Check out my previous blog from Karura Forest in case you missed it.
Karura Forest is currently ranked #4 of the top attractions in Nairobi on Tripadvisor. As I stated in part 1, it’s a great spot to relax, read a book, get some exercise, or meditate. This park is a gem within the city limits of Nairobi, second to only Nairobi National Park on my list of best places in the city.
To further explain the security improvements for the park, the entire perimeter of the park is surrounded by electrified fence. This fencing helps to both keep the wildlife inside the park, and intruders out.
There are only a few entrances into the park, which are manned by security personnel. The entry fee prevents vagrants from entering the park, and is higher for non-residents. Your bags are searched upon entering the park, and no weapons or devices that may disturb wildlife (such as drones) are allowed. In addition, you are not allowed to enter with disposable plastic bottles or plastic bags. One thing I noticed about the forest, is it was very clean and devoid of garbage.
There is a village inside of the park where the park rangers live, so there is always human presence inside the park.
1: Karura Forest has miles and miles of trails for hiking, running, and bike riding weaving through its 2500 acres. They pass through meadows, pine forests, and thick jungles.2: Within the park is the Karura River and Falls. It’s a quiet spot to sit and reflect. There was several times during the week that I was completely alone here.3-4: Close to the river there are also several caves. They have been excavated by archaeologists, and it was determined that people have sheltered in these caves for thousands of years.5-6: This handsome lad is a Syke’s Monkey. The rest of his troop sped away when I approached, but this guy just hung out near me and let me snap several photos. I’m guessing he was fed by a human at some point, so he was hoping for a handout from me.7: This is a Harvey’s duiker, a small antelope. The examples I had seen previously had been very skittish, but this one let me get close enough to grab a shot with my 280mm lens.8: This adorable little guy is a Dik-dik. They are the world’s smallest antelope, only weighing a few kilos. They hang out in the underbrush for protection, so you will seldom see them out in the open.9: This photo of a tree hollow looks more like painting. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything interesting living inside.10: The wetter areas of the park had many of these purple flowers. The closest thing I could find using google images is a morning glory.
I hope that you enjoyed my travel photos and commentary, and will return for more travel content in the future.
Great article! I appreciate the credit!