3 Day Shompole Conservancy Safari

A 3-day Shompole Conservancy safari offers an exclusive, intimate wilderness experience in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, with unique activities such as night game drives, baboon walks, and birdwatching near Lake Natron.

The conservancy is a 35,000-acre community-owned wildlife sanctuary located on the floor of the Great Rift Valley in southern Kenya, directly between the Maasai Mara and Amboseli National Park.

Shompole Conservancy is located approximately 163 kilometers southwest of Nairobi, Kenya. It sits on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, right along the Kenya-Tanzania border. Distance from Magadi Town: About 43 km beyond Magadi. Chartered flights land at the Magadi Airstrip.

Owned and managed by the Loodokilani Maasai community, Shompole Conservancy serves as a critical migratory corridor and a “grass bank” for local cattle during dry seasons. The landscape is a dramatic mix of volcanic plains, open savannah, and lush wetlands fed by the Ewaso Ng’iro River, all set against the backdrop of the Nguruman Escarpment and the red-tinted waters of Lake Natron.

Located 3–4 hours from Nairobi, the area features high wildlife diversity, including leopards, gerenuks, and lions.

3-Day Shompole Highlights

✔ Authentic Cultural Interaction: Engaging directly with the local Maasai community, learning about their traditional pastoral lifestyle
✔ Water Activities: Tubing, canoeing, and kayaking down the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which is a rare, refreshing activity in a Kenyan safari setting
✔ Flamingos and Scenic Views: Visiting the shores of Lake Magadi or seeing flamingos on Lake Natron, framed by the Great Rift Valley’s dramatic scenery
✔ Unique Walking Safaris: Walking with a habituated troop of baboons and guided bush walks with local Maasai warriors, providing an intimate, low-impact way to view nature
✔ Photographic Hides & Game Drives: Utilizing specialized, air-conditioned photographic hides with one-way glass to photograph wildlife at waterholes. Both day and night game drives offer chances to see lions, leopards, and cheetahs
✔ Shompole Wilderness Camp Experience: Staying at an exclusive camp (often Shompole Wilderness or Lentorre Lodge) on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, offering direct river views and personalized service

Shompole Conservancy  Activities & Wildlife Experiences

✓ Fishing: Try your hand at catching catfish in the Ewaso Ng’iro River; gear and guidance are typically provided by the camps
✓ Maasai Beadwork: Visitors can buy authentic beadwork directly from local women’s groups, supporting the community-led conservation model
✓ River Activities: The Ewaso Ng’iro River is free of crocodiles and hippos in this area, making it safe for swimming, tubing, kayaking, and canoeing
✓ Maasai Cultural Visits: You can visit local Maasai homesteads (bomas) or join herders during “cattle walks” as they return their livestock for the evening
✓ Helicopter Scenic Flights: For a bird’s-eye view of the Rift Valley and the vibrant pink hues of the flamingo-filled soda lakes, private helicopter charters can be arranged
✓ Walking with Baboons: Hosted at the Lale’enok Resource Center, this unique activity allows you to walk with a habituated troop of baboons alongside expert primatologists
✓ Guided Bush Walks & Runs: Learn about animal tracking and local flora on guided walks, or join a “Run Wild” session across the open plains during the cooler early morning or late evening hours 
✓ Day and Night Game Drives: Explore the 100 sq km sanctuary to see elephants, giraffes, and cheetahs. Night drives are particularly productive for spotting rare nocturnal species like caracals, servals, and aardwolves
✓ Bird Watching: With over 450 recorded species, birders can spot everything from kingfishers and Goliath herons along the river to thousands of flamingos at Lake Magadi and Lake Natron
✓ Professional Photography Hides: A standout feature of Shompole is its specialized hides, including the Shompole Plains Hide and Kichaka Hide. These underground or ground-level structures allow for close-up, eye-level photography of animals like lions, leopards, and striped hyenas. You can even spend an entire night in the hides, which are equipped with beds and basic amenities

3-Day/ 2 Night  Shompole Conservancy Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi to Shompole Conservancy

Morning (0700 Hours – 1100 Hours): Depart Nairobi and drive via Ngong Hills towards Lake Magadi
Mid-day (1100 Hours – 1300 Hours): Arrive at Lake Magadi to view flamingos and pelicans, then continue to the Conservancy
Afternoon (1300 Hours – 1530 Hours): Check in at a lodge/camp (e.g., Shompole Wilderness) and lunch
Evening (1600 Hours – 1830 Hours): Afternoon game drive focusing on local wildlife
1900 hours –2100 Hours: Optional night game drive  to spot nocturnal species like civets, genets, and leopards

Day 2: Full Day Exploration of Shompole

Early Morning (0630 Hours – 0830 Hours): Sunrise game drive/walking safari.
Morning (0900 Hours – 1100 Hours): Breakfast followed by a unique guided walk with habituated baboons at the Lale’enok Resource Centre.
Afternoon (1300 Hours – 1530 Hours): Lunch and leisure time, swimming, or visiting photographic hides
Evening (1600 Hours – 1830 Hours): Afternoon/evening game drive to the Ewaso Nyiro delta area
Dinner: (2000 Hours – 2200 Hours): Dinner at the lodge

