Spectacular landscape

Fondly referred to as the Green Hills of Africa, Chyulu Hills is famous for its spectacular landscape comprising endless rolling hills covered in green vegetation. In addition to being one of the best places to view Mountain Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, Chyulu Hills is also famous for its Leviathan cave, believed to be the longest and deepest known lava tube in Africa.

With volcanic cones and cylinders providing striking views of previous lava flows in the area, Chyulu Hills is believed to have had its last volcanic activity 20 years ago. The porous nature of resultant lava rocks has helped keep neighboring areas abundant with fresh water, thus providing perfect sanctuary for the area's abundant wildlife.

Among the animals that inhabit this unique ecosystem are large mammals such as buffalo, bushbucks, elands, elephants, giant forest hogs, bush pigs, reedbucks and giraffes along with various reptiles and insects.

Those who love hiking will enjoy Chyulu Hills. Hiking can be undertaken on various animal trekking trails that lead explorers to the mountain ranges, where the majestic Kilimanjaro comes into clear view.

The hiking trails also offer a good opportunity for mountain biking that can be done along the rugged landscape. Horse riding is also another way of exploring the pristine wilderness and all of its animals.

Visitors to the park do not have to worry about accommodation because thatched cottages can be found at the foothills of Chyulu Hills National Park, spreading across a gentle slope on the 111,000-hectare Mbirikani Group Ranch. The ranch is built on community land owned by 4,000 Maasai community members, and the cottages are built with ancient lava rock, the product of volcanic activity in the area.

In Kenya's west lies yet another glorious but less visited destination in the country, the Kakamega forest reserve. For visitors fascinated with Africa's historical connection with forests and dark jungles, this forest reserve offers an opportunity of being transported to the Africa of ancient times.

The reserve, considered the last primeval rainforest in Kenya, is a small remnant of a much larger forest system that once stretched across Central and East Africa. However, much of that forest was felled in recent centuries and the land was used for cash crop farming.

The forest is on undulating terrain at an elevation of between 1,500 meters and 1,600 meters close to the border with Uganda and is a watershed of two rivers that flow through the forest before emptying into Lake Victoria, Africa's largest freshwater lake.

The Kakamega forest reserve is not only famous for its thick canopy of tropical rainforest but is also a location of amazing biological diversity. Within the forest, visitors can spot several animals such as monkeys, forest squirrels, pangolins, giant forest squirrels, hammer-headed fruit bats and bushpigs.

The forest is also home to numerous species of birds, snakes, insects and butterflies that are all interconnected and play a part in supporting the forest's ecosystem by spreading the seeds of the trees and pollinating the flowers.

One of the best ways to enjoy the wonders of the Kakamega forest reserve is by indulging in a walking safari. Hiking trails allow visitors to be intimate with the thick swath of nature that abounds in the forest. Rangers of the Kenya Wildlife Service can guide visitors on their walks and in activities such as bird-watching, nighttime safaris and trips to the numerous falls and lookout points within the forest.