Shimoni Reef Mombasa

On the southern tip of the Kenya coast, on the edge of the Pemba Channel, north of Zanzibar, lies Kenya’s own remote Swahili archipelago. Hidden islands, reefs teeming with fish and dolphins and a living vestige of the 1,000 year old monsoon Dhow trading culture, still plying the islands. Come taste the original Swahili coast. Perched on the edge of the Wasini channel, with commanding views of the Tanzanian Usambara mountain range you’ll enjoy cool ocean breezes while covered by a canopy of tropical trees visited by monkeys, bush babies and birds. Your palm-thatched cottage becomes your hide-away. For a memorable romantic stay, reserve the private roof-top suite with views across the Wasini Channel.

About us

Shimoni Reef Mombasa started as a fishing camp in the 1980s. Over the years we have added the snorkelling trips, diving and island exploring and upgraded the level of comfort and accommodation without losing touch with the barefoot, casual atmosphere that makes Shimoni feel like you’re at home. We’ve kept Shimoni Reef outdoorsy, unpretentious and focused on the personalised service and our relationship with nature. Many of the staff have been with us forever and take enormous pride in hosting you. You’ll be greeted with a smile and welcome cocktail by our local Kenyan team, who are totally dedicated to delivering an inspirational stay in Shimoni. Every guest gets personalised attention. Our friendly staff will oversee your daily itinerary, your meals and any other details to make sure your adventure is as memorable as it is comfortable.

Activities

With almost 4 decades of dedicated service to adventurous ocean lovers looking for the best in diving, snorkelling, fishing, sailing and ocean discovery, without compromising comfort and cuisine, we remain passionate about this incredible hidden gem on the southern Kenyan coast. Shimoni is your gateway to explore deserted beaches and islands, snorkelling, diving, fishing, kite surfing, swimming with dolphins, gastronomic Swahili cuisine, star-filled night skies and definitely no discos. A modern Robinson Crusoe would feel right at home.

Snorkeling

Kisite Mpunguti is the jewel in the crown of Kenya’s marine parks. A marine sanctuary and reserve with oceanic sand bars and islands fringed with shallow reefs, ideal for easy snorkelling, the marine park offers snorkelling for people of all levels, from beginners to fanatics. Dhows are the traditional convenient and comfortable way to motor sail to  the marine park and stop off at different islands for snorkelling. With shade, refreshments, and a professional crew, you will enjoy some of the best snorkelling in the world. Join a scheduled day-trip or we can book you your own private dhow for complete privacy and flexibility. If you’re finished with snorkelling, Kisite island is surrounded with sand and at low-tide you can walk across this sand bar and play or relax in the warm shallow waters of the Indian Ocean.

Diving

If you have snorkelled before and want to take the next step and scuba dive, the fun dive experience is a great way to explore this exciting new adventure.
 Children from 10 can learn and have amazing stories to tell their friends. If you have 4 days or more, you can become a certified PADI diver, or take a specialty course like night diving. What makes diving in Shimoni so spectacular is the variety of dive sites, fish and corals. That’s why both beginners and advanced divers will find something here they can enjoy. With almost year-round diving conditions, any time is a great time to put Shimoni on your diving map.

Low-tide walks

During the high tide, you can swim and a low tide which allows you to walk along and explore the edge of the Wasini Channel. This is where fishermen return with their daily catch and you can negotiate and buy your own fresh lunch or dinner which we will gladly prepare for you, or just window shop where we get our seafood.Landing on the islands of Penguti or Wasin at low tide lets you discover what the ocean has now uncovered. Make a plan with some refreshments, sandals, sunscreen and a hat and explore the archipelago. On your doorstep, right below the lodge, take a long, low-tide walk to the where the Wasini and Pemba Channels come together. You’ll see crabs and fish in tidal pools, shallow water to swim or sit in, and a fringing coastal forest above you.

Fishing

In 1954, after crashing his plane twice in Uganda and getting caught in a bushfire, Ernest Hemingway came to Shimoni to relax. Following a rumour that giant marlin were being caught in the Pemba Channel, Papa tagged along on a fishing trip with colonial farmers who had set up a fishing camp which is today Shimoni Reef Lodge. Ever since, sport fisherman have been coming to Shimoni for some of the biggest marlin catches in the western Indian Ocean. During the fishing season between August and March you can catch all the main Indian Ocean pelagic fish, including sailfish, tuna, shark, striped, blue and black marlin, dorado, wahoo, kingfish, trevally and swordfish. We have two fishing seasons: the cooler period from August to November with the Kusi south-east monsoon providing scattered rain and the warmer Kaz-Kazi north-east monsoon season from December to March, bringing new surprises and new fish.

Kite-surfing

The East African coast with its monsoon trade winds, provides many months of outstanding wind for kite surfing. There are two locations to surf around in Shimoni – one in the Funzi Bay and one in the Wasini Channel. For skilled kite surfers, the channel directly in front of the lodge can be surfed at high tide.If you are learning to kite surf, we can set you up at our sister hotel, The Reef Hotel in Mombasa, which has equipment and dedicated kite surfing instructors. After a few days of training you’ll be ready to come down to Shimoni and fly like the wind.

Excursions

Dhows, the traditional Swahili vessel, are still the best way to experience the archipelago around Shimoni. Our dhows offer comfort with tradition and refreshments on board allowing you to spend as much time as you like discovering the area. After visiting the islands, walking across Wasini and visiting the slave caves of Shimoni, it’s time to head for Shimba hills and see the elephants, only an hour away.

