Exploring the hidden beauty of Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Buffalo Springs National Reserve covers an area of 131 square kilometers with a landscape dominated by a rolling Rowland plain of old lava flows, volcanic soils of olivine basalt, and the Ewaso Nyiro River. Ewaso Nyiro River, there is a narrow band of doum palms, riverine forests, and grasslands. Buffalo Springs National Reserve was established as a protected area in 1948 majorly to protect the ecological system in the area such as fauna, flora, and physical features such as the buffalo springs and many more.
Climate and weather
Buffalo Springs National Reserve has a hot and dry climate. Nights are usually cool. The average daytime temperature is 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average nighttime temperature is 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit). It is advisable to take warm clothing for early morning game drives. The annual rainfall is low but peaks in April and November. Rain tends to fall as short, heavy showers, which are widely scattered.
Tourist attractions found in Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Wildlife
The reserve is home to many unique and rare animals. One of these is the reticulated giraffe, known for its stunning jigsaw-like coat pattern. This area in Kenya is also one of the few places where you can find the Grevy’s zebra, which has distinct round ears that set it apart from the more common Burchell’s zebra. You might spot gerenuks, which are tall animals that can stand on their back legs to reach high leaves, as well as other animals like elands, kudus, impalas, Bright’s gazelles, warthogs, and small dik-diks. You can also find buffalo, leopards, cheetahs, and lions in the reserve.
Large groups of elephants roam the area and are often seen crossing the river or coming back to the river’s edge in the evening to take a bath.
The Ewaso Ng’iro River, which is very important for this dry region, is filled with groups of hippos that make loud sounds, and huge Nile crocodiles can be found sunbathing on the sandbanks.
Flora
The reserve has large areas filled with bushes mainly from a plant called Commiphora. There are also open patches of lava rock with some grass and shrubs, as well as grassy areas with springs and swamps. You can find wide areas of Acacia tortilis trees, and along the Ewaso Ng’iro River, there’s a narrow strip of forest with tall Acacia elatior trees, Tana River Poplar, and Doum Palm. The landscape is mostly a uniform brown color, but it’s brightened up by the Desert Rose, a succulent plant with a thick trunk and beautiful pink flowers. Another notable plant is the Salvadora persica, or toothbrush tree, which elephants like to eat. The local Samburu people also use its twigs to clean their teeth.
Birdlife
This area is filled with so many birds that you can easily see over 100 different types in just one day. One special bird to look out for is the rare blue-shanked Somali ostrich. You can find plenty of secretary birds, and groups of busy helmeted and vulturine guinea fowls. Along the river, you might spot storks feeding, and at dusk, sand grouse gather together. Both red-billed hornbills and Von der Decken’s hornbills are also common here. The rough landscape is perfect for birds of prey, and you might see pygmy falcons, martial eagles, and Verreaux’s eagle owls.
Other bird species found in Buffalo Springs National Reserve include Ashy cisticola, Bare-eyed thrush, Black-bellied sunbird, Black-capped social weaver, Bristle-crowned starling, Brown-tailed rock chat, Chestnut weaver, Chestnut-headed sparrow lark, Donaldson-Smith’s sparrow-weaver, Egyptian vulture, Fischer’s starling, Golden pipit, Golden-breasted starling, Greater kestrel, Grey wren-warbler, Hunter’s sunbird, Lanner falcon, Mariqua sunbird, Northern Brownbul, Palm-nut vulture, Pink-breasted lark, Pygmy batis, Red-bellied parrot, Red-necked falcon, Red-winged lark, Reichenow’s seedeater, Rosy-patched bush-shrike, Rufous chatterer, Secretary bird, Singing bush lark and Somali bee-eater, Spotted palm-thrush among others.
This reserve is a popular destination for safaris in Kenya, and there are many lodges and camps where you can stay.
Ewaso Nyiro River
The Ewaso Nyiro River is a key attraction in Buffalo Springs Game Reserve, famous for wildlife viewing in Kenya. Its name, meaning “the river of brown or muddy water” in the Samburu language, reflects its appearance. As the largest and most dependable river in northern Kenya, it supplies essential water to the reserve’s ecosystem. The riverbank features grassy areas and dense forests, attracting a variety of animals such as crocodiles, buffaloes, impalas, and hippos, along with many bird species, including saddle-billed storks.
