunch outdoors.
The entire camp is very well maintained – including a beautiful swimming pool with a gorgeous view. The staff is incredibly helpful and goes out of their way to accommodate anything you may need. They even bring you coffee or hot chocolate with some cookies every morning as your wake up call in your tent. At Camp Larsens you also feel very safe as the grounds are surrounded by an electric fence and there are guards patrolling round the clock. Larsen’s also offers the opportunity to tour the local Samburu tribe and we would highly recommend this. It was an amazing experience to see how the Samburu tribe lives and to meet the people and the children!
Larsens tented Camp is by far the smallest with only 20 tents; the others Camps Lodges and hotels in Samburu are much larger some with over 100 rooms, the smaller safari camp means a very personalised service, something which you would not get at the larger safari camps. The management Mike and Sue are incredibly helpful and goes out of their way to accommodate anything you may need and one of them was always around when you came back from a game drive.
When you arrive back from your morning drive breakfast is cooked especially for you, apparently in the other lodges they are mainly buffet and if you are late back there is nothing left. The tents are very large with extremely comfortable king size beds and large showers with Molten Brown toiletries. There are bath robes and slippers and a hair dryer if you wanted to use it. Laundry service is available but at a cost.
Edwin is a specialist in African Safaris and a tour operator. The tour company he co-owns, African Safaris & Adventures, has presence in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Egypt, Madascar, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Seychelles.