Discover Kakamega Forest, Kenya : Located in Kenya’s Kakamega and Nandi counties, Kakamega Forest is a tropical rainforest with reserves of 238 square kilometers. The majority of the forest is situated at an elevation of 1500–1600 meters above sea level.
Kakamega Forest National Reserve is a tropical rainforest located in the Kenyan counties of Kakamega and Nandi. It is thought to be the easternmost relic of the lowland Congolean rainforest of Central Africa. There are 238 square kilometers of reserves within the forest. The majority of the forest is situated at an elevation of 1500–1600 meters above sea level. The forest is a peaceful sanctuary for nature enthusiasts, even though it’s very accessible.
KAKAMEGA FOREST RESERVE ATTRACTIONS
On walks and picnics in the reserve, visitors can enjoy the more than 300 bird species and the astounding 400 types of butterflies that call the woodland home. The Kakamega Forest Reserve is home to a variety of mammal species, including giant forest hogs, aardvarks, porcupines, and bush bucks. In the jungle, primates are also widely distributed.
Magnificent waterfalls and enormous trees are two other attractions. In the forest, there is a fig tree that is estimated to be over 700 years old. Hiking routes crisscross the bush, offering visitors one of Kenya’s most distinctive experiences.
CLIMATE AND THE BEST TIME TO VISIT
The forest environment is extremely humid; the wettest months are January and February, while the highest rainfall occurs in April and May, with June being much dryer and September marking the second peak. Any time of year is a great opportunity to visit Kakamega Forest. The months of June through August are great for bird watching.
OPENING HOURS AND HOW TO GET THERE
The Park is accessible year-round, including on holidays. Opening hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is advised to come for a nighttime stroll or to arrive early for a daybreak stroll.
By road: Nakuru and Kapsabet are on the quickest route from Nairobi (418 kilometers). Once you reach Timboroa, follow the A104 road and proceed 4 km further until you come to a left turn that leads to the C36 road to Kapsabet. From there, take the C39 road until it merges with the Kisumu-Kakamega road. The quickest route to Kapsabet from Eldoret is via the C39 road.
By air: Visitors can fly to Kisumu or Eldoret and then take a scheduled aircraft to Kakamega. Alternatively, they can fly to Kisumu or Eldoret and drive to Kakamega.
FLORA AND FAUNA IN KAKAMEGA FOREST
The forest is home to about 380 different plant species, including 60 fern species, 150 tree and shrub species, and 170 flower plant species. Of these, orchids are one of the most abundant, with nine species exclusively found in the forest. Some of Africa’s hard and soft woods, including Elgon teak, red and white stinkwood, numerous kinds of croton, and Aniageria altisima, can also be found in the park.
A minimum of nine species of the approximately 367 distinct bird species, which include the African blue turaco and the black and white casqued hornbill, are unique to this area. The Turner’s Eremomela (Eremomela turneri) and Chapins’ Flycatcher (Muscicapa lendu) bird species are both in jeopardy.
The Park is home to a wide variety of mammals, including enormous African water shrews, African clawless otters, bush pigs, duikers, baboons, tree pangolins, squirrels, bats, and De Brazza’s monkeys.
There are many insects. Some of them, like the 400 kinds of butterflies, the gigantic Goliath beetles (Goliathus goliathus), and the pink and green African flower mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergi), are quite amazing. In addition to millipedes, beetles, gastropod mollusks, and orthopterans, there are also groupings of ants (formicidae) and lepidopterans.
The varied snake fauna of Kakamega Forest is renowned for having over 40 species. But it’s not always easy to find them. With different skinks (Mabouya spp.), chameleons (Chamaeleo spp.), and agamas (Agama spp.), lizards are more prevalent. In the forest, amphibians are represented by several anuran species. Ptychadena (Rana) mascareniensis frogs and Bufo and Phrynobatrachus toads are the most prevalent species.
