A Sleeping Beauty awaits you in the hinterland of Kenya's South Coast, less than an hour’s drive away from the beach hotels at the Indian Ocean. On the north-eastern edge of the Shimba Hills, a long-established (but lately almost forgotten) sanctuary is hidden - in the middle of a dramatic cliff and river landscape.
It offers hiking trails, forests and waterfalls completely off the beaten tourist track. And with a bit of luck, you will encounter the iconic namesakes of Mwaluganje: Elephants.
Please scroll through the following pages, feel encouraged to come for a day trip - and become part of the rebirth of this natural treasure!
Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary was established in 1995 as a protected corridor between the Shimba Hills National Reserve and the northwards Mwaluganje Forest Reserve. It now covers a total of 40 km². The area on both sides of the Manolo River has a rich diversity of flora and fauna, and it was a traditional mating ground for elephants from the Shimba Hills and the far away Tsavos. At the time, there were still several hundred resident elephants in the forests, but threatened by poaching and growing human-wildlife conflicts.
Thus the first community ecotourism project in Kenya was born: supported by Kenya Wildlife Service, USAID and some animal welfare organisations, around 260 local land owners stopped deforestation, farming and keeping lifestock in the area and leased their shambas to the sanctuary. They were to be compensated with monies generated by entrance and accommodation fees. Additional revenue generating activities included: creating paper from elephant dung, bee keeping (honey products), butterfly breeding and biofuel (sawdust briquettes).
Surviving Difficult Times
A multitude of problems led to a gradual slump in tourism numbers after
a successful first decade: less safari appeal due to the translocation of 150 elephants to Tsavo East (to reduce pressure on the surrounding agricultural land, 2005, see photo), followed by the post-election violence (2007/08) and the subsequent closure of the privately run “Traveller's Camp” within. With Covid, the main gate was permanently closed.
The Sanctuary has since survived mainly thanks to the commitment of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT), Nairobi, which continued to compensate the landowners despite the lack of visitor income. In 2023/24, the trust has re-fenced the entire ecosystem (Shimba Hills National Reserve and Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary) over a length of 117 km as a prerequisite for its long-term safeguarding.
Setting Off For New Horizons
Since 2025, stakeholders and friends of Mwaluganje are breathing new life into the old community project. Chitsanze Gate area (bottom photo) and a hiking trail to the nearby waterfalls have been rehabilitated with the help of a private neighbour and other nature lovers. The basic repair of the road network in the western main part of the sanctuary was carried out by Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. In addition, efforts are being made to improve organization and governance with the help of the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (kwca). Building on this, a German microloan from the International Climate Initiative could recently be secured.
Simultaneously, KWS is introducing zebras and other herbivores to the Shimba National Reserve, benefitting Mwaluganje as well because the animals can move freely between the two parts of the ecosystem. Besides, there are plans for a new lodge inside the Sanctuary.
With your visit to Mwaluganje you are part of this awakening: thank you for this important support!
Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary features dramatic cliffs and hidden waterfalls, forested hills and barren bushlands, all between 150 and 300 m above sea level. Its vegetation is diverse, ranging from scattered baobabs to dense rainforest along the streams - sometimes misty in the morning hours, later baking under the midday sun.
The Manolo River has carved its way deep into the terrain, with many twists and turns and some natural rock bridges. It is the lifeline of the region where animals come to drink and bathe; the river is named after the black rocks used for sharpening knives.
The elephant population within the Shimba ecosystem is estimated to be around 200 animals; some of them are collared and their movements can be tracked (by Mara Elephant Project). There are other animals around including buffaloe, warthog, bushbuck and waterbuck. As part of an ambitious KWS programme, the number of grazers in the Shimba ecosystem is currently being significantly increased by animals from other parks, namely zebras, along with impalas and hartebeests - giraffes and elands to follow. Baboons appear in large groups, sykes and the endangered colobus monkeys can also be seen. The unspoilt nature also shelters a multitude of invertebrates and quite some shy snakes.
The Sanctuary is a bird- and butterfly-watchers’ heaven. Numerous birds of prey, including the monkey-eating crowned eagle and the palm nut vulture, circle over the hills and valleys. Mwaluganje is one of the two sites in the country where you can encounter the rare sokoke scops owl.
Cycads (resembling but not related to palm trees, photo) make Mwaluganje’s flora unique and therefore are part of the sanctuary logo; the endangered plant dates back to the dinosaur times of the Jurassic period. Big baobabs are also all over the place. Wildflower lovers find the Sanctuary a paradise when the cliffs turn pink with blooming desert roses at the end of the rainy season (November), and when most plants flower at the start of the rainy seasons (March and April). Petrified wood, which signifies the remains of a forest that flourished some 200 million years ago, can be found in some places (see photo of the elephant statue at Ng'onzini Primary School below).
(Pls click into youtube for a drone shot of the Chitsanze waterfall)
Mwaluganje is easily accessible from any part of the south coast. From Mombasa or Diani Beach via Kombani up to Kwale town in the Shimba Hills, it is about 30 kilometres each. From there it is 6 km to the eastern Chitsanze Gate, and 16 km to the western Main Gate; this road (leading on to Kinango) is currently being tarmacked.
For a game drive via Main Gate you need your own car (best 4x4), or you come with a tour operator; please note that some sections might still be a bit challenging, and that signposts have to be renewed.
