Note: I added more pictures of the site I visited.

According to the tour guide at Arabuko Sokoke Forest (which is on the tentative list), people can easily find a guide in Malindi or Kilifi to access these forests.

There is little information on this sacred forest site and the only two other visitors who shared their experience here either hired a tour guide or had their own vehicles. I decided to take public transport because of my tight budget.

My journey started from Mwembe Tayari road where I took a matatu (public bus) to Mazeras. The journey was smooth and only cost 150 Ksh. From Mazeras I took another bodaboda/motobike, which is only supposed to be 50ksh. (Obviously as a foreigner I got overcharged for twice the price even after my bargaining.) I arrived at the Dr Krapf memorial museum at Rabai where the first Christian church in East Africa is located. The museum staff helped to contact the forest staff and led me there.

We walked about 40 mins but only arrived at Kaya Mudzimuvya, a fenced forest restoration site, which seems to be within the boundary of Kaya Rabai based on the official map at WHC website. According to the museum staff, he took many primary school students here every year to learn about Mijikenda culture.

The site turned out to be a bit disappointing. I didn’t see any WH sign indicating this is part of the World Heritage site, and I was not allowed to enter the deep forest where the elderly council meet every Monday. The boss of the site, took my 2000 Ksh offer but seemed to be disinterested in our visit. We went beyond the fence to see a small shrine where fortune tellers usually work.

This site also has a few “old” houses where performance of traditional lifestyles and ceremonies took place. I asked them not to arrange this for me but the guide showed me a few pictures and videos when young students were visiting. If this indeed is part of WH site, this might not be considered One thousand visitors or fewer because of the large number of students visiting every year.