Buffalo Springs
The Buffalo Springs is a must-see spot in Buffalo Springs National Reserve when you’re on a safari in Kenya. These springs are what give the game reserve its name, and they are a key feature of the area. There are three springs in total: two are surrounded by walls, and the third spills into a small marshy area that flows into the Ewaso Nyiro River.
One of the walled springs used to be a natural swimming pool for travelers, but swimming there is no longer allowed. The other walled spring provides water for a nearby town called Archer’s Post.
Buffalo Springs is also a lively place to see wildlife, as it’s home to crocodiles and other predators like wild dogs, cheetahs, lions, and leopards. This makes it a fantastic location for wildlife watching.
Amazing things to do while on a Kenya safari in Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Nature walks
A trip to Buffalo Springs National Game Reserve in Kenya isn’t complete without a walking safari. This fun activity lets you explore the reserve on foot with a guide. It’s a great way to test your fitness while discovering different parts of the park. As you walk along the trails, you may spot various animals like Grant gazelles, Impalas, Waterbucks, Dik-diks, Hippos, Olive Baboons, Warthogs, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Cape Buffalo, Hyenas, Elands, Jackals, Klipspringer, Mongoose and Nile crocodiles, especially near the Ewaso Nyiro River. You’ll also get to see many kinds of birds, including the Somali ostrich, vulturine guineafowl, Hunter’s sunbird, white-bellied stork, African darter, African grey hornbill, and African fish eagle, among others.
Birdwatching
Buffalo Springs National Game Reserve is a great place for bird-watching in Kenya. This reserve is home to a lot of different birds, with more than 390 species, including birds that live in dry areas of northeast Africa. During your bird-watching tour, you’ll have the opportunity to see many different types of birds, such as the Somali ostrich, vulturine guineafowl, Hunter’s sunbird, white-bellied stork, African darter, African grey hornbill, African fish eagle, African Harrier-Hawk, African Spoonbill, African White-backed vulture, Bateleur, Black Chested Snake Eagle, Dark-headed heron, black-shouldered kite, Rufous Naped Lark, common Ostrich, Rüppell’s Vulture, Secretary bird, Southern Ground Hornbill, Southern Masked Weaver, Speckled Mousebird, Spotted Thick Knee, Striped Kingfisher, Superb Starling and many more.
Buffalo Springs National Game Reserve is a fantastic place for birdwatching in Kenya. If you love spotting birds, you definitely shouldn’t miss a visit to this wonderful reserve!
Game drives
Buffalo Springs National Reserve is a well-known national park in Kenya, great for seeing wildlife. You can go on a game drive in a special 4×4 safari vehicle with open windows and a pop-up roof to get a better view. These drives are available in the morning, afternoon, and evening. During your game drive safari, you’ll have a fantastic time spotting all sorts of animals, including large concentration of elephants, Grevy’s zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk, the Beisa Oryx, Grant gazelles, Impalas, Waterbucks, Dik-diks, Hippos, Olive Baboons, Warthogs, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Cape Buffalo, and Hyenas was well as different colorful bird species.
Cultural visit
Buffalo Springs Game Reserve is near the homes of the Samburu people, who are friendly and welcoming. When you go on a cultural safari in Kenya, you can visit them and learn about their way of life and culture. While on your cultural visit here, you’ll get a chance to see things like spear-throwing, goat milking, and crafting. You can also enjoy traditional dances and plays.
Best Accommodation facilities
Buffalo Springs Game Reserve has many lodges and camps where visitors can stay while enjoying a safari in Kenya. The accommodations are divided into three types: luxury, mid-range, and budget. Here’s what you can expect from each type: Samburu Sopa Lodge, Sarova Shaba Game Lodge, elephant Bedroom Camp, Samburu Game Lodge, Samburu Simba Lodge, Ashnil Samburu Camp, and Lion King Bush Camp among others.
Getting to
When you arrive in Kenya, you’ll most likely land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), which is about 15 kilometers (or 9 miles) southeast of Nairobi, the capital city.
If you want to visit Buffalo Springs National Reserve, it’s located about 355 kilometers (or 220 miles) north of Nairobi. The drive can take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours. Many people go to Buffalo Springs as part of a guided 4×4 tour, where a driver will take you around.
You can definitely drive to the reserve on your own, but it’s a good idea to combine your visit with other nearby parks and reserves, like Samburu National Reserve, Meru National Park, and the Laikipia Conservancies. However, keep in mind that the bridge linking Buffalo Springs to Samburu has been out of use for years. If you plan to travel between the two, you’ll need to leave Buffalo Springs and take the route through Archer’s Post.
