Shimba Hills National Reserve

The Shimba Hills National Reserve is the only place in Kenya where tourists can see the Sable Antelope.

It contains one of the largest coastal forests in East Africa and is where a great diversity of Kenya's plant species are found, many of which are endangered.

The reserve is well known for its large elephant population, which in the early 2000’s became unsustainable. In 2005 KWS translocated over 150 elephants to Tsavo East National Park, it was described at the time as “the single largest translocation of animals ever undertaken since Noah’s ark”. With over 500 elephants, the reserve experiences tense human wildlife conflicts with the subsistence farmers in the area.

However to help reduce this conflict the Mwalunganje Elephant Sanctuary was established and shares a boundary with Shimba Hills National Reserve providing the elephants a migration corridor.

Due to the thick nature of the forest, game viewing is not as rewarding as on the savannahs, as many animals spend their time deep in the forest.

The best time of day to go for a game drive would be in the late afternoon, when the cooler temperatures lure the animals out of the shade and seek water.

The magnificent 21 m high Sheldrick Falls are in Shimba Hills; the late David Sheldrick, founder of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, once explored this area, whilst flying over the area he discovered a hidden waterfall within the Shimba Hills National Reserve, and subsequently had the falls named after him.

Getting to Shimba Hills National Reserve From Mombasa or Diani Beach the road is good, it is about an hours drive from Diani Beach.

Airport - Moi International Airport in Mombasa Attraction Highlights. The only place in Kenya you can see Sable Antelope Guided forest walks up to the scenically beautiful Sheldrick Falls It is known for its herds of Elephants Visit the Mwalunganje Elephant Sanctuary Scenic viewpoints and five picnic areas Area (km2) 300