Saruni Rhino

Saruni Rhino Camp is an intimate two-room lodge inside the remote Sera Community Conservancy in northern Kenya. Recently opened, the camp is the first and only lodge in East Africa to offer safaris specifically focused on tracking the critically endangered black rhino on foot.

Saruni Rhino is the latest addition to the Saruni portfolio, which also include the excellent Saruni Mara, Saruni Wild and Saruni Samburu, to which it is very closely affiliated. Important to note: if one wants to visit Saruni Rhino, they must first stay at Saruni Samburu for two nights.

The camp is about two hours drive from the Samburu National Reserve. During the drive to the camp, one will pass by herds of cattle, goats and flocks of sheep, minded by semi-nomadic herdsmen. This gives a fascinating insight into the daily life and struggles of the Samburu people.

Saruni Rhino lies on the banks of the Kauro River. In front of the lodge is a permanent waterhole that is frequently visited by wildlife, including elephant, reticulated giraffe, impala, oryx and Grevy’s zebra.

With only two rooms, Saruni Rhino is one of the smallest and most exclusive lodges in Kenya. There are current plans to add a third room, but even then the maximum occupancy will only increase from four to six people.

The main lounge and dining area at Saruni Rhino is similar in design to the guest rooms, with stone walls on three sides, a high thatched makuti roof and an open front. Again, the décor is understated but very pleasant, and furniture runs to a few sofas, a drinks cabinet and a dining table. This is where meals may be served when the weather doesn’t permit dining in the dry riverbed.

But the main reason guests visit is for the rhino encounters in the Sera Rhino Sanctuary – which are oustanding. The 3,450km2 Sera Community Conservancy was set up in 2000 by the local community to protect the elephants which, at the time, were being badly poached. Their work has proved extremely successful and, in May 2015, ten black rhinos were re-introduced to this area, two of which have since had calves. This is the first time in more than 30 years that rhino has been able to return to their natural habitat in northern Kenya. Sera is also the only community conservancy in Africa to own and operate a sanctuary dedicated to the conservation of the black rhino, and money from every guest staying at the lodge goes straight into helping conserve these critically endangered animals.

The rhinos live in the heart of Sera, in a 107km2 fenced sanctuary that’s about a half-hour drive from the lodge. To assist the conservancy rangers, whose main responsibility is to observe each rhino at least once daily, the animals have been micro-chipped in their horns. When you go out with the rangers they use radio telemetry equipment to locate the rhinos, and then – when you have driven as far as you can – you get out of the vehicle and the real excitement begins.

Each walk is led by an expert tracker as well as a highly trained guide from Saruni, and conservancy rangers follow behind the group to ensure that the walks are carried out safely. It’s important to note that, unlike most walking safaris, no one is armed, so it is imperative that everyone does exactly as they are told. The guides are well trained in the best ways to move through the bush unnoticed so it is imperative that one follows their instructions carefully.

It is quite an experience and something one would remember for a very long time.

*For a full list of available activities, the best time of the year to visit, and any other relevant enquiries, please contact a Sister Hippo Travel Consultant!