Kenya has a range of forests from tropical to high mountain.
Kakamega Forest
Kakamega forest is found in the Western province of Kenya which is close to the Kenya - Uganda border towards the north west of Nairobi . This indigenous forest is about 230 square kilometres and the forest cover is less than half of this area because of the densely populated surrounding villages which largely depend on the forest for firewood and food.
Kakamega forest has few remaining large mammals but boasts of a rich ecosystem which has not gone through exhaustive scientific studies. The north of this forest is a protected area and is also called the Kakamega National Reserve.
Kakamega forest is today an example of a forest island. It is said to look exactly like the rainforest that according to some scientific theories covered Zaire and Uganda . If you are a fan of bird watching, this is where you should be. There are some very special bird species that you will not find anywhere else in Kenya.
The yellow crested woodpeckers, the great blue turaco, white casqued hornbill among others. There are also some interesting wild animals to see like the red tailed monkey, pangolin, red legged sun, the baboon, duiker, Aardvark, bush tailed porcupine and several others.
Kakamega is accessed via Kakamega which is reached from Kisumu. An equatorial forest with big trees and wet undergrowth provides a habitat for monkeys and bird life. Nighttime brings out the bats, frogs and forest squirrels. Kakamega has marked walking trails and local guides are available.
Aberdares
The Aberdares are a mountain range in the centre of Kenya not far from Nairobi and accessed from Nyeri or Mweiga. Between the forest is open moorland giving views to Mount Kenya and the Rift Valley. Large herd of buffalo and elephant live in the forest and colobus monkeys thrive in the canopy. Nighttime brings out the hyrax and sounds of the leopard. Within the Aberdares are tracks and trails.
