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An hour inland from the beaches, the coastal plain rises into rolling hills of rainforest and grassland. A ranger walks you down through the trees to a 25-metre waterfall and a cool pool, and the elephants are never far away.
Shimba Hills is the coast's own safari: a small reserve of coastal rainforest and open grassland on a plateau above Diani, cooler and greener than the shore.
The walk to Sheldrick Falls is led by an armed reserve ranger, because elephants and buffalo use the same forest. From the trailhead the path drops through dense woodland, with glimpses of colobus monkeys and forest birds, to the foot of a 25-metre waterfall where the stream fans over a rock face into a pool. Swim if the water is clear, then rest before the return.
Guides quote anything from 2.5 to 5 km for the round trip depending on the start point; allow two to three hours. The way back means climbing 300-odd steps out of the valley.
Do a game drive in the early morning, when animals are moving: Shimba is the only place in Kenya to see sable antelope, and elephants are common on the grassland. Then walk to the falls. The reserve is one to one and a half hours from Mombasa or Diani, so leave early; if you start late in the day, the heat makes the climb back harder.
An early start, a morning in the reserve, and a swim at the bottom of the walk.
Drive inland via Kwale to the reserve's main gate, an hour or more from the coast.
Look for sable antelope, elephants and buffalo on the open grassland and at the viewpoints over the coast.
Meet your ranger and descend through the forest, listening for colobus and hornbills.
Swim in the pool below the 25 m fall and eat your packed lunch on the rocks.
Take the steps slowly back to the vehicle, then drive back to the coast.
By car or with a tour from Mombasa or Diani; the walk needs a vehicle for the game drive and to reach the trailhead.
Reserve entry and ranger fees are paid to Kenya Wildlife Service, by card or mobile money; check current rates before you go.
Start early: the drive is long and the climb back is hottest in the middle of the day.
Mombasa practical notes →Wikimedia Commons photographs are used under their licences.
