What was once limestone quarries is now a thriving ecosystem of forest, grasslands and ponds with walking trails for you to view the fenced wildlife, such as hippo, giraffe, antelope, buffalo and smaller mammals, as well as varied bird species.
Haller Park, formerly known as Bamburi Nature Trail, was the man-made sanctuary to receive the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honor Award and today this small preserve in the north coast of Mombasa is a model for other reclamation projects. What was once limestone quarries is now a thriving ecosystem of forest, grasslands and ponds with walking trails for you to view the fenced wildlife, such as hippo, giraffe, antelope, buffalo and smaller mammals, as well as bird species, such as eagle, sandpiper, weaver, stork, kingfisher, ibis, owl, heron, egret and many others. The sections of the park include the game sanctuary, reptile park, fish farm, crocodile pens, giraffe viewing area and palm gardens.
Do not arrive here to expect a safari experience. It is more of a zoo-like experience but based on rehabilitated land in Africa! While at Haller Park, make sure you meet Owen and Mzee, an unlikely couple with a touching story. Owen is an orphaned hippo who lost his family after the El Nino floods washed he and his family out into the Indian Ocean. The adults were able to make it back to shore, but Owen was too small to swim to the beach and he was stranded in the water for days until the Kenya Wildlife Service was able to rescue. After he was retrieved from the ocean, he was placed in a fenced area with other animals, but no other hippos were in sight. To Global Star Tours and everyone's amazement, an adult male tortoise named Mzee took Owen in and cared for him like a mother.
Price: From $50 per person