Lakes & Highlands
Rainforest, running country and Africa's largest lake.
The west is the Kenya few visitors see: Kakamega, the last of Kenya's equatorial rainforest; Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria; the tea highlands of Kericho; and Iten and Eldoret, the high-altitude towns that have produced more distance-running champions than anywhere on earth.
- Training in Iten with local coaches
- Kakamega Forest walks
- Sunset on Lake Victoria at Kisumu
- Kericho tea highlands
- Rusinga Island
Western Kenya & Lake Victoria: at a glance
- Best time
- Year-round; January to March and July to September are driest. Runners favour June to September.
- Wildlife
- Kakamega's rainforest monkeys, birds and butterflies; roan antelope and Rothschild's giraffe at Ruma; elephants in Mount Elgon's caves.
- Weather
- Green and warm with afternoon showers most of the year; Lake Victoria shores are hot and humid. Iten and Kapsabet sit high and cool.
- Park fees
- Ruma and Mount Elgon are Kenya Wildlife Service parks; Kakamega Forest is managed with the Kenya Forest Service, and community forest guides charge separately. We list every fee on its own line in your quote. Kenya Wildlife Service
- Safety
- Relaxed rural travel with friendly towns. Normal care in Kisumu after dark, and life jackets on Lake Victoria boats. U.S. State Department: Kenya
- Malaria
- Present, especially around Lake Victoria. The CDC lists malaria in all areas below about 2,500 m. Ask a travel clinic about tablets. CDC Travelers' Health: Kenya
