Colobus Conservation
Diani Beach, Kenya, MH47+6WQ
With their long, feathery platinum tails and blowout manes, black-and-white Angolan colobus monkeys were once a common sight in southeast Kenya. Colobus Conservation works to protect these beautiful primates, which you can usually see—alongside vervets, Sykes’ monkeys, and baboons—in the forest around their rehabilitation and conservation center.
The basics
You can experience Colobus Conservation by visiting the center, taking a guided tour of the surrounding forest, or joining the popular 3-week volunteer program, which could involve anything from animal care to data collection, community outreach, and education. There are charges for both tours and volunteering.
Forest tours normally let you spot colobus monkeys swinging and playing in the trees, while the conservation center is usually home to both injured monkeys and rescued pet primates undergoing rehabilitation. You’ll likely also see staff hard at work building the rope-ladder aerial bridges that have helped reduce primate road deaths in Diani Beach.
Things to know before you go
Colobus Conservation is a great choice for families, animal lovers, and conservation enthusiasts alike. This is a rehabilitation center, not a zoo: There’s a small chance that you’ll be unlucky and not see a colobus on the nature trail. Reserve in advance to be sure of joining a forest tour. Facilities are not adapted for travelers who use wheelchairs.
How to get there
Colobus Conservation is about a 5-mile (8-kilometer) drive south of Diani Beach, along the beach road, or a 25-mile (40-kilometer) drive south of Mombasa. Matatu minibuses don’t serve the beach road, so, unless you’re confident self-driving in Kenya, your best options are tuk-tuk, taxi, a tour, a private driver, or ridesharing.
When to get there
Colobus Conservation is open 8:30am–4pm from Monday through Saturday. It’s rarely overly busy and primates are active through the day, so visit at a time that works for you.
The best wildlife days out from Kenya’s south coast
Tsavo East is the nearest large-scale game reserve to Mombasa, Diani Beach, and Tiwi Beach. However, that’s a long drive and game viewing is best at dawn and dusk, so you’ll want to spend at least one night in the park. Besides Colobus Conservation, realistic wildlife day trips include Shimba Hills, a forested reserve known for its magnificent antelopes, and Wasini Island, a paradise islet: You can often see dolphins and turtles in the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park and Reserve offshore.
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