Shimba Hills Ngutuni Salt Lick Experience

We will collect you from your hotel in Mombasa early in the morning – at 6:55 am for South Coast hotels and 6:00 am for North Coast hotels – and drive to Shimba Hills National Reserve. Our visit begins with a short game drive through the park before heading to Sheldrick Falls, an impressive 82-foot waterfall nestled deep in the river valley. Here, you can enjoy a refreshing shower under the falls or a dip in the natural plunge pool. The walk back up from the falls can be challenging, so it is recommended only for those who are physically fit; alternatively, you may opt to continue with a short game drive instead. After the walk, we take another game drive en route to the lodge, where a late lunch is included. In the afternoon, you can relax at the lodge and watch the sun set behind the distant Usambara Mountains in Tanzania. From here, you may spot elephants at the nearby Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. The day concludes with dinner at the lodge, where you will spend the night.

After an early breakfast at the lodge, we drive north along a scenic route via Kinango, joining the main highway at Samburu. This journey follows the historic railway line constructed by the British in the late nineteenth century. As we climb steadily, the vast plains of Tsavo come into view, framed by the rolling Taita Hills on the horizon. We enter Ngutuni Sanctuary, which borders Tsavo East National Park, for a game drive. Lunch is served at Ngutuni Lodge, overlooking a waterhole where wildlife often gathers. In the afternoon, we continue to Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, arriving at Salt Lick Lodge—built on stilts with views over a waterhole frequented by animals. Around 4:00 pm, we set out on a game drive offering stunning vistas of the Taita Hills and opportunities to see a variety of birds and animals including lions, elephants, giraffes and zebras. Dinner is served at the lodge. Alternatively, you may choose to join an optional night game drive (not included), where you can spot nocturnal wildlife and experience the sounds of the African bush after dark. We spend the night at Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.

We begin with an early morning game drive in the Sanctuary at around 6:30 am. On a clear day, you may catch stunning views of the snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro as we explore. After returning to the lodge for breakfast, we set out again at approximately 9:30 am for a short game drive within the Sanctuary before arriving at Taita Hills Lodge for lunch, which is included. In the afternoon, we drive back to Mombasa, reaching your hotel by early evening—around 6:00 pm for South Coast hotels and 5:00 pm for North Coast hotels.