Dolphin and boat trips

It is a rare day in Shimoni when we don’t see dolphins. We are careful to not harass them, but the dolphins are so friendly that they often follow the boats and stay around long enough for our guests to take advantage of this beautiful experience. A morning trip to Kisite National Marine Park will give you the chance to swim with our own local dolphins. We have different types of resident dolphins, of which the bottle-nose is the most common and usually shepherds our boats, swimming and playing off the bow, entertaining us all, until they move on to the next boat to show off again. For old and young alike, this is a magical experience that will never be forgotten.

Island discovery

South of Shimoni are the islands of Wasini, Kisite, Upper Pengutti, Lower Pengutti, and Makokokwe. To the north is Funzi Island. Surrounded by shoals of fish and coral with resident schools of dolphins that pass by, this protected reserve is at the heart of marine conservation in Kenya. When you want to take off your flippers and mask and have an island all to yourself for a few hours, there is no better place than Upper and Lower Pengutti Islands. Only private tours organised through Shimoni Reef Lodge will deliver you to this Robinson Crusoe experience, where you will practically own the island during your stay. On our privately organised boat trips to the islands, we work around the tides to optimise your time to visit the islands. You’ll have to leave when the tide comes in.

Wasini Island

Sparsely populated with a village at either end, Wasini Island is an enigma. Disconnected from the mainland and the last populated outpost on the southern coast of Kenya, Wasini is infamous for its Baobab tree forest, the village of Wasini with its ethnic Swahili people and the centuries old trade link with the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. Undoubtedly the most famous restaurant on Wasini is Pillipipa, which offers a set lunch of delicious seafood every day. Pillipipa is also our preferred diving partner. If you’re exploring Wasini in the morning, find shelter during the heat of the day and enjoy their lunch, or if you’re diving in the morning you can stay on for lunch as well at the Pillipipa restaurant. Wasini’s 2 tribes, the Vumba and the Mwikro. Together they make up the island’s 3,000 residents.

Slave caves

Roger Whittaker’s famous song invokes Shimoni’s caves where slaves in transit to Zanzibar were held. Today the slave caves are managed by the community and can be visited with a tour guide for a nominal fee. The caves stretch for several kilometres underground, but only a few hundred metres can be visited today. As a deep-water port, Shimoni was also the headquarters for a large colonial trading firm. You can visit its ruins at the entrance to the village, next to the caves.

Shimoni village

Life in the village of Shimoni rotates around the fishermen coming and going, the kiosks where the village gets its basic daily supplies and the jetty where dhows and boats ply to the marine park or to and from Wasini Island trading and transporting people. Very informal and without any real organised structure, it is worth a visit to wander around the village market. Simple, humble and down to earth, Shimoni is a refreshing African coastal village. The coastal forest at one time stretched much further and animals would come all the way down to the ocean. The growing village has cut into the forest, but it still supports a healthy community of Sykes, Vervet and Colobus monkeys. The tree canopy around Shimoni stretches along the coast line and a wander down the forest paths is a worthwhile mini wildlife walk.

Shimba Hills

Shimba hills is only an hour’s drive from Shimoni, but light years from the ocean. This is bush country at its finest with elephants, buffalo, zebras, leopards and giraffes. It’s hilly and forested, so not like the traditional African plains, and game viewing is more challenging, thus more rewarding. A big bonus here is you can take a walk through the hills to the Sheldrick Falls and cool off at the end of a long game drive. Though a small reserve compared to most Kenyan parks, it is an area of incredible bio-diversity, with coastal forest, woodlands, grasslands and streams. It is also one of the rare tropical forests in all of East Africa that hosts elephants. The Sheldrick Falls, a spectacular 82 foot waterfall with a natural plunge pool, lie deep in the Shimba Hills national reserve.

Restaurant

Using only the freshest ingredients available, your private menu plan can be discussed every day. We excel in seafood, and the kitchen also can prepare more more traditional Kenyan and vegetarian dishes. Shimoni is famous for its fresh, local mangrove crab. Cooked to utter perfection in a variety of ways, steamed, chilli, ginger, crab cakes… the list is endless. Our outdoor terrace commands stunning views over the Wasini Channel. The best dining, expert wine pairings and outstanding service – what more could you want? Take your time, order your drinks and enjoy an utterly relaxing meal. Coconuts are a foundation for some classic Swahili dishes – in the rice, in the sauces and on seafood. Our coconuts from our own trees on the property and grated by hand by our staff are what we use in our signature dishes.

Relaxing

Don’t feel like braving the ocean? Or maybe you just want to curl up in the sunshine and read a book. Our lagoon-inspired pool will have you feeling rested and relaxed in no time. If enjoying the ocean breeze while sipping on a fresh coconut cocktail is more your speed, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. With your cottages under a canopy of tropical trees and the ocean at your doorstep, take a walk, relax, go for a swim at high tide in between your meals and excursions. Treat it like your own home.

Garden cottage

Spacious, airy, split-level cottages overlooking the Wasini Channel with bedroom, sitting room and private terrace. Garden Cottages can be booked as a double, or a triple where we will add an extra bed.

Ocean suite

A romantic getaway with a private terrace and views all the way to Tanzania. The Ocean Suite has both an indoor and outdoor bedroom to sleep under the stars or in the comfort of air conditioning.

Coral house

A charming 2 bedroom en-suite cottage ideal for families or friends and has its own kitchen if you prefer to do some cooking. The Coral House can be booked with a meal plan or with a self-catering option. Each bedroom can be transformed into a triple for families, allowing up to six people to share two bedrooms. Need a third bedroom? Take an adjacent Garden Cottage and share the Coral House facilities.

Our staff

We pride ourselves on our hands-on, personalised service during your stay. Our staff will listen, advise you and do everything to make your stay personal and memorable. The weather and the ocean moods of Shimoni mean that you need serious local talent to guide you on how to best spend your days. Our staff, your dream team, are experts in reading the weather and the water, and will organise the best possible holiday for you.