Loita Hills Forest Trek

Loita Hills forest is home to an immense range of fauna and flora ranging from elephants to rare bird and plant species, wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles graze side by side with the Maasai community’s cattle in this region. The Loita Naiminia Enkiyio Forest stands at an altitude of about 2,300 feet above sea level and covers an area of about 33,000 hectares. Loita Hills forest is located between the Mara National Reserve and Serengeti plains and the forests of the western escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. The Loita forest also occupies a special place in the Maasai legend and mythology. One of these ceremonies is the celebration of the Olorip Olasar, the head of an age group, who has to stand under an Omatamaio Oleyen (Olive Tree), a tree in the forest, for the whole night without moving a muscle or even swallowing his saliva. The Loita Hills forest is one of Kenya’s last remaining true wilderness areas. The low-lying mountain range is located south of Nairobi and northeast of the Maasai Mara. Loita Hills forest is rarely visited and as a result, it is widely believed that the most traditional Maasai culture exists here. The trek through the forest starts at Morijo and ends in Nguruman 40 kilometers from Lake Magadi. The weather in Loita Hills is spectacular which ensures a great birding experience and travel experience. Habitats are diverse including forests, plains, marshes, rivers, and woodland. Loita Forest is quite simply enchanting, with eye-catching scenery, a forgiving climate, and unique Maasai culture are the backdrop of the Loita Hills tour

Loita Hills Notable Birds; Rameron Pigeon, Delegorgues Pigeon, African Green Pigeon, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Klaas’s Cuckoo, Narina Trogon, White-headed Woodhoopoe, African Crowned Eagle, Mustached Tinkerbird, Red-fronted Parrot, Black-fronted Bushshrike, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Eastern Mountain Greenbul, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Black-tailed Oriole, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Mosque Swallow, Grey-headed Nigrita, Brown-headed Apalis, Southern Citril, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Red-throated Wryneck, Usambiro Barbet.

eBird Hotspot link

Loita Hills Forest Walk concerns

Donkeys are used to carry lightweight luggage on all the four days

Minimal showering/Bathroom/long drops/bush

Lunch will be mainly sandwiches eaten as you walk (break of 1 hour)

Campsites are owned by locals who also act as guides, potters & security

On the first and last day of the trip, driving for long hours will be encountered

What to carry in Loita Hills

A head torch
Personal effects
Drinks (wines/can beers/whisky)
Personal water container
Sleeping bag/warm sheet
Comfy walking shoes
Insect repellant
Camera/Binocular
Carry spare batteries for your devices, no power
Painkillers

Loita Hills Forest Trek Itinerary

DAY 1NAIROBI- MORIJO

Your Loita Hills tour starts with pick up at 7:00 am from your Nairobi hotel or Airport and drives to Loita Hills forest. This drive will take about 5 to 6.5 hours with a scenic stopover at the Great Rift Valley. Arrive in the afternoon in Morijo at the edge of the forest to set camp and start preparing the evening meals

DAY 2MORIJO-NGIWAN

On this day have breakfast, break camp and start the Loita hills walk through the montane forest which is interspersed at various points with glades offering an opportunity to bask on the inviting lawns, amazing and interesting birds, plants and wildlife will be encountered along the way, lunch will be inside the cool forest under the shade of the gigantic tree. During the walk, because of the pristine nature of the Loita Forest, we try to take a different route on every excursion. This means that the terrain conditions are basically remote and may deviate greatly each day, with existing animal trails being followed for a couple of hours, succeeded by areas of evidently dense forest. The Loita Hills forest is one of these special places- lush hills covered in a dense cedar forest, full of ficus figs and traditional medicinal plants, we will arrive in the Ngiwan in the evening for dinner/overnight (5 hours walk)

DAY 3NGIWAN- ESOIT NEIGERO

The trail dives into the Loita Montane forest and then follows the course of a long meandering swamp. Along the banks, the silence is occasionally broken by the loud calls of Colobus Monkeys, as they swing between tree branches high above at the edge of the swamp. Soon the trail leads back under the canopy of the forest, occasionally emerging onto clearings that are dotted with large boulders sticking out of the ground. From one of these clearings, the highest point in Loita Hills at 2400 meters, you can see the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, Ol Donyo Lengai, an active volcano in Tanzania, and Shompole Hill to the south of Nguruman Escarpment, evening at Esoit Neigero campsite (4.5 hours walk)

DAY 4ESOIT NEIGERO- NGURUMAN ESCARPMENT

Walk past villages up and down Loita hills, the trees and vegetation along the trail change steadily from equatorial to dry land varieties. The soil texture also changes dramatically as you descend from the high elevations of Loita Hills to the moderate height of the Nguruman Escarpment. There is a waterfall in this vicinity that offers an opportunity for a swim in the cool waters of Entosopia River. This evening will spend the night at Entosopia Campsite which is perched on the edge of the Escarpment, with magnificent views of Lake Magadi, Ewaso Nyiro River at the base, and the distant Mount Olorgesailie in the Rift Valley. (4 hours)

DAY 5NGURUMAN ESCARPMENT- NAIROBI

Have an early breakfast and leave the camp early at 0600hrs, and descend the Rift Valley escarpment, arrive at Entosopia town at around 0900hrs (5 hours) Get picked up and drive back to Nairobi via Lake Magadi. Lunch will be served en-route, and will arrive in Nairobi at around 6 pm