Mwaluganje Sanctuary

Nature Sanctuaries in Kwale

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary: Shimba Hills

The traditional route of getting to Kwale County is starts abode Likoni Ferry, which crosses you over the Likoni Channel from the island to Mombasa’s mainland onto A14 Likoni-Ukunda Road. Past Likoni, the A14 Road travels within 2 km of the coast for the next 60 km, up until Funzi, before it veers slightly inland to within 10 km of the shoreline for the next 34 km to Lunga Lunga at the Kenya-Tanzania boundary. The Likoni Ferry has become busier and poky as Mombasa grows, and the vintage ferries are routinely surged, so a fair time consideration should be planned for the channel crossing. What’s more, now and then, the ferries breaks down altogether, and at such times (and of course at all other times) flights to Ukunda are indicated.

14 km from Likoni along the A14 Road, at Waa, one reaches the first of two roads to Shimba Hills National Reserve and Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. The latter sits on the northern edge of Shimba Hills National Reserve, which it is linked to by a fenced elephant corridor. The 24 km2 (or 6,000 acres) Mwaluganje is widely-popular for viewing of elephants, 150 in 2019. A pair of good binoculars is useful to spot these sentient giants and also to zoom in on the superb Cha-Shimba viewing point. Began in early 1990s as a community initiative by more than 200 families of Wadigo and Waduruma tribes, who set aside part of their land to protect this vital wildlife migration corridor, Mwalunganje Elephant Sanctuary is a great illustration of human-wildlife co-existence. It is accessed via the main gate to Shimba Hills.


Around Kenya are to be found a hatful of delightful nature parks and sanctuaries, many of these being community initiatives to protect wildlife in their natural habitats. Fairly small in comparison to the national parks and reserves, they offer a more intimate exposure to the wild, to fully appreciate the local flora and fauna.


Located along the Kenyan coast, and a hub renowned for its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking landscapes, Kwale County uniquely combines two of Kenya’s unsurpassed offerings – beach and safari. Kwale County is also a melting pot of coastal traditions, modern development, farming and trade to boot.

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Kwale has monsoon type of climate marked by hot and dry weather from January to May and cooler temperatures from June to August. Average annual temperatures ranges between 24oC and 30oC.

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