Shimba Hills National Reserve - Kenyan Coast
A coastal ‘Treetops', the Shimba Hills Lodge is one of the most atmospheric tree hotels in Kenya offering luxury facilities and unique day and night wildlife viewing. Faced in pitch-dark timber the lodge is built to resemble a tree house and is picturesquely located deep in a forest glade and surrounded by ancient cycad palms, liana-hung hardwoods and rare forest blooms. There are also a number of nature walks and game drives to be enjoyed. Shimba Hills is one of the few places in all of Kenya's National Reserves from which guests can experience the wilderness on foot.
Location
The lodge is in the Shimba Hills National Reserve, which lies just beyond Wa, which is a small town in the hills behind the coast - 35 kms (45 minute's drive) from Mombasa. The entrance to the lodge is 3 km beyond the Reserve's Main Gate.
Kenya hotels and accommodation
Amongst the wide range of Kenya hotels, some make the ideal Kenya safari destination. Choose a safari lodge, safari hotel, bush camp, luxury lodge, safari camp, tented camp or bush lodge. National park accommodation usually takes the form of a traditional safari lodge or tented camp, but numerous other options exist on the park boundaries. Luxury lodges and luxury camp options are also offered in the private wildlife conservancies.
Background
Floating a misty-cool 400 metres above the palm-fringed beaches of Kenya's glittering coastline, the Shimba Hills National Reserve offers a unique blend of wood-cloaked downs, wandering elephant, breeze-fanned hills, plunging waterfalls, liana-strung jungle and the primeval stillness of one of the last remaining coastal rainforests on earth. Famed as the only Kenyan habitat of the rare and magnificent sable antelope, this unique Reserve is within thirty minutes of the beach, commands panoramic vistas over the Indian Ocean and plays host to one of the most enchanting tree hotels in Kenya.
Accommodation
Shimba can accommodate up to 65 guests. All rooms have balconies facing the water hole. The rooms, although small, are light and cheerful with big windows. Most rooms share communal bathroom facilities; two suites are self-contained. There are two self-contained suites, 24 doubles and five triples (ceiling fans, mosquito nets).
Dining and bars
The open fronted dining room allows unrestricted game and bird viewing at all times, and an elevated walkway extending well into the forest gives peace seeking visitors a few rare moments alone with nature. There are three bar areas, the most unique being the Jungle Bar, which is at the end of a long winding wooden walkway. At night floodlights illuminate the waterhole.
Weddings, conferences and events
The lodge has held a number of weddings at the end of the Jungle Bar Walkway. The bridal suite is very large with an outstanding view of the waterhole, ensuite dining area and private bathroom.
Child friendly
Due to the quiet nature of the lodge, children under five are not permitted.
What to do and see
The lodge overlooks a waterhole and is a bird- and animal-watcher's paradise. Dramatic black and white colobus monkeys, herds of elephant and graceful giraffes are often seen at Shimba. A wooden walkway extending 120 m into the forest leads to a viewing spot that allows for the unobtrusive viewing of birds and butterflies. Other adventures include a visit to Sheldrick Falls, or an evening game drive followed by a walk through the forest that ends with drinks and snacks in a glade.
An adventure walk to Sheldrick Falls.
For the more energetic, the trail leading down through the lush woodlands to the spectacular torrents of the 21 metre high Sheldrick Falls offers a scenic walk, a plunge in the pool or a picnic by the cascades. You may also see blue monkey, buffalo and elephant on the way. Walks take place at 4pm daily and take around 30 minutes to descend and 45 minutes return. All walks must be accompanied by a KWS ranger.
The forests of the Reserve hold substantial numbers of African elephant, which may be seen to unique advantage against the unusual backdrop of gentle downs and leafy woodlands. Herds can be found all over the Reserve but Elephant Hill is a good place to start.
The Reserve hosts one of the largest areas of coastal forest remaining in East Africa. It is also home to some of the oldest plants on earth, many of the massively buttressed forest trees being centuries old. Older still, in origin at least, are the fern-like cycads, age-mates of the dinosaurs that first flourished on earth some 200 million years ago.
Shimba Hills Lodge - Shimba Hills • Forest Tree Lodge • Kenya Hotels, Safari Lodges & Tented Camps
Place your Kenya Safari Hotel Booking Here!