Sabache Camp Samburu

Tucked against the sacred cliffs of Mount O’lolokwe in Samburu County, Sabache Camp Samburu is a community-run, budget-friendly eco-retreat immersed in one of East Africa’s last untouched wilderness areas.

Named after the “Sabache”—a symbol of beauty inspired by the curve of a Samburu woman’s necklace—the camp offers authentic cultural immersion, striking landscapes, and wildlife encounters in the heart of Namunyak Conservancy, just a short drive from Samburu National Reserve.

With exclusive access to over 500 square miles of pristine terrain, Sabache is 100% Samburu-owned and operated, supporting conservation, heritage, and local livelihoods.

Guests can enjoy a serene stay in classic safari tents, dormitories, or under the stars on the summit of Mount Sabache. Whether you’re trekking with warriors, birdwatching in a registered IBA, or enjoying traditional meals under the stars, Sabache offers a rare window into Kenya as it once was.

Location & Accessibility

Sabache Camp is located in northern Kenya, within the Namunyak Conservancy at the base of Mt. O’lolokwe.

By Road:

✓ Approximately 340 km (6.5 to 7 hours) from Nairobi
✓ 37 km (40-minute drive) from Archer’s Post

By Air:

✓ Flights to Samburu, Kalama, or Namunyak airstrips
✓ Transfer time: 30–45 minutes by road

Accommodation

Sabache Camp can host up to 50 guests, with options for every type of traveler—from rugged adventurers to comfort seekers.

Accommodation Options:

✓ Self-Contained Dormitory – Budget-friendly, ideal for groups
✓ Private Camping – Bring your gear or use supplied tents for summit trips
✓ 8 Classic Safari Tents – Spacious, en-suite, with shaded decks and stone verandas

Tent & Room Features:

✓ Solar power
✓ Hot showers & flush toilets
✓ Private stone verandas
✓ Mountain or wilderness views
✓ Tree-shaded decks and hand-crafted furnishings

Dining & Cuisine

Dining at Sabache blends Samburu tradition with international flair. Meals are served at the Elephant Walk Restaurant, on private verandas, or outdoors under the stars.

Dining Highlights:

✓ Free-range eggs, dairy, and meat from local farms
✓ Fresh organic produce from the community garden
✓ Campfire dinners, bush breakfasts, and picnic lunches
✓ Global cuisine: African, Italian, Indian, and French dishes
✓ Menus guided by the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
✓ The Flying Rhino Pub – refreshments, cold sodas, cocktails

Facilities & Services

✓ Cultural activity support
✓ Open-air dining & fire pit
✓ Volunteer program coordination
✓ Self-catering kitchen for guest use
✓ Solar-powered electricity throughout
✓ Restaurant & bar with expansive views
✓ Community Outfitter’s Shop for hikers
✓ Campsite at the summit of Mt. Sabache
✓ Natural rock pool overlooking a wildlife watering hole

Activities & Experiences

Sabache is a haven for explorers, families, and culture seekers, offering a blend of adventure, nature, and Samburu tradition.

On-Site Activities:

✓ Camel safaris across the plains
✓ Bird watching (Important Bird Area)
✓ In-room massage & relaxation sessions
✓ Hike Mt. Ololokwe (3 hrs up, 2 hrs down)
✓ Overnight camping at the summit with guides
✓ Medicinal plant hikes with Samburu medicine men
✓ Guided night game drives (not available in parks)
✓ Cultural visits with traditional music and dancing

Excursions & Nearby Attractions:

✓ Ancient cycad forests & rock art sites
✓ Singing Wells – a rare cultural experience
✓ Ceremonial caves & traditional Samburu trails
✓ Volunteer in community or conservation programs
✓ Wildlife drives in Samburu, Shaba, or Buffalo Springs

Inclusions

✓ Use of self-catering kitchen
✓ Guided treks and cultural tours
✓ Hot showers, flush toilets, solar power
✓ Access to nearby parks and conservancies
✓ Overnight summit camping gear (on request)
✓ Volunteer support and community integration
✓ Accommodation in tents, dormitory, or campsite
✓ Family-friendly programming and group bookings
✓ Access to rock pool, restaurant, pub, and lookout points
✓ Contributions to local employment and wildlife protection

2025 Sabache Camp Samburu Non-Resident Accommodation Rates Per Night Include;

Full board Accommodation + unlimited tea and coffee & fireside snacks

Notes;

