Arabuko Sokoke Forest National Park
is a small Kenya wildlife safari (6 sqkm)park located in the north
Mombasa
district of Kilifi near 350sq km under the Arabuko-Sokoke forest reserve. Statistics states that this forest reserve is the largest tropical forest on the East Africa coast preserving and serving as a great eco-system with diversity of wildlife. The forest nest many rare bird species, butterflies, mammals, amphibians, unique tree and plant species.
Arabuko-Sokoke Forest wildlife
The forest park is marked with a number of well built forest trails that will enhance bird watching safaris within the park. Some of the birds seen here include Clarke’s weaver, Sokoke pipit, Sokoke scops owl, amani sunbirds (all endemic to this park), fishers’ Turaco and the golden wood pecker among other birds. The diverse bird habitat of this park enabled it again world heritage status thus increasing bird conservation efforts within the park. Actually more than 600 different species of birds are resident in the forest reserve.
The forest is home to some few mammals such as Sokoke bushy-tailed mongoose, Ader’s duiker, bushbuck, Golden-rumped elephant-shrew, waterbuck, civet, blotched genet, caracal, Sykes’ monkey among many other primates. There are some poisonous snakes and reptiles such as green mamba, day geullo, rock python, boomslang, forest cobra and sand lizards.
Access
Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is 110km north from Mombasa on the drive between the towns of Kilifi and Malindi. The tarmac road that leads to the park is 75kms out of Mombasa town through Malindi. Access is also enabled by charter flights from Mombasa airport and then by road.
Accommodation near the forest reserve is not clearly established but camping is under authorization. Kenya safari hotels and accommodation for Arabuko-Sokoke forest park is available in Mombasa town or in the nearby old town or Malindi
