Kakamega Forest
Expert Reviews (7)
Kenya Parks
Gemma authored several Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
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A walk in the woods for birders
Kakamega Forest is definitely not worth a trip to Western Kenya in its own right unless you are a birding fanatic, in which case you’ll definitely want to make a visit here a priority. I visited as a side trip from the pleasant town of Kisumu and loved the forest’s leafy green trails and gentle, knowledgeable local guides. It’s a very tranquil slice of virgin rainforest, replete with over 360 bird species along with black and white colobus monkeys and the odd leopard (which you are highly unlikely to spot). If you have time, I recommend staying overnight at the Isukuti KWS guesthouse, which is clean and basic and provided me with the chance to fall asleep listening to the forest’s amazingly loud night sounds.
Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.
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A Birder’s Paradise in Western Kenya
Kakamega is a tropical rainforest in Western Kenya. As the easterly extension of the Congo Basin forests, it protects many species found nowhere else in the country. There are two separate areas open to the public. The northern section is the national reserve managed by Kenya Wildlife Service while the forest reserve south of this is managed by the forestry department. The former is most pristine with big patches of primary forest. Self-catering bandas and camping are the only overnight options. The forest reserve, on the other hand, has a lovely guesthouse, Rondo Retreat.
The trails in the national reserve are well marked and it’s easy to explore that part of the forest unguided. Having said that, it’s worth taking one of the local guides, especially if you’re a keen birder. Even on a casual stroll you’ll more than likely see black-and-white colobus, olive baboons and blue monkeys.
The forest is one of the top birding hotspots in Kenya with a remarkable number of endemics and forest specials up for grabs. But you really don’t need to be a twitcher to appreciate some of the magnificent forest birds such as the great blue turaco and trumpeter hornbill.
Oh, and if you’re staying overnight in the forest you’ll be treated to an orchestra of screeching tree hyraxes. Who would have thought that such small animals can make such a racket?