* Children aged 2 years and below- free
* Family Cottage Suite / Small group suite: Sleeps 6 guests and has a private kitchen with a beautiful stone outdoor dining area and veranda. It also features an indoor sitting area and an expensive veranda. This room can also be re-designed to include up to 10 twin beds, upon advanced request

Camping

Notes;

* Camping is available at the campgrounds or at the summit
* Camping at the base campground with nearly unlimited capacity and is always available. One popular guest request is spending a night in the tented camp and hiking Sabache to camp at the summit with a sundowner dinner and sunrise breakfast overlooking the stunning vistas of northern Kenya. Capacity is limited for this option, so please reserve your space early for holidays or special events

2025 Sabache Camp Samburu Non-Resident Accommodation Rates Per Night Include;

Full board Accommodation + unlimited tea and coffee & fireside snacks

Notes;

* Children aged 2 years and below- free
* Family Cottage Suite / Small group suite: Sleeps six guests and has a private kitchen with a beautiful stone outdoor dining area and veranda. It also features an indoor sitting area and an expensive veranda. This room can also be re-designed to include up to 10 twin beds, upon advanced request

Camping

Notes;

* Camping is available at the campgrounds or the summit
* Camping at the base campground has nearly unlimited capacity and is always available

Self-catering: A cool box is available upon request. Water, firewood, toilets, and showers are available at the campground. Cool box available upon request
Meal plan: $25 per person per day. If a meal plan is selected, please notify us of any dietary requirements or preferences prior to arrival. There are no deductions for meals not taken for meal plans—it is a package, not an à la carte option.

On-site outfitting rental provides camping supplies, including tents, sleeping bags, and other essential gear. Camping Gear rental package – 10 US Dollars per person per day, a Refundable security deposit is required

Porters: 10 US Dollars per porter per day (overnight: 20 US Dollars )

Guides: 10 US Dollars per guide per day (overnight: 20 US Dollars)

Donkey porters: 100 US Dollars per day (Recommended: 1 porter per 2 persons)
Note: Each porter will carry no more than 20 kg. If the gear exceeds 20 kilograms, please add a porter or assist with carrying gear. Bulky or oversized gear may also require an added porter. If this occurs at camp without prior request, there may be a delay in carrying gear as additional porters are located.

Laundry Services: There are no laundry services at Sabache due to a scarcity of water. If guests need to wash clothes, they can request a bucket of water brought to the room. If the staff requires laundry services, please inquire with the office for per-piece rates in advance and allow for 2 days for service. There is no laundry equipment. The clothes are washed by hand and air-dried.

Hiking Sabache-O’lolokwe – $ 20 per person, guide included. On average, it takes 2.5 hours to reach the summit of Sabache, depending on one’s ability, weather conditions, and other factors. Suitable for hikers of all abilities and ages, including children. Unless guests plan to camp at the summit, hiking trips should depart no later than 1 pm. To view our Mt. Ololokwe hiking expeditions | Click Here

Early Morning Hiking Fee: Guests who choose to hike before 6 am will be charged an Early Morning Hiking Fee and are required to have two guides on the hike for safety reasons. There is a great deal of wildlife activity before sunrise.

In addition to the base fee of $ 20 per person, an additional fee of $ 20 per group will be added to your rate. We suggest camping at the summit the night before or after to see the sunrise, rather than hiking in the dark or embarking after 7 am.

Guests who have opted for the meal plan will be provided with a packed breakfast.  If a chef or wait staff is needed for an early hike, a $ 10 US dollar charge applies for each, payable directly to the chef.

Guests are required to be accompanied by an authorized guide: Unauthorized guides may join you but will be charged the same rate as a guest, regardless of your guide’s tribal or other affiliation. Your party will still be accompanied by an authorized guide for safety and security purposes, as well as to maintain the ecological and cultural integrity of the Samburu’s sacred mountain and surrounding lands, which are group ranch lands, not open to the public.

Rock Climbing Course: Learn basic rock-climbing skills. Must be 8 years old or older.  Children must have a parent present. The cost is $100 per person per day or $50 for half-day lessons.

Rock climbing guides are not independently booked: If you are rock climbing, we already know you need a guide and will assign one to you. You may request a specific guide, and we will do our best to accommodate your preference.

