Shimba Hills National Reserve
A small national reserve of coastal rainforest, woodland and grassland, 33 kilometres from Mombasa and 15 kilometres from the sea. It lies in the former Coast Province and is an important area for wildlife.
- Where
- Kwale, Kenya
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- -4.2572, 39.3878
Get the Shimba Hills National Reserve stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Shimba Hills National Reserve. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Kwale volume with your photos and a note.
Near Shimba Hills National Reserve
Diani Beach 22 km
A long beach of white sand on the Indian Ocean, about 30 kilometres south of Mombasa. Coral reef lies offshore, and colobus monkeys live in the forest patches behind the sand. It is one of the most popular beach destinations in the country, with resorts and dive centres along the shore.
Chale Island 27 km
A forested headland at the northern end of Msambweni Bay, once a true island. Coral cliffs, sandy coves and a mangrove-lined creek surround it, and it is a quiet stretch of the south coast.
Mombasa Island 39 km
A coral island, about 5 kilometres by 3, joined to the mainland by a causeway and bridges. It holds Mombasa's Old Town, Fort Jesus and the port at Kilindini Harbour. Narrow streets of old Swahili and Arab houses, Portuguese-era walls and busy markets fill the older part of the island.
Fort Jesus 39 km
A Portuguese fort on Mombasa Island, designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati and built between 1593 and 1596 to guard the harbour. It changed hands many times over the centuries and is now a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Wasini Island 45 km
A small coral island off the southern Kenyan coast, reached by boat from Shimoni. Visitors come for the coral gardens of Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park nearby, and for dolphins and a seafood lunch.
Haller Park 45 km
A nature park in Bamburi, north of Mombasa, made from an old cement quarry that was replanted with trees. Giraffes, hippos, crocodiles and tortoises now live among its ponds and woodland. Founded by the Swiss ecologist Rene Haller, it shows how damaged land can be brought back to life.
Mombasa Marine National Park 49 km
A marine park and national reserve off Mombasa on the Indian Ocean coast of Kenya. The park covers 10 square kilometres and the surrounding reserve covers 200 square kilometres of reef and sea.
Kisite Mpunguti Marine National Park 51 km
A marine park off the south coast of Kenya near Shimoni, established by the Kenyan government in 1978. It is the country's first Blue Park, protecting coral reefs and small islands in the Indian Ocean.
More hidden gems in Kwale
Questions
Where is Shimba Hills National Reserve?
Shimba Hills National Reserve is in Kwale, Kenya. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Diani Beach (22 km), Chale Island (27 km), Mombasa Island (39 km).
How do I get the Shimba Hills National Reserve stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Shimba Hills National Reserve and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Kwale volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Shimba Hills National Reserve before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Kwale volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 40 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.