Arabuko Sokoke Forest Tour
| The Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve is cool and shaded retreat and is one of the last remnants of Africa’s once huge coastal forests. Long isolated it hosts some of Africa’s most rare and unusual creatures, and makes the ideal African safari escape from the brilliance of the Indian Ocean coast. Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve superb wildlife safari destination with forest trails. What to do and observe An oasis of cool tranquility, the Reserve boasts some fine forest trails, nature trails, walking and driving tracks. The best place to start is the Visitor Reception Centre, which lies 1.5 km south of the Gedi and Watamu junction on the Malindi-Mombasa Road. Here you can obtain forest trail maps and engage the services (for a small fee) of an official guide, who will not only guide you faultlessly through the forest’s meandering forest park trails but will also have good knowledge of forest wildlife, such as birds, mammals, insects and reptiles. Arabuko Sokoke Altitude: 0-210 meters above sea level. Area: 420 sq km. Location: Kilifi County, The Kenya Coast. Gazetted: Proclaimed a Crown Forest Reserve in 1932 and gazetted in 1943. The Kararacha extension to the south-east was added in 1968. Climate: Humid with a mean annual temperature ranging from 22-34 degree Celcius. Rainfall is around 500 mm per year. Vegetation: Forest vegetation comprises mixed forest, Brachystegia woodland and Cynometra forest. Forest animals: Include the endangered Aders’ duiker, the golden-rumped elephant shrew, coastal races of the bushbaby and a remnant herd of elephants. Forest birds: In excess of 230 species have been recorded. When to go: The Forest Reserve is open all year round; the best time for nature walks is during the cool of the day, early morning or late afternoon. Roads: The Forest Reserve is accessible all year. A forest of rare richness Managed by the Kenya Forest Department, this unique forest sanctuary lies at the northern end of an arc of forest, which stretches south along the Tanzanian coast to Mozambique. Three types of forests predominate: mixed forest, Brachystegia forest and Cynometra forest. The mixed forest is rich in plant species, butterflies and mammals, the Brachystegia offers the widest range of birds, while the Cynometra forest offers the densest growth and holds the widest range of animal and bird species. The forest is also interspersed with seasonal pools, which burst into life after the rains. Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve superb wildlife safari destination with forest trails. Stronghold of endangered mammals This unique African forest plays host to three globally threatened mammals: the golden-rumped elephant-shrew (90% of its population survives here), the Sokoke bushy-tailed mongoose and the Ader’s duiker. Red, blue and common duikers are frequently spotted, as are common waterbuck and suni antelope. As for carnivores, the forest is home to the African civet, the blotched genet and the beautiful caracal, but being largely nocturnal and exceptionally shy the carnivores are rarely seen. Entirely nocturnal are the bush babies. The aardvarks dig massive holes in search of their favorite diet of termites. Three forest species of primates can be seen; Sykes’ monkeys, yellow baboons and vervet monkeys, while the trees host red-bellied coast squirrels and red-legged sun squirrels. Largest of the forest’s mammals are the African buffalo and the African elephant, are available here but both are rarely seen, preferring to secrete themselves deep in the forest thickets. Superb wildlife safari destination with forest trails. Boasting 230 species of birds with a high proportion of rare species, this forest nature reserve is recognized by Birdlife International as an internationally Important Bird Area (IBA). It affords shelter six globally threatened bird species, one of which, the Clarke’s weaver, is found nowhere else in the world; and another, the Sokoke Scops owl, is found only here and in a small area of the Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Sokoke Forest Reserve superb wildlife safari destination with forest trails. Reptile refuge Damp and shady, the forest makes an ideal reptile refuge. Most frequently seen are the small sand lizards and geckos while the largest reptiles are the Savanna and Nile monitors. Snakes are plentiful, mostly tree-climbers such as twig snakes, boomslangs and green mambas. Chameleons (flap-necked and pygmy) find the habitat to their liking as do both leopard tortoises and hinged-backed tortoises. Frog kingdom The forest’s seasonal pools become frog kingdoms during the rainy seasons. Of the 25 frog and toad species recorded, the most noteworthy are Bunty’s dwarf toad (which mates belly-to belly). The marbled shovel-shout and the common squeaker frog, while the foamy white masses dangling from branches overhanging the water are the nests of the communally breeding foam-nest tree frog. Indeed some 30% of all Kenya’s butterfly species are found within the forest. Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve superb wildlife safari destination with forest trails. Haunt of the ‘Mombasa train’ Insect life is rife in the forest, especially around the seasonal pools where iridescent dragonflies and smaller damselflies congregate. At night the air is filled with the sound of cicadas, while throughout the day the leaf litter is rustled by myriad crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, beetles and termites as well as huge social colonies of tree ants, singing ants and safari ants. Perhaps the most conspicuous insect however is the magnificent but entirely harmless millipede, which can grow up to 20 cm long and is known locally as the ‘Mombasa train’. Walking and driving trails The forest’s two main walking trails start out from a small clearing about 1 km south of the Visitor Reception Center and meander through 1 km and 1.5 km of forest respectively. A driving trail (which also makes a fine walking or biking trail) enters the forest from the tarmac road almost 6 km south of Gedi Forest Station. It runs for nearly 30 km before rejoining the tarmac 15 km further south at Kararacha. Halfway along this forest trail lies the Nyari viewpoint, which is set on one of the few steep cliffs in the forest and commands stunning views over the forest canopy, Mida Creek and the Indian Ocean. |
Getting there & getting around
The forest lies along the tarmac on the Mombasa to Malindi highway, approximately 100 km from Mombasa town and 18 km from Malindi.
The entry is clearly signposted and visitor services are available at the offices of KFS’s Malindi Forest Zone located there. Regular buses and flights are available from Nairobi to Mombasa or Malindi. One can also use public service vehicles or taxis from Mombasa, Malindi or Watamu.
The forest has a network of driving tracks and walking trails. Many sections of the forest are accessible by saloon cars but for best access to all tracks, a 4WD is recommended.
Driving is the easiest way to see transitions between the different forest types, but one learns more about the forest by walking.
Trained guides are available to help one explore the forest. The guides are members of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Guides Association (ASFGA) and charge a small fee.
Visiting hours
Entry tickets can be purchased at the point of entry between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. The best times to visit are early morning or late afternoon as most wildlife will hide from the midday heat. The best time to watch birds is from dawn to around 9:00 am.
What to wear and carry
Wear comfortable walking shoes or trainers and loose-fitting lightweight clothing. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen may also come in handy. It is also important to carry drinking water, binoculars, camera and wildlife books especially for birds and butterflies.
Climate
There are two wet seasons: April-June (long rains) and November-December (short rains). The other months will be usually hot and dry. Annual rainfall ranges from 1,000 mm in the east to 600 mm in the northwest of the forest.
Important things to remember when visiting Arabuko-Sokoke forest
• Enjoy yourself; in addition to seeing, pause and listen regularly.
• Stop to allow wildlife to move off the tracks before you pass.
• Do not feed wild animals.
• Do not start fires in the forest.
• Do not take away animals, animal products, plants or plant parts.
• Do not mark or deface tree stems, stones and other features.
• Avoid noise as it disturbs both wildlife and other visitors. Do not exceed 40kph when driving in the forest.
• Be careful as animals here are wild and can be dangerous.
• Take all the litter that you brought away with you.
• Keep to the designated tracks and paths when walking and always be sure of where you are headed to or coming from as orientation in forests can be difficult
What to do and observe
An oasis of cool tranquility, the Reserve boasts some fine forest trails, nature trails, walking and driving tracks. The best place to start is the Visitor Reception Centre, which lies 1.5 km south of the Gedi and Watamu junction on the Malindi-Mombasa Road.
Boasting 230 species of birds with a high proportion of rare species, this forest nature reserve is recognized by Birdlife International as an internationally Important Bird Area (IBA).
Arabuko Sokoke Forest Tour
Activities within the Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve
- Nature Walks
- Bird Watching
- Camping
- Butterfly watching
- Running
- Game drives
- Cycling
Arabuko Sokoke Forest Tour
Conclusion:
A very rewarding Day Tour and certainly very nice.