Bouldering and climbing/belaying – 25 US Dollars per person per day, guide included

Conservation fee –  Residents – 10 US Dollars per person per day,  non-resident – 20 US Dollars per person per day (Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy/NRT

** Please keep Sabache Clean! Guests are expected to carry out any trash generated, especially on trails and campsites. Wildlife and birds, especially nesting raptors, are not to be disturbed. Please do not deface the mountain– its rocks, trees, or anything else. Elephants and raptors are sensitive to the presence of drones, so please be considerate of their needs. Music is discouraged; loud music is banned. Please relax and enjoy the quiet of the wilderness.

Keep Sabache Clean: Campers and hikers may be asked to leave a refundable security deposit upon departure, provided the trails and campsite are clean. Guests are expected to dispose of any trash they generate.

Activities: mountain trekking, overnight camping at the summit, walking trails, birding, cultural tours, a visit to the nearby Reteti Elephant Rescue Center, Sera Rhino Sanctuary, parasailing, camel (paused) or walking safaris, night game drives, exploring ancient ceremonial caves, and game drives to nearby national parks and conservation areas.

The camp borders both Namunyak and Kalama conservancies. Camping gear and tents are available for rent upon request for overnight walking safaris. National Park entry fees are not included.

Upon request, the camp can arrange for cultural singing and dance at the campfire before or after dinner and warriors are always on hand to interact with guests and children if desired–they can teach traditional rock games, Maa language, beading, collect natural materials to construct traditional bow and arrows with archery games, demonstrate traditional fire-starting with sticks, lead nature walks including indigenous medicinal plants and evening campfire programs such as traditional stories. Some of these activities have an additional fee.

Many guests enjoy Sundowners or a special meal on stunning rock ledges or at the summit of O’lolokwe. We also offer a rock-climbing school and numerous hiking trails suitable for all levels. Of course, relaxing in the serene wilderness of Sabache is also a perfect experience.

Sabache Camp is a traditional African bush camp situated on the foothills of the sacred O’lolokwe Mountain in Samburu Land, offering stunning views of the Matthews Ranges. The camp borders both Namunyak and Kalama conservancies, which are both a 15-minute drive away.

Sabache, meaning ‘A Place of Beauty and Reverence’ in the Maa Samburu language, is located on a private wildlife reserve and conservancy owned and operated by an indigenous Samburu tribe. The camp is approximately 340 km from Nairobi and 37 km from Archer’s Post.  It’s a 20-minute drive from the camp to Samburu Game Reserve – approximately 11 km.

Sabache Camp

* European and African cuisine
* Guided game drives and bush walks
* 8 classic safari tents with tree-shaded decks
* Breathtaking views from guest room verandas
* Private Campsite and outfitter’s shop to equip hikers
* A natural rock pool overlooking a wildlife watering hole

Private, traditional safari-style tents with handcrafted log furniture and natural stonework are situated in a valley alongside the dramatic vertical cliff of Mt. O’Lolokwe. Each tent has solar power, hot showers, flush toilets, and private stone verandas with stunning mountain views.

A network of trails and mountains surrounds the camp, offering walks for all abilities. A team of guides is available to help you plan a traditional African sundowner, a picnic breakfast on a mountain ledge at daybreak, or help you explore the mountain trails where you can often see the rare Grevy zebra, gerenuk, oryx, or watch the incredible feat of elephants ascending the mountain trails on their knees and bellies to get to the natural springs at the summit! Visit the nearby “Singing Wells,” an authentic cultural village, or the three nearby national parks and local conservancies.

Dining at Sabache

The Elephant Walk restaurant features:

* Local free-range chickens supply our eggs and meat
* Local organic dairy using the highest processing standards
* Fresh organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs from our community garden

The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts has partnered with resident chefs and chefs-in-training to provide you with cuisine that includes traditional African and safari fare, as well as international specialties such as French pastries, regional Italian specialties, Indian curries, and a diverse array of menus from around the globe. Meals can be served under the stars by the campfire, on your private veranda, at a safari picnic, or in The Elephant Walk restaurant.

Join friends at The Flying Rhino pub for refreshments, including a variety of cold sodas, cocktails, and bottled water. 

Sabache Camp Activities include sundowners, a picnic breakfast on a mountain ledge at daybreak, exploring the mountain trails where you can often see the rare Grevy zebra, gerenuk, oryx, or watch the incredible feat of elephants ascending the mountain trails on their knees and bellies, Visit the natural springs at the summit or the nearby “Singing Wells” and cultural village visit.

Guests can also visit the National Reserves (Samburu, Buffalo Springs, and Shaba), or a day safari to Reteti Elephant Rescue Center or the Sera Rhino Sanctuary.

Mobile: +254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com