At the moment, walks starting from Chitsanze Gate are the best option - to do this you can even travel there by taxi, tuk-tuk or matatu (plus boda boda from Kwale Market). If you start your trip early in the morning, or stay overnight, you may combine the visit to Mwaluganje with a drive into the adjacent Shimba Hills National Reserve.
Entrance fees include a ranger escort, if necessary when hiking. They are charged at the gates and payable by mpesa. Tickets are valid for the day of issue, with the possibility of leaving and re-entering once. The gates are open from 06:00h in the morning to 18:00h in the evening.
Citizen / Resident KES 500
Non-Resident KES 1,000
Children between the age of 5 and 18 pay half
Vehicle (Main Gate only) KES 500
Camping (Chitsanze Gate only) KES 1,000
Mpesa Paybill 522533, Account 8009128
Golini-Mwaluganje Community Conservation LTD
As long as there is no camp or restaurant inside the sanctuary, it is advisable to bring your own picnic and drinks for lunch or sundowners. But you can also be catered for nearby - long-standing addresses are the Shimba Hills Lodge within the Reserve, and the Shimba Green Lodge on Golini Ridge, with its panoramic views into the Sanctuary. Other nearby accommodation options include Mandhari Lodge, Shimba House, Pumzika-tu!, Arcadia Cliff House and Kutuzama Lodge.
There is a camp site close to the Chitsanze Gate; the location is secluded, shady and has magnificent views down into Manolo valley. Please bring everything along, incl. water; firewood can be provided by the rangers. The long-drop toilet and the "elephant shower" at the gate area are within easy reach.
Chitsanze Trail & Waterfall
The Chitsanze Gate on Golini Ridge is a side entrance, originally intended for a lodge that is still waiting to be built. Until then, this access point is for hikers only. Two round reception buildings have been renovated recently, and an information poster provides some basic information before the start of the short hike. Shady parking spaces for cars (free of charge) are under construction. There is a view point with a makuti sun shade a few steps further on, offering an orientating panorama of the eastern part of the sanctuary with Mombasa at the horizon.
You can walk on an enchanted path to the hidden Chitsanze Waterfall – it will take you less than half an hour. A ranger might escort you, as encounters with buffalo or elephants cannot be ruled out. Arrived at destination, you can take a refreshing shower under the cascading water, rushing down 13 metres from a cliff (do not forget to bring swimwear along). For some drone sequences, pls click the youtube video above.
For the return journey, there is an alternative path up to the gate area.
Longer hikes along the meandering stream towards the Manolo River are possible, although the vegetation is dense and the terrain difficult in places - but you will be rewarded with plenty of unspoilt nature (take sun protection and drinking water with you). For the safety of visitors, a hiking trail in this direction will be cleared and marked shortly.
A Sacred Forest, A Place Of Prayer
Please be aware that you are crossing a Kaya – a forest that is sacred to the coastal people. It is protected by the Museums of Kenya as a National Monument, along with around 40 similar sites between Somalia and the Tanzanian border. The flora may only be used for the collection of medicinal herbs, tree cutting or lifestock grazing are not permitted.
Close to the waterfalls, in a rock niche on the right-hand side, you can see a place of sacrifice that is still used by the local population to ward off illness or misfortune - please behave respectfully here!
The Sanctuary is run by the Golini-Mwaluganje Community Wildlife Conservation Ltd. This association of the land owners has an elected board (with associate members like Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forestry and Kwale County), and a management with a team of wardens for the daily operations.
Main Office
Kwale, off Kwale-Godoni Rd, opp. KWS HQ
Open Mo – Fr, 09:00 – 17:30 hrs
Manager: Hamisi Ali, Tel. +254 748 155 329
This temporary office shall be relocated to one of the gates as soon as the necessary infrastructure is in place again.
Empowering the population around the protected area is one of the main aims of the Sanctuary; only participation ensures its long-term success. Although the living conditions around the county capital of Kwale have undoubtedly improved in recent years, many households still live in very modest dwellings, without connection to the water or electricity supply. And although the panoramic plateau directly above the conservation area is developing into one of the most exclusive addresses in town (‘Champagne Ridge’), there is still a great deal of poverty around.
In addition to compensating landowners and creating jobs, parts of the Sanctuary fees shall always be used for improvements at nearby schools, health centres or water points. In addition, Sanctuary-based self-help groups can create additional employment and income (by making and selling curios, elephant dung paper, honey etc).
Among the schools around the sanctuary, Ng'onzini Primary School near the Main Gate stands out: with its Wildlife Club, it has long been committed to nature conservation, and proudly houses an elephant statue (holding a piece of petrified wood from the sanctuary, pls see "Scenery and Wildlife"). Other youth groups (like a dung beetle group) are more or less dormant at the moment, but they are waiting to be revived along with the conservancy.
Friendly Hosts
The two leading ethnic groups in the villages and hamlets around Mwaluganje are the Digo and the Duruma, generally welcoming and friendly people. They are part of the “nine tribes” of the Mijikenda along the coast. They have their own Bantu languages, but mostly also speak Swahili. Many of them still are subsistence farmers who grow mainly maize (corn) outside the Sanctuary perimeter. They also herd cattle there and grow coconuts or mangos.
Although the locals are mostly of Muslim faith, there are still strong ties with traditional practices such as animism and ancestor worship, including the use of cock sacrifices. The sacred sites in the Kaya forests are still in use for healings and rites; you can witness those places when hiking in Mwaluganje.
In addition to the two tourist gates, there are a few passageways through the elephant fence that allow the local population to access these sites, and to cross to the villages on the opposite side of the sanctuary.
