Total Area Covered: 192 sq.km
Best Time to Visit: All year around.
Nearest City: Mombasa
Attractions: Sheldrick Falls 25m high, tropical forests with rare trees and orchids, rare black-maned sable antelope, elephant, bush pig, water backs, reedbuck and warthog.

Shimba Hills National Reserve, 74 square miles in size, is located south of Mombasa. Many beach hotel vacationers opt for a one-day trip to visit the wildlife at Shimba Hills National Reserve because of its closeness to the local tourist resorts. The reserve is located at an altitude of around 500 meters above sea level. Shimba Hills Lodge overlooks an emerald glade of dense coastal rain forest with giant cycads.

There are number of wild animals seen at the Shimba Hills National Reserve, namely: leopards, elephants, Maasai giraffes, zebras, antelopes, ostriches, lions (occasionally), warthogs, monkeys and the indigenous Sable antelopes. The Sable antelopes are only found at Shimba Hills National Reserve. The Kenyan authorities are trying to carefully experiment the introduction of wildlife in this region for example, Maasai giraffes were introduced here in the 1990’s and after carefully conditioning they have started to assimilate in this new environment. In December 1996, the first resident giraffe was born. Also, Roan antelopes were imported from western Kenya but unfortunately died due to their inability to adjust to the environment and a different vegetation.

Shimba Hills National Reserve also has a large number of insects that create also sorts of unique sounds once the sun goes down.

The Simba Hills National Reserve is 320 sq km

Shimba Hills is an easy drive and offers beautiful, lush scenery. It has a unique and botanically rich coastal rainforest. Two of Kenya’s most beautiful orchids can be found here.

Another rare species, unique to the Reserve, is the Sable Antelope with its handsome near-black coat. Game includes: roan antelope, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, lion, leopard, bush baby, black faced vervet monkey, sykes’ monkey, black and white colobus, serval, duiker, suni, bushbuck The best places to see game are on the flat grasslands near the spectacular Sheldrick’s Falls and on the Lango Plains near Giriama Point with a tremendous view over rolling park land to the escarpment, from where you can look out to the Indian Ocean. There are a number of short walking trails at Elephant Lookout and Pengo Hill and the falls.

Birds are not common in this park.But during spring migration you may find lesser cuckoos, golden orioles, honey buzzard, European hobby, red-backed shrike, hawk eagles, red-necked spurfowl, guinea fowl, blue quail, crowned hornbill and others.

There is one lodge with 31 rooms, one self-help banda site with 8 beds and two camp sites.

Climate: Hot and moist

Features: Sheldricks falls , Kaya forest, sable antelope & birdshooting

Facilities:
Lodge
Campsite
Bandas
Picnic Sites
Elephant Lookout
Nature trail

Activities: Game viewing , Walking & Camping

Accommodation: Shimba hills lodge