Shimba Hills National Reserve

Shimba Hills National Reserve at a Glance

Shimba Hills National Reserve is a 192.5 km² coastal forest reserve on the hills behind Diani, gazetted in 1968 and managed by Kenya Wildlife Service with the Kenya Forest Service. The reserve holds Kenya's last breeding herd of sable antelope, and coastal elephants live in the forest. KWS also publishes a 300 km² figure, which covers the wider conservation area with the Mkongani forests and Mwaluganje.

Our Shimba Hills safari from Diani includes the game drive, a ranger and the walk to Sheldrick Falls.

Shimba Hills Key Facts

Shimba Hills Terrain and Forest

The hills rise from the coastal plain behind Kwale. Forest blocks of coastal rainforest alternate with open grass glades, and the cooler, wetter climate on the plateau feeds streams that run down to the coast.

Getting to Shimba Hills from Diani

Shimba Hills Main Gate is 32.9 km by road from the Ukunda junction on Diani Beach Road, a drive of under an hour. The road climbs from the coast towards Kwale, and the air gets cooler as you go up. Our Shimba Hills day trip includes the car, the game drive and the walk to Sheldrick Falls.

Shimba Hills Day Trip from Diani

The day trip collects you from your hotel, covers the drive circuit and the falls walk with a ranger, and returns you in the afternoon. A half day covers the drive and a viewpoint, and a full day suits the falls walk.

Driving to Shimba Hills Yourself

Gates open at 06:00 and close at 18:00, and visitors leave by dusk unless they stay overnight. The speed limit inside is 40 km/h, off-road driving is not allowed, and wildlife is viewed from at least 20 metres. Single-use plastic is banned in the reserve.

Shimba Hills Day Trip Itinerary from Diani

A Shimba Hills day trip from Diani runs from a 7:00 am pickup to drop-off around 4:00 pm, with a game drive first and the Sheldrick Falls walk while the trail is still cool. Lunch is usually at the Shimba Hills Lodge restaurant over the waterhole or at Shimba Hills Green Lodge. The driver adjusts the order to the weather and the animals.

Shimba Hills Day Plan

Included and Extra on the Shimba Trip

• Included: transport, KWS park and vehicle fees, ranger, driver guide, water
• Extra: drinks, tips, overnight stays
• Bring: walking shoes, hat, repellent, a light layer and your ID

Sable Antelope at Shimba Hills

Shimba Hills holds the last breeding herd of sable antelope in Kenya, about 51 to 56 animals in the most recent counts, down from 265 in 1960. Sable graze the open glades between forest blocks. Early morning and late afternoon drives on the grassland tracks give the best chance, and sightings happen on many drives but not every one.

Sable Counts at Shimba Hills

Sable Antelope Recovery Plan

KWS launched the second Sable Antelope Recovery Action Plan in March 2024, running to 2033. The plan targets habitat restoration in the glades, anti-poaching patrols and work with farming communities on the reserve edge.

Elephants and Other Wildlife at Shimba Hills

Shimba Hills elephants live in the forest and come out to the glades and waterholes, so most visitors see their tracks and dung and many see the animals themselves. The 2021 census sighted 75 elephants from the air, a count that misses many under the canopy. Buffalo, warthog, waterbuck, baboons and bushbuck share the reserve.

New Animals Since 2025

KWS finished the first phase of a restocking project in March 2025, moving 167 zebras, 84 impalas and 10 hartebeest into Shimba Hills. Giraffes, elands and buffaloes are planned for the second phase, so open-grass sightings are rising.

Shimba Hills Wildlife List

Birds of Shimba Hills

The forest draws birdwatchers for coastal forest species, including hornbills, turacos and sunbirds, rather than savannah birds. Bring binoculars for the forest walk.

Forest and Plants of Shimba Hills

Shimba Hills is one of the richest plant sites in Kenya, with more than half of the country's 159 rare plant species, including endangered cycads and orchids. The forest is part of the coastal forest belt that runs from southern Somalia to Mozambique. The park is also an Important Bird Area and a key site for butterflies.

Coastal Forest Types

Elephants and the Forest

Large elephant numbers in the past damaged the forest edge and farms around it. KWS fenced the reserve boundary, opened the Mwaluganje corridor to the north and moved elephants to Tsavo East in 2005 to ease the pressure.

Sheldrick Falls Walk in Shimba Hills

Sheldrick Falls is a waterfall inside Shimba Hills reached only on foot with a KWS ranger, on a steep forest trail that drops to the falls and climbs back out. The trail runs about 2 to 2.5 km each way, roughly 30 minutes each way on a steep path, and swimming is allowed in the plunge pool at the falls. The path turns to slippery mud and clay after rain.

Falls Walk Kit List

• Walking shoes with grip, not sandals
• Water, a hat and insect repellent
• A light rain layer in the wet months

Ranger Rules on the Falls Trail

The trail crosses ground used by elephants and sable, which is why KWS requires a ranger escort. Rangers are charged per group under the KWS guided tour fee, and our day trip includes the ranger.

Shimba Hills Viewpoints and Campsites

Shimba Hills has two famous viewpoints, the ocean viewpoint over the coastal plain and Pengo, the highest point in the hills. Clear mornings give the widest view to the Indian Ocean.

Ocean Viewpoint and Pengo Hill

The ocean viewpoint looks down over Diani and the reef line on a clear day. Pengo Hill gives the widest view inland towards Mwaluganje and Kwale.

Staying Overnight at Shimba Hills

KWS runs campsites inside the reserve.

Best Time to Visit Shimba Hills

The best time to visit Shimba Hills is early in the morning in the dry months, when the forest is cooler and sable and elephants come out to the open glades. Gates open at 06:00, and an early start finishes the falls walk before the midday heat. After heavy rain the falls carry more water but the path turns to slippery mud and clay.

Dry and Rainy Months at Shimba Hills

The Kenya Meteorological Department expects above-average short rains in Kwale from mid-October to early December 2026, so plan the falls walk for the morning and ask us about trail conditions.

Best Time of Day at Shimba Hills

Shimba Hills Safety and Park Rules

Shimba Hills has elephants and buffalo, so stay in the vehicle on game drives and walk only on the marked trail with a ranger. Keep a safe distance from all animals. Do not feed monkeys, and take your rubbish with you.

KWS Rules at Shimba Hills

• Speed limit 40 km/h, no off-road driving
• View wildlife from at least 20 metres
• No single-use plastic bags or bottles
• Leave the reserve by 18:00 unless staying overnight

Shimba Hills with Children

The falls walk is steep, so it suits children who walk well, and younger ones can stay at a viewpoint with an adult.

Health on the Hills

Mosquitoes bite in the forest, so wear long sleeves in neutral colours and use repellent. The hills are cooler than the coast, so carry a light layer for early starts.

Places Near Shimba Hills

Shimba Hills sits above Kwale town, so the places near it are inland conservation areas and the county town. Mwaluganje is the easiest addition to the same day.

• Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary: the community elephant corridor on the edge of the reserve, 37.7 km by road from the Ukunda junction
• Kwale town: the county town on the way to Mwaluganje, about 30 km from Diani
• Diani Beach: 32.9 km back down to the coast