The legendary Weeping Stone of Maragoli is located just outside Kakamega town. This is a huge rock formation from which a constant stream of water cascades, hence its name and locals connect this stone with many legends and myths. Kakamega Forest Reserve is a world famous equatorial rainforest known for its diversity of bird and insect life and its uniqueness makes conservation its top priority. It is located in shinyalu Division of Kakamega District.

A visit to the forest will give you a feel of what the Amazon looks like. It is filled with massive trees and thick wet undergrowth which is also a habitat of a world of diverse wildlife. The forest is a natural wonder that has a large variety of indigenous trees as well as species of different animal and bird life. This rain forest (the only one in Kenya) covers 240 square kilometres and has more than 380 different types of plants and is home to 400 species of butterflies, many of which can only be found here.

The indigenous Mysopsis Eminee, locally as Mama Mutere has a multitude of medicinal qualities which are believed to help cure ailments such as prostrate cancer and stomach aches. The timber is very valuable and consequently, this tree has become an endangered species over the years.

The forest has a primate reserve where you will get a chance to spot different species of monkeys. Families of blue and Columbus monkeys can be seen leaping through the canopies, or descending to forage on the forest floor. you will certainly spot the rare red tailed monkey, a diminutive monkey with a bright red tail. The massive fig trees in the forest provide the monkeys with both food and reserves of rainwater in the deep wells among their roots and trunks.

At night the forest is a different world, filled with bats and ringing with the sounds of frogs, night birds and the booming call of the giant forest squirrel. The reserve is a quiet haven for nature lovers, the perfect place to relax for a few days. Mt Elgon National Park is an impressively craggy extinct volcano. Mt Elgon is Kenya’s second largest mountain located 470kms from Nairobi. It was gazetted in 1968. Its attractions include caves, cliffs and mountain peaks ideal for climbing, waterfalls, gorges, hot springs and calderas. Koitoboss peak measuring 4,155m is the highest.

The mountain has many caves known collectively as Elkony where you will see ancient paintings. Bats and rock hyrax are found among the winding passageways. The most famous cave of all is Kitum, where each night elephant herds gather and begin a slow procession deep into the mountain. The elephants make their way through the caves, following well worn paths made by generations before them. Deep in the cave, they use their tusks to excavate the walls, seeking the natural salt which they lick.

You can get to the National Park via a tarmac road to Kitale and then to the Chorlim Gate. There are also air strips at the Kenya Wildlife service (KWs) headquarters.

The mountain is an important water catchment area for the Nzoia River which flows into lake Victoria and for the Turkwel River which flows into lake Turkana.

The Cherangani Hills are located northeast of Eldoret and centred upon a forested escarpment and surrounded on three sides by sheer cliff faces. They are criss-crossed by walking paths and ease of direction and undemanding slopes make this excellent country for relaxing hill walking. The highlands and escarpment of the North Rift Valley provide some of the country’s most aweinspiring views, across the broad and beautiful Kerio Valley. The scenic vistas around the Elgeyo escarpment are truly stunning, especially from the ‘World’s End’ viewpoint at Nyaru. Waterfalls flow down the face of these escarpments, and at Chebloch, on the valley floor, water runs through a deep and narrow gorge with rock walls.

Saiwa Swamp National Park is one of the few parks that permits walking, and is an ideal place for a days hike. This wild country is home to many and varied species of antelopes, the best known being the very rare semi-amphibious antelope sitatunga.

Rimoi National Reserve, in the Kerio Valley, is an important area for elephant migration. The Western Highlands have become a major draw for sporting tourists. This is the home of many of Kenya’s world famous runners. This is probably the finest place on earth for high altitude athletic training and many international athletes visit training camps around Iten and Kaptagat.

Kitale is home to the National Museum, which contains excellent ethnographic displays of the Turkana, Pokot, Marakwet people. The outdoor exhibits include traditional homesteads of numerous tribal groups and a nature trail which leads through a virgin forest behind the museum.

Kericho is the heart of Western Kenya’s tea plantations. The lush green vegetation thrives with the daily afternoon rain showers. The hills around town are covered with acres of tea bushes as far as the eye can see. The country’s best tea is grown in the highlands east and west of the Rift valley. When in Kericho enjoy the best tea in the world, packaged and marketed by Kenya Tea packers ltd. (Ketepa).