Hi all!! Travel is one of my passions. I've always wanted to visit new places and learn new things. One of my resolutions this year is to take time out to visit different parts of Kenya. And then I will share the posts with you. My first Places to Visit post is on my trip to Karura Forest.
A little history about the forest:
Karura Forest is located in Nairobi. Several tributaries of the Nairobi River flow through the forest. The forest is managed by the Kenya Forest Service and when there were threats to use parts of the forest to put up housing, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai working through her Green Belt Movement, put up a fight to protect the forest and hence one of the city's water catchment areas. And in that way, one of our most important indigenous forests was saved from encroachment.
My Experiences from the Trip:
I went to Karura before the weather became cold and rainy. Although it was very hot that time of year, once inside the forest, it was so cool and the air so clean that I thought the weather had taken a turn for the better. It was so quiet and serene, I had to relax. You can choose to take either the 5, 10 or 15 km trail. I took the 10km trail and was nice and exhausted afterwards.
Although I'm not a huge nature fan, I enjoyed the greenery and and the sound of the water rushing down the river and waterfalls.
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| Cotton Tree |
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| Under growth |
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| On the bridge crossing the river |
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| The River |
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| At the waterfalls |
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| Close-up of the waterfalls |
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| I think this was a Mugumo tree |
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| Enjoying a ride on the vines |
A useful tip for anyone planning to pay a visit to Karura Forest, make sure you wear very comfortable shoes and carry plenty of water. If you are carrying a backpack or any other sort of bag, keep the contents limited to ensure that you have minimal extra weight to lag around.
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| Taking a break from the long walk |
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| At the lake |
Have you visited Karura Forest yet? If not would you like to go? Let me know of your experiences in the comments.
Happy Saturday!!!
xo
Audrey