Western Kenya is the most fertile and populous part of the country, teeming with market towns and busy fishing villages. There are also a number of national parks and reserves in this region. Kakamega Forest National Reserve is the only tract of equatorial rainforest in Kenya that was once linked to the mighty forests of Central Africa. It contains many species of bird, tree and butterfly that are found nowhere else in the country and is a delightful and tranquil place for walking. Saiwa Swamp National Park, near Kitale, is worth a visit to see the rare sitatunga antelope. Mount Elgon National Park has good climbing and is accessed from Kitale and is home to the famous elephants that enter its caves in search of salt. To the south of this region is Kenya’s share of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, which provides a living for many of the Lou people on its shore who fish for tilapia and Nile perch from small picturesque dugout canoes, equipped with lateen sails. On Lake Kisumu is Kenya’s third largest town. Unfortunately it is now pretty ravaged as it witnessed the worst of the ethnic violence over the 2007 disputed elections, and it will take many years to overcome this slice of tragic recent history.
For some reason the region is not that popular with the big tour operators and has few upmarket establishments, which is all to the benefit of the independent traveller. In fact, conditions for budget travellers are perfect; over half the population of the whole country lives here so public transport is excellent and the main road surfaces tend to be above average. There are numerous cheap hotels and restaurants, and there is plenty to see and do.
Getting around Western Kenya is pretty straightforward. All the regional towns are linked by a steady stream of buses and matatus and most (not all) of the roads are in a reasonable tarred condition with only the occasional pothole. The main A1 south of Kisumu that goes to Tanzania is good all the way through to Mwanza, and there are frequent buses to the border and beyond. Indeed some Tanzanian long-distance buses between Mwanza to Arusha and Dar es Salaam take the route via Kenya as the roads are better than in the interior of Tanzania. From the border, the Western Corridor of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park is less than 200 km from Kenya, so there is the option of exploring some of Tanzania along with Western Kenya. Self driving is also a good option in this region; distances between the towns and sights are relatively short and there are plenty of places to stop for petrol and take a break. The towns themselves hold little interest, but driving around the region gives a good opportunity to enjoy the countryside, especially the impossibly scenic hills covered in the brilliant green tea plantations around Kericho and Kisii. There are a few tour operators that are doing much to promote this region and a number of safaris are on offer that are way off the normal tourist trail.
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