Samburu National Reserve, in Kenya's arid north, is home to five species rarely seen on a classic Mara-and-Amboseli circuit.

The Special Five

  • Gerenuk — the long-necked 'giraffe gazelle' that browses standing on its hind legs

  • Grevy's zebra — larger and more finely striped than the common zebra

  • Reticulated giraffe — sharply defined, geometric coat patterning

  • Somali ostrich — distinctive blue-grey legs and neck

  • Beisa oryx — striking black facial markings and long, straight horns

Elephants at a Samburu waterhole at dusk
Elephants gathering at the Ewaso Ng'iro River, Samburu.

Add two nights in Samburu to any northern Kenya circuit and you'll come home with a genuinely different species list.