Forest and Cultural Heritage

A walk in Kakamega Forest to Buyangu Hill, the highest point in the forest, is particularly recommended. This gives the forest theme a clearly named destination. In Kakamega County, Chesuluni Rock, Esichelekhane and Mwima Foundation are also among the heritage attractions. Nature and cultural heritage are therefore two distinct interests that you can use to shape your travel plans.

The three heritage names provide specific points of interest for the cultural theme, while the walk combines nature and exercise.

Cultural History in the Wider Destination of Kenya

In the wider destination of Kenya, the Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests tell another cultural story. They comprise ten separate forest areas stretching approximately 200 kilometres along the coast. They contain the remains of fortified villages of the Mijikenda, known as Kayas. The Kayas were established from the 16th century onwards and abandoned by the 1940s. They are considered sacred places and homes of the ancestors; councils of elders care for them.

The ten separate areas and their coastal extent reveal a widely dispersed cultural landscape. At the same time, the history runs from the establishment of the Kayas to their abandonment and connects them with ongoing cultural stewardship by councils of elders.

Birdlife and National Parks in Kenya

Another nature theme spanning Kenya is the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley. It is the most important feeding ground in the world for Lesser Flamingos; around 1.5 million birds move between the lakes. It also provides the most important nesting and breeding grounds for Great White Pelicans in the Great Rift Valley. The system therefore brings together two roles for birds: feeding and movement between lakes for Lesser Flamingos, and nesting and breeding grounds for Great White Pelicans.

The Lake Turkana National Parks comprise Sibiloi National Park as well as the national parks on South Island and Central Island. Kenya’s wider nature themes therefore also differ: the Lake System is described in terms of its importance to bird species, while Lake Turkana is defined by its composition of three named national parks. The spatial layout of the Kenyan examples can also be compared to help put them in context: it shows not only different themes but also different spatial forms. The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests comprise ten separate forest areas stretching approximately 200 kilometres along the coast; the Lake Turkana National Parks comprise Sibiloi National Park as well as the national parks on South Island and Central Island. The Kaya Forests are notable for the wide distribution of a cultural landscape, while Lake Turkana is notable for its composition of named parks. This helps you understand extent and composition as different measures.

Discover more destinations: Kakamega, Mumias, Soy, Migori, Nyeri District, Kajiado District, Bomet, Kitui County.

For the wider travel overview: Kenya.