Taita Hills Sanctuary 2-Day Safari from Mombasa

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

The Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a private reserve of about 110 square kilometres near Mwatate, roughly four hours from Mombasa. It lies in the corridor between Tsavo East and Tsavo West, so animals move through it on their way between the two national parks, and its mix of open grassland, acacia woodland and seasonal streams supports elephants, lions, cheetahs, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, elands, hartebeests, oryx and hundreds of bird species.

Because the sanctuary is private, game drives are less crowded than inside the national parks and the guide can take time at each sighting. Sanctuary fees are included in this safari, so there are no separate park charges at a gate. For many guests on a Taita Hills safari from Mombasa the surprise is how close the animals come, especially at the waterholes in the dry months when elephants arrive in family groups to drink and bathe.

The lodge on stilts above the waterhole

The night is spent at a lodge unlike any other on the Kenyan coast circuit: a cluster of round towers raised on stilts and linked by elevated walkways, built around a large waterhole. Elephants, buffalo, zebras and antelopes walk directly underneath the rooms and the restaurant, and after dark the water is floodlit so you can watch from your window or the viewing deck late into the night, sometimes with lions or hyenas at the edge of the light.

Rooms are simple but comfortable, with mosquito nets and views over the water, and all meals as listed in the itinerary are served at the lodge. The waterhole is the reason this safari works so well for families and for guests who tire of long drives: some of the best wildlife watching of the two days happens from a chair with a cup of tea. The lodge is confirmed at booking and may be replaced by a similar one if full.

The Taita Hills and the land between the Tsavos

The Taita Hills rise abruptly from the plains to more than two thousand metres, a green island of cloud forest and terraced farms above the dry red bush. They catch the moisture of the monsoon and feed the streams that keep the sanctuary alive, and their slopes are home to the Taita people, whose villages, markets and sisal fields you pass on the drive in. The highest peaks are often wrapped in cloud while the savannah below bakes in sunshine.

From the sanctuary tracks the hills form a constant backdrop, and on clear days Kilimanjaro can be seen far to the south-west across the Tanzanian border. Guests who ask about the best time to visit the Taita Hills are usually told the dry months from June to October and January to February for the most animals, while the short rains in November turn the whole landscape green.

Game drives in the sanctuary

The safari includes game drives on both days: a drive on arrival in the afternoon on day one, when elephants and buffalo come to the waterholes, and a sunrise drive on day two when lions and cheetahs are most likely to be active and the light is at its best. Your driver-guide reads tracks, follows news from other vehicles and positions the van so that everyone can stand under the pop-up roof for photographs.

Expect large herds of elephants in the dry season, giraffes browsing the acacias, zebras and elands on the open grass and fringe-eared oryx, which are rarely seen elsewhere on the coast circuit. Lions and cheetahs are resident but, like all wildlife, never guaranteed. A night game drive and a visit to a Maasai village are offered at the lodge as optional extras paid locally; ask your guide on the day if you are interested.

The road from Mombasa and Diani

The journey inland is part of the adventure. From Mombasa the route follows the Nairobi highway through Mariakani and the dry Taru country, where baobabs stand alone on the plains, and reaches Voi in about three hours; from Diani add roughly an hour via the Likoni crossing. At Voi the safari turns west towards Mwatate on a quieter road with the Taita Hills ahead and sisal plantations on either side.

A comfort stop is made on the way, and the pickup time of around 06:30 means you arrive at the sanctuary in time for lunch and the first game drive. On day two you leave after the morning drive and breakfast and are back at your hotel in the late afternoon. Cruise passengers can be collected at and returned to the port in Mombasa on request.