Shimba Hills National Park

Mombasa South Coast, Kenya

(Shimba Hills National Park is close to Mombasa. Shimba Hills National Park is a small hilly plateau situated at 33 km South West from Mombasa (near Kwale Town).

Shimba Hills National Park Sheldrick Falls

Shimba Hills National Park — Kenya
Shimba Hills National Park; Shimba Hills National Park is close to Mombasa. Shimba Hills National Park is a small hilly plateau situated at 33 km South West from Mombasa (near Kwale Town). This pristine wonderland of rolling Meadows and forests of giant primeval trees harbors a wide variety of wildlife, including some 500 elephant that favor the refreshing fruit of the borassus palm.

There are leopards often heard but not frequently seen. But the most distinctive of the Shimba Hills National Reserve's many species is perhaps the rare and impressive Sable antelope, found in the same habitats as several large herds of buffalo. While never numerous in Kenya it is unlikely that viable populations exist other than in the Shimba Hills. Closely related to the Roan antelope, which it resembles, it is in fact, slightly smaller. Both sexes carry the 100-160 centimeter horns, which rise vertically before curving backward in a pronounced arc.

Visiting the park is a great opportunity to discover the dry red-soil of inland Kenya by doing a real safari and observing African elephants while being near the coast and still enjoying the freshness of the coastal breeze. The park is well managed, the road is good all year round and there are plenty of signposts, to direct you. These is also a few choice of accommodation for those willing to pass the night in an equatorial forest populated by elephants or for sundowners lovers.

Shimba Hills is the name of the hills rising above the palm-fringed reaches of Kenya's coastline. Surrounded by a forested area of approximately 24'000 hectares, the park has a unique wooded ecosystem rich in flora but also in fauna - with all the same elephants, giraffes and the rare sable antelopes. Shimba Hills National Reserve vegetation is very dense therefore the few pastures and grasslands available are the best places to view animals who usually move towards rivers to drink and plains to graze.

They are on eastern side of the park near the Giriama point, the Longo forest or the Buffalo ridge. Because it is very hot, animals stay in the forest during the day and no animals are seen. The best time is late in the afternoon. The main attraction of the park are the Sheldrick falls, an impressive 25 meters high waterfall of fresh spring water, and its marked footpath in gallery forest to see the falls.

Shimba Hills National Park Attractions

Shimba Hills National Park

Sable Antelopes at Shimba Hills National Park

Shimba Hills National Park is fairly small park and is also the sanctuary of the last breeding herd of indigenous Sable Antelope in Kenya. This typical sabre-horned antelope is often considered as the most beautiful of the large antelopes.

They are more easily seen on the central grasslands (Buffalo ridge) and around the old airstrip (near Longo forest). Best time is early morning or late afternoon. Large and gregarious animals with long scimitar-shaped horns, they have a black color coat marked with white stripes on their face and under-parts. In the past, this African savanna antelopes were preys of many hunters and the species was almost extinct in Kenya.

Even Ernest Hemingway was used to hunt Sable Antelopes despite the fact he was astonished by the beauty and the habits of the antelopes, both developed in his book, The Green Hills of Africa.

Shimba Hills National Park is a unique habitat for Elephants

For those who have been in safari and have seen savannah elephants under acacia cover and savannah in backdrop, Shimba Hills National Park is a good alternative to view Elephants in a forested area. The tropical forests of Shimba Hills National Park are a unique habitat for Elephants of the Kenyan coast.

The best place to spot them is in the Elephant Hill or along the forested area such as Longo forest, but herds can be seen all over the Park as there is more than 600 Elephants in the area. Note also that a fenced Elephant corridor connects the Shimba Hills National Park to the Mwaluganje Forest and its Elephant Sanctuary.


Shimba Hills National Park

Shimba Hills National Park

Wildlife in Shimba Hills National Park

Shimba Hills National Park vegetation cover is dense and the weather is very hot during the daytime hours, animals are shy, stay most of the day in the forest and are very hard to see.

A late afternoon visit is recommended. Besides the Elephants and the Sable Antelopes, other animals in the Park include Buffalo, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Hyena, Warthog, Leopard, Baboon, Sykes', Vervet and Colobus monkeys, Serval, Duiker, Suni and Bush pig.

The Masai Giraffe and Ostrich have been reintroduced in the Park and Impalas and Zebras have been unsuccessfully reintroduced. The rare Roan Antelope is a relative to the Sable Antelope also found in Shimba Hills. This antelope can also be seen in Masai Mara National Reserve. Birdlife is also abundant, especially during spring migration as 111 bird species have been recorded, of which 22 are coastal endemic.

Ocean View Point & Giriama Points

Shimba Hills National Park has many viewpoints all with views over the forested hills and the grass plains. These viewpoints are used to observe Elephants so binoculars is a must. The eastern side of the Park has more viewpoints than the western side and the scenery is more contrasted with forests and plains. At the western side of Shimba Hills National Park, the Pengo hill (450 m) is the highest point of Shimba hills and on a very clear day, the Tsavo plains and the Taita Hills can be seen (and sometimes Mount Kilimanjaro).

Ocean view point offers a panoramic views over the hilly countryside and as far as the Kenyan coast and the Chale Island and there is a picnic site. The Giriama point is on the way towards Sheldrick Fall

Shimba Hills National Park Sheldrick Falls

Note: Shimba Hills National Park Sheldrick Falls visit has to be accompanied by a Kenya Wildlife Service Ranger Guide (for safety reasons) as there are sometimes Elephants or few Cape Buffalos along the 2 km long way-marked footpath going to the falls.

It's also advisable to take a Safari Hat and bottle water before setting out going to the forest walk as the path crosses steep uncovered grass plains and it can get very hot at times. The falls were discovered by David Sheldrick.

The pleasant walk takes two hours from the car park area to the falls which supply Tiwi and Diani beaches of Mombasa with water. The track leading down to the cascade offers a scenic walk, count 45 minutes to descend and 1 hour to return. At the fall, don't try to climb on the cliff as it is slippery but take a cold shower of 25 meters high, swim safely in the cool water pool or even have a picnic by the cascades on the sand.

The level of the pool depends on the season you are visiting. During rainy season, you can easily swim in the pool and there is one fall while during dry season, the pool is tiny and there are two spring water falls.

Shimba Hills National Park Sheldrick Falls

Shimba Hills National Park Facts

Altitude :120 - 450 meters
Area : 321 Square Kilometers
Location : 33 Kilometers south of Mombasa - District of Kwale (Coast Province)
Entrances : one main entrance and three secondary gates (Kivumoni Gate, Kidongo Gate, Shimba Gate). Shimba Hills National Park has a small Airstrip

Shimba Hills National Park Highlights
* Sheldrick Waterfalls (25 meters high)
* Unique presence of the sable antelope

* Splendid views towards the Indian Ocean and Mt Kilimanjaro
* Possibility to go for walk at the falls and to plunge in the pool.
* Picnic sites, camping sites and self-catering accommodation available
* Large rainforest surrounding the park (Mkongani and Mwaluganje forests)
* Possibility to do safari easily accessible from Mombasa : elephant, giraffe, buffalo, roan antelope and leopard