The Best Things To Do in Kakamega
Where is Kakamega?
Kakamega houses the only natural tropical rainforest left in Kenya. As movements in and out of Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado and Nakuru counties are restricted due to increase in covid-19 positive rate from 2% in January to 19% in March.
You might be wondering if there is any other place to have those memorable experiences while in Kenya. Well, this is probably the right time to try out Kakamega town in western Kenya lying about 32 km north of Kisumu.Â
Why Kakamega?
Beautiful Site of The Crying Stone of Ilesi
Ever heard of the great wonder popularly known as the Crying Stone of llesi? Then this is the time to know where it is found. The water has been flowing from this stone since time immemorial. There is a myth that it is the transfixed image of a jilted woman who keeps mourning about what befell her. Â
Cheap Hotels and Vacation Rentals
Imagine yourself enjoying a vacation rental at the foot of this stone or better still getting wonderful experience from the local community from learning a new culture to adopting a new way of life.
With just as little as $18 per night you can get yourself a vacation rental in Kakamega away from home for you and your family.
The Food
Ugali, known as obusuma in the Luhya language, is the staple food in Kakamega. Ugali is made from either maize flour, cassava, or millet flour. It is usually served with chicken and vegetables like “sukuma wiki” meaning “push the weak”. While Luhyas eat many other foods, a meal is never complete without some ugali.Â
What to do in Kakamega
Adventures for nature lovers
For nature lovers, this will be a moment for you to explore Africa’s finest and most valuable rain forest – Kakamega forest. Which stretches through Uganda to Congo and its managed by the Kenya wildlife service, here trees fall naturally and mushrooms grow wildly, some of the trees are about four (4) centuries old. Interestingly they have medicinal values; you will get to know what diseases they get to treat.
Camping in the Kakamega Forest
Apart from the mystical crying stone, here lies various cool spots for camping in the Kakamega Forest. These areas within the rainforest have been reserved for camping, hence safe both day and night.
Hiking and bike cycling
 The best way to enjoy nature scenery is by cycling through it. No wonder, the bodaboda culture of the people of Kakamega.
The Kakamega Forest has distinct trail that leads to different terrain giving you a chance to hike and watch butterflies, birds and other animals.
Bullfighting
Traditional bullfighting is considered a sport here and it attracts local and international tourists as well as some VIPs of the Luhya tribe. And yes, the sport is confirmed humane.
Birdwatching
Kakamega boasts of a variety of beautiful and colorful birds which attract birdwatchers and bird-spotters.
Photography
A trip to Kakamega deserves to be heavily armed with a standard camera because you will have a whole lot of experiences and sceneries to capture and memories to cherish.
Education and Research
The Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology is situated in this county. The county also gets influx of traveling students and researchers in the fields of botany, zoology, entomology and other natural science due to the numerous species of plants and animals to study.
In Kakamega, you will never lack an activity to pass your time with. For this, you need to be spontaneous and not be limited by some agencies’ itinerary.
What you need to make your trip heavenly is a vacation rental with close proximity to all these wonderful sites, as you will work out your own schedule, meaning you will be able to visit a variety of sites and still get home at whatever time you feel like.
