The Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest is the first stop on the Diani Village day tour. This is one of the few major coastal rainforest sections in Kenya that is still worth seeing. The Digo people hold this forest in high regard. A trip through this tiny woodland offers a historical excursion, a cultural encounter, and a nature walk. The guide identifies several plant species used in traditional medicine as you go through tangled roots and fragments of ancient coral. You can also embrace an ancient tree to communicate your anxieties and worries to it.
You must take off your headwear, swear not to kiss anyone inside the grove, tie a black kaniki (sarong) around your waist, then enter the Kaya Kinondo accompanied by a guide who will explain the meaning of some of the 187 plant species, including a “Viagra tree.”
There are known kayas, or sacred forests, along the Kenyan coast. Mijikenda villages once called these areas home. A guide who leads you through the woodland trails will explain the history of the forest to you.
Following that, you will go to a nearby village to observe the manner of life there. The three to four-hour Kaya Kinondo & Village tour includes return transportation, Kaya Kinondo Forest entrance fees, and Guide fees. The trip can be undertaken in the Morning or afternoon hours any day.
