The Shimba Hills Lodge is the only ‘tree lodge’ within Kenya’s coastal rainforest. An award-winning design when built in 1986, it was commissioned as a coastal alternative to the famous Tree Tops and therefore it is often described as the only tree lodge in the coastal rainforest of Kenya and offers guests views of a waterhole within the park. Throughout its construction, emphasis was placed on natural materials, with cedar wood dominating, resulting in a warm and relaxing interior.

Enjoy a close encounter with wildlife and walk to Sheldrick Falls with a guide—a 1- to 2-hour round-trip hike—to experience an oasis of lianas and greenery surrounding the 69-foot (21-meter) cascade. See native wildlife in their natural environment as you walk through the bush around the lodge after lunch.

This small-group tour allows for plenty of personal attention from the guide, who will help spot animals, birds, and other features throughout the day. Watch for some of the reserve's extraordinary wildlife in the Shimba Hills’ grassland and forest; the park is especially known for sightings of the endangered sable antelope, which fend off predators using long, scimitar-shaped horns. Bird watchers can tick off species on their “life lists,” as 111 bird species have been recorded in Shimba Hills, including 22 coastal endemics such as the ostrich eagle, African hawk, and honey guide.

When the game drive concludes, keep exploring on foot: walk to Sheldrick Falls with a guide (a repeat option) and enjoy the greenery around the 69-foot (21-meter) cascade. Pause for lunch at Shimba Hills Lodge, then, weather permitting, you can take a second walk through the bush around the lodge or simply enjoy the view.

Day 1: Shimba Rain Forest Lodge (Meal Plan: Fullboard)

You will be picked up from your hotel early in the morning at 07:00 and then be driven for about forty- five minutes to reach this cool and lush reserve. At 08:3 you will start searching for animals including elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs, the rare sable antelope that is only found here in the whole of East Africa, and maybe leopards. All these, plus colorful birds, can be seen through this year-round green rainforest of Shimba Hills National Reserve.

Thereafter, you will tour Sheldrick Falls on the slopes of the hills before lunchtime, where you will watch water splashing from the top of a 30-metre-high cliff, forming a natural pool for casual swimmers. It is very important to consider that before disembarking from the vehicle to go down the hill for a 45- minute gentle walk, this is a fitness exercise recommended only for physically fit people.

Lunch will be served at the Shimba Rainforest Lodge in a restaurant overlooking a waterhole at 13:00. The lodge is the only tree hotel on the coast and offers a stunning view of the rainforest from its base. After lunch, you will have another game drive to the nature walk zone. This is a guided tour where at times you may come close to the wild game, a thrill for your Kenyan safari. Sit around a bonfire as the resident naturalist takes you through the history of the lodge, park, and its inhabitants. The sun will begin to set, and you can watch the beautiful rays lifting the sky as it dips below the horizon. On a clear day, you can see the Usambara Mountains in Tanzania.

You will then drive back to the lodge to refresh before enjoying a sumptuous dinner in the main restaurant. Our restaurant is open for drinks, and you will have the night at leisure, followed by dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 2: Transfer back to the hotel

The day starts with an early morning game drive where you would be likely to see the elephant, buffaloes and other animals including elusive leopard reverting back to the lodge for breakfast. This will be followed by another game drive in the park enroute to the beach resort arriving in mid-morning.

End of the Kenya safari.