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For many travellers, the magic of western Kenya is summed up in two poetic words: Masai Mara. Few places on earth support such high concentrations of animals, and the Mara’s wildebeest-spotted savannahs, where drama unfolds on a daily basis, are undeniably the region’s star attraction. The Maasai bring cachet to their lands and your encounters with this ancient people are likely to be the soulful highlight of your journey.
But there's much more to western Kenya than these plains of herbivores and carnivores. The dense forests of Kakamega are buzzing with weird and wonderful creatures, the rain-soaked hills of Kericho and their verdant tea gardens bring new meaning to the word ‘green’, and amid the boat-speckled waters of Lake Victoria lies a smattering of seldom-visited islands crying out for exploration.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Western Kenya.
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Kisumu’s main market is one of Kenya’s most animated markets and certainly one of its largest – it spills out onto the surrounding roads. If you’re curious, or just looking for essentials such as suits or wigs, it’s worth a stroll around.
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The world-renowned Masai Mara National Reserve needs little in the way of introduction. Its tawny, wildlife-stuffed savannahs are familiar to anyone who has watched nature documentaries. Reliable rains and plentiful vegetation underpin this extraordinary ecosystem and the millions of herbivores it supports. Wildebeest, zebras, impalas, elephants, Masai giraffes and several species of gazelle all call the Mara home. This vast concentration of game accounts for high predator numbers, including cheetahs, leopards and the highest lion densities in the world. The Masai Mara (or the Mara as locals affectionately refer to it) is the northern extension of Tanzania’s equally famous Serengeti Plains and is jointly managed by the Narok County Council and the Mara Conservancy (on behalf of Trans-Mara County Council). The whole ecosystem is greatly extended by the numerous private and community-owned conservancies and group ranches that surround the reserve.
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A child of Rusinga, Mboya was one of the few Luo people to achieve political success. He held a huge amount of influence as Jomo Kenyatta’s right-hand man and was widely tipped to become Kenya’s second president before he was assassinated in 1969. His tomb and a small museum dedicated to his life are on the island’s north side. The inscription on his tombstone begins 'Go and fight like this man…'. To get there from the causeway and Rusinga town, take the right-hand road at the junction and, after around 12km, take the road off to the right with the sign pointing to Kolunga Beach. Turn right again about 50m later, continue straight for around 700m and, at the junction with the small sign to the museum, go right. It's the bullet-shaped (which symbolises the bullet that killed him) building in front of you. Entry is by donation – KSh200 should be enough. There are no set opening hours but the caretaker's usually around daylight hours and will quickly turn up to show you around.
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South of Ruma National Park, this is one of East Africa’s most important archaeological sites. It holds the remains of a dry-stone enclosure, 150m in diameter and containing another five smaller enclosures, thought to date back as far as the 15th century. Its name translates in Luo as 'frightening dense forest'. Getting to Thimlich is a problem without your own transport, though not completely impossible (with patience). Head 12km down the Homa Bay–Rongo road then turn right at Rod Kopany village, heading southwest through Mirogi to the village of Miranga. The site is signposted from there. If you don't have wheels, take a matatu from Kisii towards Isebania on the Tanzania border and hop out at Suna. Take another matatu from here towards Karunga and ask to be let out at the junction for Thimlich Ohinga or Miranga (you might find a matatu going directly from Suna to here). From the junction, hunt about for any kind of transport to the entrance of Thimlich Ohinga.
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Bordered by the dramatic Kanyamaa Escarpment, and home to Kenya’s only population of roans (one of Africa’s rarest and largest antelope), is the seldom-visited, 120-sq-km Ruma National Park. Besides roan, other rarities like Bohor’s reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, the tiny oribi antelope and Kenya’s largest concentration of the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe can also be seen here. However, the most treasured residents are some (very-hard-to-see) rhinos, both black and white, that have been translocated from other parks. Birdlife is also prolific, with 145 different bird species present, including the migratory blue swallow that arrives between June and August. You wouldn't make this your first African safari, but it's a chance to track down some species you may not see elsewhere. The park also has an oasis feel to it, so intense is the human settlement and cultivation in this part of the country and surrounding the park.
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As a source for world-class athletes, the town of Iten, 36km northeast of Eldoret and 2400m above sea level, has few peers. Over the past three decades, it (and the St Patrick's High School in particular) has produced a staggering number of world champions and Olympic medalists. These days, world-class athletes and runners on a pilgrimage converge on HATC, either to train or just hang out with the world's best. Founded in 1999 by four-time world champion Lornah Kiplagat, the centre has a swimming pool, gym and, of course, running tracks. They welcome everyone from world-class athletes to recreational runners and they've coaches to suit all levels. Contact the centre to ask about the numerous packages on offer.
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Gazetted as a national park in 1986, this 4.2-sq-km island has never seen tourism take off. It is forested and very beautiful, housing a variety of bird species, plus occasionally sighted hippos, impalas (introduced) and spotted crocodiles, a lesser-known cousin of the larger Nile crocodiles. There's nowhere to stay and, although twice-daily matatus reach the shore just opposite the island, your only reliable option to get to Ndere is with chartered boats. Expect to pay around KSh16,000 to KSh20,000 for a half-day trip. Chartered boat trips can be arranged with any of the boat captains offering sightseeing trips from Hippo Point.
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These rock paintings, often featuring sun motifs, are both revered and feared by locals (which has hindered vandalism) and are thought to be the handiwork of the island’s earliest inhabitants, Bantu Pygmies from Uganda. The entry fee is used to help fund some very needy children at the local orphanage. The orphanage and the rock paintings are found near the settlement of Kakiimba, a 3km (KSh150) boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) ride from Sena, the island’s ‘capital’.
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Also known as Bird Island, Mbasa is home to a wide variety of wetland birds, including long-tailed cormorants (which have a breeding colony here), fish eagles, marsh harriers and little white egrets. Bird concentrations are thickest at sunset, when birds return to roost. To get here you’ll need to arrange a boat with a local fisherman or ask at the Wayando Beach Club Eco Lodge; expect to pay between KSh4000 and KSh7500 per boat.