Paradise of the Sable Antelope

Just about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from your Diani Beach or Mombasa coastal resort, Shimba Hills offers an easy day trip to view its massive population of elephants, as well as the only place in Kenya where you can view the elegant sable antelope.

Shimba Hills National Reserve
Shimba Hills National Reserve
Shimba Hills National Reserve

As one of the largest coastal forests in East Africa after Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, this reserve is rich in flora and fauna and hosts the highest density of African elephant in Kenya. Other animal species found in the area are Sable antelope. The reserve hosts about 100 of this last breeding herd in Kenya. Other game include elephant shrew, bushy tailed mongoose and other small mammals like fruit bats. The forest is an important bird area and is endowed with forest birdlife while the grasslands hold localized species such as red-Necked-Spur fowl, Croaking Cisticola and Zanzibar Red Bishop. The scenic Sheldrick Falls and the dense Mwaluganje Forest are also found here along with four campsites.