Kakamega Forest, in western Kenya near the Ugandan border, is the country's only tropical rainforest — the easternmost surviving fragment of the vast Guineo-Congolian forest belt that once stretched across Central Africa, now isolated by centuries of surrounding deforestation into a genuine ecological island with species found nowhere else in Kenya.
The forest supports an exceptional density of bird species, along with primates including red-tailed and blue monkeys, and a genuinely different plant ecology from anywhere else covered on this blog — thick canopy, buttress-rooted trees and a humid, layered forest structure distinct from Kenya's more typical savannah and highland landscapes.
Exploring Kakamega Forest
- Guided walking trails run through the forest's core, with local guides well versed in bird and primate spotting.
- The forest is best explored slowly on foot — this isn't a drive-through destination.
- Isecheno and Buyangu are the two main entry points, each offering slightly different trail networks.
- Rain gear is worth packing regardless of season, given the forest's genuinely tropical microclimate.
For travellers who've done Kenya's savannah parks and want to see a genuinely different ecosystem, Kakamega offers something found nowhere else in the country.
