Shimba Hills Safaris and Tours

Shimba Hills National Reserve

Background Information
The Shimba Hills were gazetted as a National Forest in 1903, grassland areas were incorporated in 1924 and several subsequent extensions took place to bring the Reserve to its present size. In 1968 most of the Reserve was double gazetted as the Shimba Hills National Reserve. Two smaller areas to the west adjoining the reserve and almost entirely forested remain as Forest Reserves; Mkongani North and Mkongani West Forest Reserve.
A fenced elephant corridor connects the Shimba Hills with Mwaluganje Forest Reserve to the North.

The Shimba hills are a dissected plateau that ascends steeply from the coastal plains, 30 km south west of Mombasa and just south of Kwale town. The surrounding escarpment rises from around 120m to 300m across the bulk of the plateau and as high as 450m at Marare and Pengo hills.

The underlying rocks are the Triassic Shimba Grits and in the north central part near Kwale town Pliecone Magarini sands. Rivers flowing from the hills supply fresh water to Mombasa and the Diani/Ukunda area.

Location:
The reserve is approximately 33 km South of Mombasa, in Kwale district of Coast Province.

Climate:
The climate is hot and moist but is cooler than that at the coast with strong sea breezes and frequent mist and cloud in the early morning. Annual rainfall is 855mm-1682mm. Mean annual temperatures is 24.2 degrees Centigrade.

HOW TO GET THERE

Roads:
The reserve's main access is via Diani. - 56 kms from Mombasa.

Airstrips:
The reserve has one airstrip.

Park Roads:
Inside the Reserve is a 153 km road network.

Park Gates:
Main gate, Kivumoni Gate, Kidongo Gate, Shimba Gate.

Shimba Hills National Forest Reserve - Kenya

After a mere one hour drive from Kenya's Indian Ocean through undulating farming country and colourful villages, you arrive in the beautiful Shimba Hills. This stunning landscape mixes steep-sided valleys with rolling hills and pockets of rainforest.

The wildlife is not prolific but there are Elephants and the only Sable Antelope in Kenya. Sable are a chocolate-brown horse-like antelopes with magnificent sweeping sickle-shaped horns on both males and females.

The forests of Shimba are resonant with exotic noises like tree frogs, insistent birds and nocturnal bush babies, while butterflies fill the air and lizards scuttle around. Shaded by these trees are Mukurumuji Tented Camp and Shimba Rainforest Lodges - both places are created to induce relaxation.

Nearby are the Sheldrick Falls where the cool base pool invites a swim. Another excursion is to the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary where you can stay at the small intimate tented camp with a restaurant overlooking an Elephant waterhole.

The Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary opened in 1995, and is a good example of community-based conservation. A corridor was created along ancient Elephant paths to allow them to move between the Shimba Hills National Reserve and Mwalunganje Forest Reserve. The establishment of this reserve (surrounded by an electric fence), alleviated the conflict between man and Elephant to mutual benefit. All local people have a share in the project and an entrance fee is charged into the reserve.


MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Scenic landscape comprising of hills and valleys extending beyond the reserve boundaries

Sheldricks Falls
Sable antelope
Coastal rainforest
Potential for bird-shooting outside the Reserve
FACILITIES

Shimba Hills Lodge; KWS Bandas; 2 campsites

Lodges of Shimba Hills:

Mukurumuji Tented Camp

Shimba Rainforest Lodge

Mwaluganje Elephant Camp

COMMON VEGETATION

The Shimba Hills hold one of the largest areas of coastal rain forest in East Africa after Arabuko Sokoke. The vegetation consists of forested scarp slopes and undulating grasslands interspersed with woodland clumps and ribbons of riverine forest in the steeply cut valleys.