Go hiking Mt. Kasigau!
Go hiking Mt. Kasigau!
Hike to Mt. Kasigau that is a primary source of water for five Kenyan villages
Why this experience is unique?
Mt. Kasigau, at an altitude of 1600 m is situated in the Eastern Arc Mountains. It is a mountain chain found in Kenya and Tanzania, with the Taita Hills being in Kenya and the other ranges being in Tanzania. Mt. Kasigau, known for the endemic species of animals and plants, is a source of water for five villages around it. Every village has a different route going up on the mountains towards the water source. The setup of these villages with traditional Kenyan conical huts with thatch roofs create an authentic experience to live the Kenyan lifestyle.
Take a day hike to Mt. Kasigau and spend days in the village doing basket weaving, enjoying traditional meals, and identifying medicinal plants in forests with locals.
Your journey begins from the capital town of Kenya – Nairobi. We will pick you from the airport and take you to your comfortable, locally-owned homestay. Depending on your time of arrival, the local exploration in Nairobi can be arranged. You can either choose to relax in your homestay or plan to visit Nairobi Animal Orphanage and The Maasai Market. Post local sightseeing, come back to your homestay to rest and prepare for hiking in the Eastern Arc Mountains and spend days with the Taita community.
After having breakfast in the homestay and carrying packed lunch, embark on the journey towards the biodiversity-rich region of Kenya. It will be 7 hours of the drive until we reach village Voi where the traditional huts built by locals are offered as accommodation. You will be check-in to the community-run Kasigau Homestays, where locals offer a rich Kenyan village experience. On arrival, receive a warm welcome from locals and enjoy tea and snacks. Enjoy a nice quiet evening in the village on arrival and enjoy the scrumptious Kenyan dinner with locals. Post dinner, rest in your hut and get ready for a hike to Mt Kasigau the next morning.
The day will begin the early morning. After an early breakfast and carrying all the essentials required for a day hike, we will begin hiking towards Mt. Kasigau. The route will initially pass through the dense forest cover and rocky outcrops. The hike will continue through farms, hay, and rocky patches. It is a moderate trek with few rocky patches as you approach the summit. At about midday, you will reach the top of Mt. Kasigau and enjoy the incredible views of the forest, small hamlets, and the mountain ranges connecting to this peak. After 6-7 hrs of the trek, you will come back to the base village and rest for the day in the same homestay.
After hiking on the previous day, you would wish to spend a relaxed morning in this beautifully located village. Start the day on a relaxing note and enjoy your breakfast while chatting with locals. For the rest of the day, you can pick up activities of your choice to do in the village such as basket weaving with local women, going on a forest walk with a local guide, visiting the local school environment club, and spending time with kids. If you wish, locals can arrange a cultural performance for you where you can see and participate in traditional African dance. After spending an immersive day in the village, rest for the day to say goodbye to the village the next morning.
Wake up and get ready to bid goodbye to this beautiful location and the lovely people. Post breakfast, you will be starting your journey back to Nairobi. After another 6 hrs of drive, you will be back to your homestay in Nairobi and the trip will conclude here.
Guests like to eat our Ladakhi food. They say it is delicious, even when it is prepared by an elderly ama (mother) like me. I always make sure I serve them the cleanest and healthiest food. My husband is a copper artist. When guests leave us, they say ‘Julley’, and hug us. It makes us feel happy.
I became a Mountain Homestay Host in 2018, and I have hosted many travellers since then. Running a homestay has helped me and my family a lot. Not only is the solar set up in our house useful for us, but even travellers prefer to stay in our homestay because of it.
The training we got in astronomy turned out to be a life-changing experience for our village. I felt happy and proud while mapping the position of the planets and sharing the secrets of the universe with the tourists. Tourists told me that even they didn’t know so much about the dark skies!
