Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

Pros & Cons

• Beautiful scenery with grasslands and distant hills
• Good birding
• Rarely crowded, except on high-season weekends
• Interesting history
• Not many big safari animals present
• Small game-drive circuit

Wildlife

For such a small sanctuary, Taita Hills has surprisingly diverse wildlife populations. Of the predators, lion are sometimes seen and, if you’re lucky, you might even spot cheetah. Elephant is also possible. Commonly seen prey species include buffalo, Grant’s gazelle, impala, zebra, Masai giraffe and Coke’s hartebeest. Watch also for klipspringer around Lion Rock in the south of the sanctuary.

Scenery

Taita Hills occupies one of the greenest corners of southeastern Kenya. Acacias dot the rolling grasslands, and everything is particularly green along the main river valley. Away to the south and west, purple hills and mountains rise above the plains. Beyond the ridges lies Tanzania.

Activities

Guided game drives are the main activity in Taita Hills: as you drive around, you’ll be looking for wildlife and birds. Self-guided game drives are possible if you have your own vehicle. You can also visit the WWI Museum while you’re here.

Weather & Climate

The weather and climate of Taita Hills is similar to that of southeastern Kenya in general. More info:

• Weather & Climate – Kenya

Best Time To Visit

The best months for wildlife viewing in Taita Hills are during the Dry season (June to October). Toward the end of that time, animals are more concentrated around water sources. Migrating birds begin arriving around November and stay until April. The peak rainy periods are November and March to April (the Wet season runs from November to May).

Getting There

Taita Hills is close to Kenya’s southeastern border with Tanzania. The nearest main town is Voi (43km/27mi), and it makes a convenient stopover between Tsavo and northeastern Tanzania. Otherwise, it’s 201km/125mi by road from Mombasa and 371km/231mi from Nairobi. It can take 6 to 7 hours* to reach here from Nairobi, or 3 to 5 hours* from Mombasa.
*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.

Health & Safety

Please read our malaria and vaccinations page for Kenya and our general ‘Wildlife Viewing Safety Precautions’ for more info:

• Malaria & Vaccinations – Kenya
• Wildlife Viewing Safety Precautions

Want To Visit Taita Hills WS?

60 Taita Hills Safaris

• Taita Hills Safaris & Tours
• Tour Operators for Taita Hills