Sassab - Samburu, Kenya
The luxury tented camp, Sasaab in Samburu, Kenya, is part of The Safari Collection - the experts in bucket-list adventures in Kenya
After a rather bumpy flight in a small 12-seater plane from Nairobi, we landed on a red sandy airstrip in Samburu. In the middle of the African bush, 310km from Nairobi, I couldn’t wait to discover Kenya.
The arrivals and departures area at Samburu is a simple wooden structure, and a group of Samburu women were selling their beaded creations nearby. The hot Kenyan sun was beating down, so we were relieved to be greeted by two Samburu people in traditional dress, who would be our guides for the trip.
During a short drive down the dusty track to the lodge, we passed a caravan of camels on the move through the bush. It is not uncommon to encounter Samburu herdsmen shepherding their livestock through the bush in Westgate Conservancy.
Our eyes widened in awe when we arrived at Sasaab, a 5-star luxury tented camp in the heart of the Samburu wilderness.
Perched on the edge of a river valley, the architecture of Sasaab blends Swahili and Moroccan design.
Sasaab is part of The Safari Collection, and it is gold-rated by Ecotourism Kenya. There are eleven canvas-sided rooms each with their own private plunge pool in which to cool off from the African heat. We loved taking a dip after a morning drive to cool off and relax, overlooking the Laikipia Plateau toward the jagged peaks of Mount Kenya. Each tent is positioned above the river and is the perfect spot to watch herds of elephants that come to bathe below as well as a host of other wildlife.
Just outside Samburu National Reserve in Kenya’s Northern Frontier District, a landscape dotted with mountains and wildlife.
Here you can see a variety of animals, from elephants to cheetah and wild dogs to the ‘Samburu Special Five’ (five species unique to the area): the Beisa oryx, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Gerenuk antelope and Somali ostrich.
We arrived just in time for lunch and sat under the intricately designed wood and reed structure. Hornbills (Zazu from the Lion King) swooped through as we ate, looking for an easy snack, whilst lizards scuttled around the trees and bushes.
Lunch at the lodge started with a delicious chilled soup (our favourite being the yellow lentil soup with soft, flaky chapati or spiced carrot and ginger with caramelised pumpkin seeds). The main courses, fusing Moroccan, Middle Eastern and African flavours, were served on a large wooden serving tray.
Meals at Sasaab are made with fresh, local ingredients grown on site, and from local farmers and producers. We loved the lamb kofta with harissa and labneh, roasted aubergine with muhammara (a roasted red pepper dip), and the seasonal ‘shamba’ kitchen garden greens, grown and picked from the lodge’s own shamba. Lunch was always finished with a light, sweet fresh fruit sorbet.
The tents are much more luxurious than they sound, with four poster beds, carefully sourced wooden furniture and all the amenities you could hope for. There is also a laundry service included in the stay which was a lovely touch, as you do get pretty dusty on the game drives.
The lodge is extremely eco focused, which we loved, especially when surrounded by nature and wildlife. It really made us feel more aware about how vital it is that we strive to conserve our planet, and do everything we can to be sustainable.
In the showers, there was a bucket that was to be placed under the running water whilst waiting for the desired temperature. This was then used when the staff came to clean our room, and anything left was put onto the surrounding gardens. Another touch we loved was the reusable bottles that were filled up for us on each drive with filtered water. If you’re interested in sustainable tourism, you can read more about Sassab’s efforts here.
Each morning we were woken up with a cheery ‘Jambo’ (hello in Swahili) greeting, a tray of freshly brewed Kenyan coffee and sweet homemade biscuits. A quick change into our safari-wear, layers are essential as it can be a little windy on the drive to the reserve, with each day being a new adventure on which animals we would spot. The morning drive through the red sandy bush was beautiful, with the sun rising over the sacred mountain and the acacia trees silhouetted on the horizon.
Our guide, Justice, knew exactly where to take us to spot the African wildlife, and we were spoiled with the animals we saw on each drive. We were amazed by how close we were to the herds of elephants playing by the water and a lone cheetah on her hunt.
After a filled morning of sightings our guide would find a spot in the reserve for a cook-out bush breakfast. For me, this was one of the stand-out highlights on the trip. A gas stove was pulled out from the side of the truck and a bag of fresh goodies were presented.
Justice cooked up a storm, with fried eggs, from the brood of hens at the Lodge, smoky streaky bacon, sausages and delicious take on baked beans, made from black eyed peas, chopped peppers and onions in a tomato sauce – all finished off with fluffy pancakes and maple syrup.
Camping chairs were positioned and we sat with our breakfast overlooking the elephants, whilst the birds sang in the trees.
Back at Sassab, our afternoons were filled with a swim in the infinity pool that’s positioned on the edge of the cliff with panoramic views of the river and wildlife beyond, and a quick nap before the evening activities. Game drives, walking safaris, camel rides, quad biking and local Sasaab community visits are just a few on offer. There is also a spa and gym if you need to unwind further and a yoga mat in each tent to practise a truly grounding flow whilst overlooking the river.
The evenings at Sasaab were wonderful. One evening we chose a walking safari, and after a slight diversion off route due to a herd of elephants, we made our way up to the top of the red African rock, where we sat on the sun-warmed rock and watched the sun set behind the mountains.
Another evening after a local game drive, we ended up at the river's edge where a group of Samburu women, adorned in their colourful traditional dress, were singing and dancing, chanting for the rain to fall and the rivers to flow. A few of the women had their babies wrapped in slings as they danced and sang. It was a remarkable sight, and their chants were heard. A few days later, the rain started to fall.
Back at Sassab, dinner was served on the wooden deck under the stars, surrounded by twinkling lights and candle lit lanterns. Each night was a culinary adventure in the form of three delicious courses.
One special evening we were taken to an area outside the lodge for a BBQ. Tall lanterns led us down to a clearing where a spectacular bonfire burned and a long table was set up for all of the guests staying at Sasaab. A traditional BBQ was served with nyama choma (barbecued chicken and mutura sausage) accompanied by dauphinoise potatoes, fresh vegetables and salads.
On our last day we headed to the small museum next to the spa to learn about all of the amazing work The Safari Collection has done through their charitable foundation, Footprint.
From providing clean water, building schools and maintaining the roads in the local Westgate community to providing jobs to the Samburu people, and scholarships for 24 students from local villages to attend secondary school, Footprint’s work is impressive.
The Samburu National Reserve fee, that we paid each day that we went out on a game drive, directly helps secure this unique wilderness area and wildlife habitat for future generations. These are just a few things that the Footprint foundation has achieved; you can read more here.
The Plush Life verdict: We were very sad to leave Sasaab. If you ever have the opportunity to go, do!
The details: Sasaab (thesafaricollection.com/properties/sasaab/) Price on enquiry. Westgate, Samburu National Reserve, Kenya +254 728 601 211 info@thesafaricollection.com
