Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a privately owned park on the edge of Tsavo West National Park. Its green mountain range and open grassy plains filled with wildlife definitely make it worth a visit. Belonging to the beautiful Eastern Arc Mountain Range, Taita Hills is among the oldest mountain ranges in Africa. The Eastern Arc Mountain Range runs from Kenya and into neighbouring Tanzania. About thirty million years ago, this entire area was a rainforest. About ten million years ago, the lowland forests slowly converted to savannah. This turned the mountain ranges into “islands” where tropical forests continued to flourish. As a result, each has its own variety of endemic animals and plants. Nowadays, the Eastern Arc is one of the world’s top twenty biodiversity hotspots.
Special species
Besides the usual suspects of wildlife, many endemic species populate the 110 square kilometres of Taita Hills. Kenya’s rarest (and most threatened) birds live here: the Taita apalis and Taita thrush. But also the Taita Hills purple-glossed snake, the Taita blade-horned chameleon, the Taita falcon, the Taita white-eye and the Southern banded snake-eagle have their home here. Lovers of larger wildlife can look for African bush elephants, lions, cheetahs, buffalos, leopards, hyenas, giraffes and zebras.
Taita Hills is also home to areas of cloud forests – forests that usually have a layer of clouds hanging above. These forests are home to some very old indigenous trees which can reach a diameter of ten people holding hands.
Activities in Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
- Sleep in the elevated rooms of the Salt Lick Safari Lodge, and watch animals drink at nearby waterholes.
- Have a delicious lunch in the beautiful surroundings of Taita Hills Resort & Spa.
- Go bird watching and stand a chance to see endemic species like the Taita White-eye.
How to get there
Taita Hills is a seven hour drive from Kenya’s capital Nairobi. It’s best to combine with a visit to Tsavo West National Park.
Climate
Kenya has a cold season from June to November with average temperatures of 20°C during the day. Nights can get cold during this season, so it’s best to take a sweater.
Mid October to November is the short rainy season, after which temperatures rise up to 30°C during the day from December to April. April and May come with showers again as this is the long rainy season. It normally doesn’t rain throughout the day as one sees sunny mornings with rain clouds building up towards the afternoons and evenings.
Best time to visit Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
We recommend visiting Taita Hills between June and November and in February to March (the dry season).
Information and facts
The Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a truly special place. This rainforest turned into a lowland forested and then slowly into today’s savannah. A transformation which lasted around 30 million years. Next to typical African wildlife like buffalos, elephants, zebras, lions and giraffes, you can find numerous bird and reptile species which only exist in this very place.
Most common animals
- Cape buffalo
- African bush elephant
- Leopard
- Lion
- Cheetah
- Masai giraffe
- Zebra
- Hartebeest
- Impala
- Waterbuck
- Thomson’s gazelle
- Lesser kudu
- Dik-dik
- Hyena
- Over 300 different species of birds, of which some are endemic like the Taita falcon, the Taita white-eye and the Southern banded snake-eagle
Facts about Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
- 110 square kilometres (42.5 square miles)
- Established 1972
- Several smaller species to spot that only live here
- Combination of hilly, green forests and open grassland
- Taita Hills is part of the Eastern Arc Mountain Range
- Home to the African bush elephant
- Famous for its two special hotels