Day 3: Shompole to Nairobi

Early Morning (0630 Hours – 0830 Hours): Final morning game drive or a walk with local Maasai guides
Morning (0900 Hours – 1030 Hours): Breakfast and packing
Late Morning (1030 Hours – 1400 Hours): Check out and transfer back to Nairobi, arriving in the afternoon

3 Day Shompole Conservancy Safari begins and ends in Nairobi and is a short wildlife road Safari that offers a genuine African Bush experience for 2 Nights at Shompole Wilderness Tented Camp – a small private lodge on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River at the bottom of the Great Rift Valley.

Within the famous Rift Valley, the Ewaso Ngiro River flows from the highlands of the Mau escarpment into the soda lake of Lake Natron. Hidden away on the fig tree-shaded river banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River, beyond Lake Magadi, is Shompole Wilderness Tented Camp.

Shompole Wilderness Tented Camp is beyond Lake Magadi (43 km from Magadi) in the Shompole Group Ranch/ Conservancy on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River.

Just a 3-hour drive from Nairobi (170 km), it is a perfect weekend retreat for nature lovers. Shompole Wildlife Conservancy covers 100 square km and has been set aside for wildlife; day and night game drives are permitted.

Shompole Group Ranch is located on the floor of the Great Rift Valley between the alkaline lakes Magadi and Natron. It is situated on the Kenya–Tanzania border and is inhabited by the Loodokilani section of the Maasai.

You can see a wide variety of wildlife, including Elephants, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe, Eland, Gazelle, Impala, Hartebeest, Gerenuk, Oryx, Waterbuck, and kudu.

Primates include both vervet and black-and-white colobus monkeys, as well as olive baboons. The areas’ carnivores include leopards, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, bat-eared foxes, wild dogs, jackals, civets, genets, wildcats, and mongooses. There is also a high diversity of birdlife and reptiles, including the monitor lizard.

There are many activities like swimming, helicopter flights, bird watching, canoeing, tubing, jogging, day and night game drives, guided nature walks with local Maasai guides, walking with Baboons, walking with cattle and the Maasai, fishing, walking/running wild, and visits to traditional villages.

Spend 2 nights exploring a section of the Great Rift Valley, its people, its wildlife, and enjoy activities, all without the restrictions of a national park and vehicles.

Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to  Shompole Conservancy

Depart Nairobi in the morning & drive to Lake Magadi, descending into the magnificent scenery of the Rift Valley. See flocks of flamingos and pelicans amongst many other water birds on the lake edge.

Arrive at Shompole Wilderness Camp in time for lunch. Afternoon rest at the lodge or enjoy a nature walk along the river.

Overnight at Shompole Wilderness Tented Camp

Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2: Full Day in Shompole Conservation Area

Morning game drive in Shompole Conservation Area. Return to the lodge for lunch. Afternoon rest at the camp, visit a Masai village, or partake in a nature walk.

Overnight at Shompole Wilderness Tented Camp

Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3: Shompole Conservancy – Drive to Nairobi

Breakfast/ relaxing at the lodge. Depart for Nairobi via Lake Magadi. Enjoy a picnic lunch under a shady tree, then drop off at your hotel in the afternoon.

Meal Plan {Breakfast}

3-Day Shompole Conservancy Safari Rates Include

✓ 2 Nights Full board accommodation at Shompole Wilderness Camp
✓ Drinks local sodas, mineral water, house wine, and beer
✓  Visit Masai Village and guided walk along the Uaso Ngiro riverbanks
✓  Transport in a chauffeur-driven Safari vehicle with a roof hatch for game viewing
✓ Community/ Conservation fee per adult 90 US Dollars per child up to 12 Years 49 US Dollars

Notes

* Shompole Wilderness Camp takes only one booking at a time, giving you the exclusive and private use of the whole camp to enjoy by yourself
* When staying at ‘Shompole Wilderness Camp, you will be supporting the local Maasai, who are the owners of the lodge. Revenue from tourism & visits to the conservation area are contributing to the well-being of the local people and the protection of the wildlife in the area
* This area offers you the opportunity to stay a few nights amongst the traditional Maasai people, at the bottom of the longest valley in the world – the Great Rift Valley, float down the river tubes, see an authentic Maasai village, photograph some of the 450+ bird species, or go and see the endangered Greater and Lesser flamingos

3 Days 2 Nights Safari Shompole Group Ranch Magadi Rates Do Not Include

✘ Gratuities
✘ Insurance
✘ Items of a personal nature
✘  Meals in Nairobi upon return (No Dinner)
✘ Extra activities offered by the wildlife researchers, i.e., Baboon walk

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