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Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary is a compact park in Kenya’s southeast with excellent birding and beautiful scenery. Compared to the arid Tsavo nearby, Taita Hills is relatively lush and perfectly suited to game drives looking for lions, elephants, and more across the grassy plains. Taita Hills has a fascinating history, having played a role in WWI. There is a museum that tells the story.
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).
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.
From: $264 to $663 pp/day
From: June to October (Wildlife), November to April (Birding)
From: June to September
From: 113km² / 44mi²
For such a small sanctuary, Taita Hills has surprisingly diverse wildlife populations. Of the predators, lions 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.
The weather and climate of Taita Hills is similar to that of southeastern Kenya in general. Kenya lies on the equator and has a pleasant, tropical climate, but there are large regional climatic variations influenced by several factors, including altitude. Kenya’s daytime temperatures average between 20°C/68°F and 28°C/82°F, but it is warmer on the coast. Kenya is too close to the equator to experience a real winter and summer. There is, however, both a Dry and Wet season.
Dry Season –June to October
During the Dry season, daytime temperatures are usually around 23°C/73°F at higher altitudes, such as the Masai Mara, and 28°C/82°F at lower altitudes, such as the coastal areas. The sky is clear and the days are sunny.
Wet Season –November to May
During the Wet season, daytime temperatures are between 24°C/75°F and 27°C/81°F at higher altitudes. At lower altitudes, daytime temperatures are more consistent and hover around 30°C/86°F. Mornings stay cool at higher altitudes, and it is advisable to pack warm clothes for early morning game drives.
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.
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