Must see attractions in Western Kenya

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...

Straddling the Ugandan border and peaking with Koitoboss (4187m), Kenya’s second-highest peak, and Uganda’s Wagagai (4321m), the slopes of Mt Elgon are a sight indeed – or at least they would be if they weren't...

All that's now left in Kenya of the massive Guineo–Congolian rainforest that once covered much of western Kenya, the Kakamega Forest National Reserve, though seriously degraded, is unique in Kenya and contains...

North of Kitale, the small, rarely visited Saiwa Swamp National Park is a real treat – as long as you're not here for the Big Five, this is a chance to tick off some real safari highlights. Originally set up to...

Kakamega Forest Reserve is the more degraded area of the forest, yet it's the more popular area with tourists. The five-hour return hike to Lirhanda Hill for sunrise or sunset is highly recommended. An...

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...

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,...

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...

Founded on the collection of butterflies, birds and ethnographic memorabilia left to the nation in 1967 by the late Lieutenant Colonel Stoneham, this museum has an interesting range of ethnographic displays of...

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...

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...

This private museum is the personal collection of Mr Wilson, a former colonial officer in Uganda and quite a character. Based mainly on his experiences with the Karamojong people of northern Uganda, Mr Wilson’s...

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...

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...

Eight kilometres east of town, this tropical park is popular with weekend picnickers and colobus, vervet and red-tailed monkeys (best seen in the early morning). The main attraction is the shade afforded by the...

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,...

The Crying Stone of Ilesi is a local curiosity perched on a ridge 3km south of town. The formation, looking like a solemn head resting on weary shoulders, consists of a large boulder balanced atop a huge column...

Depending on where you're staying, it can be about a five-hour return hike to Lirhanda Hill. Being there for sunrise or sunset is highly recommended.

It's a 4km drive or walk from the park entrance to Buyangu Hill, from where there are uninterrupted views east to the Nandi Escarpment.

The town museum is fairly old fashioned, but includes a lot of information. It's best enjoyed with a guide, who can give you more background on the three sections. The first covers western Kenya’s three principal...