Kaya Kinondo

The kayas are fortified forest settlements built by the Mijikenda peoples from around the sixteenth century, later abandoned as villages but kept as sacred groves under the protection of elders, and their preservation left islands of coastal forest in a landscape otherwise cleared. Kinondo is the only one that has opened to visitors, through an arrangement with the local elders that lets guided groups walk a trail inside while the rules of the place still apply: a kaniki cloth is tied around the waist before entering, shoes come off at certain points, no hugging or kissing, and nothing is taken out. The forest is small, about thirty hectares, but dense with old trees, orchids, colobus monkeys and butterflies, and the guides explain medicinal plant uses and the traditions attached to particular trees and clearings.

What you actually see

• Ancient coastal forest - dense old woodland with big trees and lianas.
• Sacred clearings - the places where elders hold ceremonies.
• Medicinal plants - species and uses explained by the guides.
• Colobus and butterflies - the forest's visible wildlife.

When to go

Dry seasons for comfort, though the forest is shaded. Mornings are cooler and better for wildlife. Visits are guided and take about ninety minutes; arriving early avoids the mid-morning groups from Diani.

Honest expectations

The rules are genuine and non-negotiable: wear the cloth, follow the guide, do not photograph where told not to. The forest is small and the walk short. Some visitors expect more spectacle than a patch of woodland provides; the value is in what it means and how it has survived.

Nearby

Diani Beach is north; Shimba Hills and Wasini lie inland and south.