KARURA FOREST RESERVE TOUR EXPERIENCE IN NAIROBI WITH AFRICANMECCA

The Karura Forest Reserve covers approximately 2500 acres, one of the largest forests in the world that exists in the suburbs of a city. The land where the reserve is located has long been the site for many struggles, and today, the reserve serves as a symbol for the fight against land grabbing in Kenya. The reserve was given protected status as a result of the works of the Kenya Forest Service and the Friends of Karura Community Forest Association who successfully secured it to be recognized as a key natural resource in the Kenyan urban landscape.

Within few miles, you can escape the hectic pace of city life in Nairobi to settle into a natural green space for walking, jogging or simply sitting quietly with a book or picnic (read more on when is the best time to tour Nairobi with AfricanMecca). In addition to the environmental value of the reserve, it also serves as a model for country-based corporate social responsibility and philanthropy, both of which have helped with the continued protection of the land. Thanks to the efforts of the late Dr. Wangari Maathai, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the founder of the Green Belt Movement.

Within the reserve are many areas of interest, both historical and ecological. The Central Bank once maintained an incinerator on the property to destroy decommissioned currency during the 1990s, and you can still see the old chimney. The Mau-Mau freedom fighters used the sacred caves on the reserve as hideouts, and Lily Lake is the site of an abandoned quarry. The reserve is also home to few archaeological sites, some of which are recently excavated and the findings still being examined.

Among these sites, you find a wonderful ecosystem with a variety of bionetwork, flora and fauna, such as a 50-foot waterfall, patches of bamboo, groves of indigenous trees and marshlands inhabited by resident and migratory avi-fauna, such as silvery-cheeked hornbill, ayres hawk-eagle, crested crane, African crowned eagle and many more! Mammals in the reserve include duikers, bushbuck, porcupines, bush pig, genet cat, bush baby, civet baby, honey badger, bush baby and many others.

AfricanMecca guests may also spot some of the resident reptiles, such as python, green snakes, monitor lizard and butterflies, such as Desmond’s green banded swallowtail and African queen. When you are in the reserve, it is difficult to believe that you are so close to the urban Nairobi setting!

1. Nairobi National Park Safari

2. David & Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage

3. Nairobi City Tour

4. Nairobi National Museum

5. Nairobi Snake Park

6. Karen Blixen Museum

7. Giraffe Center

8. Kazuri Beads

9. Dining at Carnivore

10. Bomas of Kenya

11. Karura Forest Reserve

12. Nairobi Gallery

13. Kenya National Archives

14. African Heritage House Tour

15. Aero Club of East Africa

16. Nairobi Railway Museum

17. Limuru Tea Plantation

18. Tana White Water Rafting

KENYA TRIP IDEAS

Nairobi Safari Trip Ideas & Kenya Safari Trip Ideas