Haller Mombasa Park, formerly known as Bamburi Nature Trail Hill in Kenya, is a sanctuary that is located south of the Bamburi cement plant along the Mombasa-Malindi highway. Haller Park in Mombasa was named in honor of Dr. Rene Haller, who was the founder and managed to transform barren limestone quarries into an ecosystem of forests, grasslands, fish farm areas, small demonstrations, giraffe viewing platforms, and a reptile park, among others, which provide visitors with numerous options to entertain and educate themselves.
Haller Park in Mombasa covers a total area of 75 hectares of land to the south and 11 square kilometers to the north. The sanctuary started around 1971 with the planting of over 3,000 trees in the hard coral, which led to the development of the forest area, roads, and pathways that were used by the employees who were working on the propagation of trees, fish ponds, and wildlife sanctuary.
After some time the sanctuary started attracting people; therefore, Dr. Haller developed an idea of the nature trail so as to create order for the visitors. The nature trail was open to the public in 1984, and it received over 20,000 visitors in its first year of opening.
Haller Park in Mombasa is a habitat of various wildlife species, including insects, bird species like egrets, owls, pied kingfishers, yellow-billed storks, marabou storks, sacred ibis plover, white-faced tree ducks (Taveta golden weaver, black-headed weaver, golden palm weaver), Egyptian geese, gray herons, African fish eagles, mammals including hippos, zebras, waterbucks, elands, oryx, bushbucks, suni, duikers, bush pigs, serval cats, marsh mongoose, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, primates like vervet monkeys, Mona monkeys, and Sykes monkeys, reptiles like crocodiles, and vegetation types including mangrove palms, conocarpus vegetation, algarroba, majestic indigenous shade trees such as the casuarina tree, coastal forests, botanists, neem, and fig trees, among others.
Reasons to visit Haller Park, Mombasa
Wildlife viewing
Haller Park has a reptile center, butterfly house, crocodile farm, fish breeding ponds, and game sanctuary, among others; therefore, Haller Park is a great destination for wildlife viewing, where you will be able to view animals like hippos, zebras, waterbucks, antelopes, vervet monkeys, and giant tortoises, among others.
Giraffe feeding
This is an interesting activity where you get an opportunity to interact with the giraffes in the sanctuary. Feeding of the giraffes in Haller Park is allowed between 11:00am and 3:00pm, when the giraffes gather around for tasty treats. Visitors who want to participate in feeding the giraffes will buy food pallets from the supplier and either place them on the pellets or on the hand for the giraffes to grab with their tongues.
Feeding of giraffes gives you fascinating and exciting experiences as you get close to the giraffes as you admire their beauty. You can also feed other animals like hippos, elands, and oryx, which is done at 4:00pm, and the food showdown at the crocodile section at 4:30pm.
Bird watching
Haller Park is a home to over 160 bird species, which makes it one of the birding destinations in Kenya. During your birding safari in Haller Park, you can look out for bird species like the yellow-billed stork, black heron, great white egret, Egyptian goose, gray heron, sacred ibis plover, white-faced tree ducks, African fish eagle, little egret, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, taveta golden weaver, golden palm weaver, yellow-tailed egret, and narina trogon, among others. Birding can be done following different trails in the sanctuary.
Night walks
This is an incredible activity in Haller Park, where you wander around in the park’s trails at night. During the night walks in the park, you will get an opportunity to view the nocturnal animals like the bushbabies, owls, genets, fireflies, hippos, bats, waterbucks, and bushbucks, among others, which gives you great experiences on your tour.
Where to stay on your tour in Haller Park
There are a wide range of accommodations near Haller Park, Mombasa, ranging from luxury to midrange to budget to camping. The lodges include Nyali Sun Africa Beach Hotel, Sarova White Sands Beach Resort, Voyager Beach Resort, Pride Inn Hotel, Nyali Mombasa, Cowrie Shell Beach Apartments, Severin Sea Lodge, Sentrim Castle Royal Hotel, Bamburi Beach Hotel, Reef Hotel, Mombasa, Sun Africa Beach Hotel, Baobab Holiday Resort, Milele Beach Hotel, and Jumuia Resort, among others.
How to get to Haller Park, Mombasa
When getting to Haller Park, you will fly to Moi International Airport in Mombasa and then hire a private taxi to the park, which takes about a 45-minute drive.
Haller Park is located 12 km past the Kenyatta public beach, next to Bamburi Cement Factory opposite Nakumatt Supermarket, and takes about 2 km from the center of Bamburi and a 25-minute drive from Mombasa town to Haller Park.
Haller Park Mombasa can be visited anytime throughout the year, and it opens from 8:00am to 5:00pm daily, including public holidays. Visitors interested in visiting Haller gate will pay entrance fees of Ksh 1,400 for foreign non-residents, Ksh 600 for foreign non-resident children, Ksh 500 for adult East African residents, and Ksh 200 for children of East African residents.
Haller Park is an incredible destination that shouldn’t be missed on your safari in Kenya in that you will be able to see wildlife in its natural environment.
