Rondo retreat is one of the secret beauties inside Kakamega Forest

The Crying Stone of Ilesi, which is one of the attractions in the western tourism circuit. Tourism players in western Kenya are hoping to reap from business spilling from activities pushed out of Nairobi during US President Barack Obama’s visit. FILE PHOTO | ELIZABETH MERAB |

What you need to know:

  • Nature lovers will enjoy the scenery, birds and snakes.
  • Although picnics and alcohol are not allowed, there is much more than meets visitor’s eye.

Deep inside Kakamega Forest lies the alluring Rondo Retreat Centre.

Various accounts have been given about its origin. It is believed that Rondo was originally owned by a saw miller who, in 1948 at the request of his wife, built a house for her at the base of what was thought to be the biggest tree in the forest, an Elgon olive.

The saw miller left the country in 1961, leaving the property to the Christian Council of Kenya.

Later, in 1966, Trinity Fellowship — headed by the Rev Mrs Cuthbert and Mathilde Dawkins — acquired the property and initially ran it as a youth centre and orphanage. Over time, however, the centre has slowly risen to become one of the leading destinations for hikers and nature lovers visiting the western tourist circuit.

A visit to the Kakamega Forest would be incomplete without a visit to the Rondo Retreat Centre, which has the capacity to accommodate up to 35 people. However, picnics and alcohol are not allowed.

The centre guarantees visitors a serene and captivating scenery. It is famed for its hiking along nature trails and is popular with bird lovers, with over 300 species of birds in its environs.

The Great Blue Turaco, the emerald cuckoo and the cacophonous black-and-white Casqued hornbill are among its avian attractions. There are also massive trees, scenic spots and waterfalls.

For butterfly lovers, Rondo never disappoints. It has over 400 species, all in their natural habitat.

Snake lovers can catch a glimpse of the black and the green mamba, the rock python and other species of related reptiles. Other animals are the bush pigs, bush bucks, tree pangolin and the colobus monkey.

Taking a sunrise walk through the Lirhanda Hill, which is the highest point of the Kakamega Forest, one can catch a glimpse of the forest and nearby towns like Chepsonoi, Shinyalu and Kakamega.

Another key tourist site in Kakamega is the Crying Stone of Ilesi. This is a thick and tall stone, made by nature in the shape of a human and which stands at about 10 metres. From a distance, it looks like a weeping human with tears flowing from head to toe.

Additional information from the Kakamega National Forest Reserve Website.

Do you know of a place that captures the beauty, warmth and the distilled essence of our country? Can you write crisply and take captivating pictures? Send your write-up and pictures to [email protected]