Haller Nature Park

OVERVIEW

Tour a nature park that was once a lifeless quarry and see how it has been transformed into a biologically diverse paradise that’s home to thousands of indigenous animals and plants. After departing from the pier, you will drive to nearby Haller Nature Park, a stretch of lush tropical landscape that supports a variety of indigenous African flora and fauna. Incredibly, this park was once a barren quarry until Bamburi Cement painstakingly rehabilitated it more than 20 years ago. Over time, as the land was replanted and began to transform, animals took up residence and other creatures were introduced from different parts of the continent. Today, Haller Nature Park is a zoo-like wonderland where during your guided walking tour, you may see eland and oryx grazing under giant baobab trees, crocodiles basking in the sun, and giraffes feeding on vegetation beyond the reach of other herbivores. The game enclosures also provide homes for genet cats, bush babies and more than 180 species of birds, many of which you may watch being fed. You may also hear the heartwarming true story of a resident giant tortoise named Mzee, who at 130 years old adopted an orphaned hippo and raised it as her own son. The park’s manmade ponds are another success story, as they are inhabited by a unique variety of tilapia that is supplied to restaurants throughout Mombasa. Following your tour of the park, you will rejoin your coach and return to the pier.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Applaud Haller Nature Park, once a barren limestone quarry that has been successfully rehabilitated.
• Enjoy a guided walking tour looking for eland, oryx, crocodiles and giraffe.
• Learn the story of the 130-year-old tortoise who raised an orphaned hippo as her own.
• Find that the park’s manmade ponds teem with tilapia used to supply Mombasa’s restaurants.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.