Coastal rainforest and grassland in the hills above Diani, home to Kenya's only sable antelope and a waterfall walk
Rising behind the beaches of the south coast, the Shimba Hills are cooler and greener than the shore below, with rolling grassland broken by patches of tall coastal forest. From the escarpment the views stretch towards the Indian Ocean, and the reserve offers a very different safari from the dry parks inland: smaller, quieter and wooded.
The reserve was protected chiefly for the sable antelope, a striking dark antelope with long curved horns, and Kenya's only breeding herd lives here. Elephants are numerous, and the forests are important for birds and butterflies; Wikipedia, drawing on botanical surveys, notes that more than half of Kenya's 159 rare plant species occur in the hills, including cycads and orchids. A forest trail leads down to Sheldrick Falls.
The hills have been protected in some form since 1903, and the area was gazetted as a national reserve on 16 September 1968, specifically to safeguard sable antelope and elephant habitat. It is managed jointly by the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forest Service and adjoins several forest reserves.
As elephant numbers rose, the animals damaged vegetation and raided farms. Most of the boundary was fenced, the community-owned Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary was created to the north in the early 1990s as a corridor, and elephants were moved to Tsavo East in the mid-2000s to ease pressure.
The hills are home to Digo and Duruma communities, part of the Mijikenda peoples of the coast, who farm maize, cassava and fruit on the surrounding land. Kwale town, the county headquarters, lies close to the reserve. Coconut, mango and cashew trees line the roads down to the coast, where Swahili cooking with coconut and spices is the norm.
Visitors usually come for a half or full day from Diani or Mombasa, driving the grassland loops in search of sable and elephants and stopping at viewpoints. A guided walk with a ranger leads through the forest to Sheldrick Falls and back. There is a lodge near the main gate, and many trips combine Shimba Hills with Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary next door.
The reserve can be visited all year. The drier months, roughly June to October and January to March, give firmer tracks and easier walking. The long rains from about April to June are heavy on the coast and can make forest paths slippery.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Diani Beach and Ukunda lie about half an hour's drive to the east, with Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park further south near Shimoni. Mombasa and Fort Jesus are about an hour north via the Likoni ferry. Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary adjoins the reserve to the north, and Tsavo East is a few hours inland.
Kenya · 7 nights4★ LodgeKenya · 9 nights4★ ResortThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
