Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kericho, Kenyan Rift Valley, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Kericho, Kenyan Rift Valley, Africa

Kericho is a tourist favor town situated to the west of the Kenyan Rift Valley, coming under the Kericho County. The surrounding areas of Kericho are widely noted for the production of tea that is famous for gorgeous color, fragrance, brightness and taste and the higher proportion Kericho’s tea is exported to UK. Kericho houses the largest tea industry of Kenya and the largest water catchment area of the country, the Mau Forest. Kericho is geographically positioned between 0°22′ S latitude and 35°18′ E longitude, around 250 km northwest of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. The Kabianga University is the most important and famous educational institution in Kericho.

History of Kericho:

There is no certain theory about the origin of the name Kericho, although the two different theories states its origin and one theory claims that Kericho is the modified form of the word Kerichek, which was used by the local Kipsigis people to call medicine and another theory states, the name Kericho got its name from a person, KipKerich, who was specialized in producing medicine in the local area.

How to reach Kericho?

Kericho has an airport but flights are infrequent, so it is advised for visitors to reach Kisumu International Airport first and then take airport taxi or bus from there to get Kericho. The Kisumu International Airport is served by Kenya Airways, Fly540 and East African Safari Air from scheduled flights from the national capital, Nairobi.

By bus, Kericho is linked to many important cities of the country like Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nairobi.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Kericho:

Indigenous Kipsigis people forms the greater percentage of the Kericho’s population and their unique dialect, Kipsigis language is also a widely spoken language in the town. Kericho houses both traditional shopping options and restaurants that spread up all around the town.

Things to do in Kericho:

Visiting tea plantations
Shopping
Walking

Tourist Attractions in Kericho:

Mau Forest:

Being the East Africa’s largest native montane forest, the Mau Forest is one of the identities of Kericho, covering an area of 273,300 hectares. It is also noted as the Kenya’s largest water catchment area. The endemic bird species like Hartlaub’s Turaco, Jackson’s Francolin and Hunter’s Cisticola are famous visitors here.

Chai Square :

The Chai ((Hindi word for tea) Square is the main square of the town of Kericho, housing plenty of tea stalls with different flavors local teas. The square is also famous its nice environment.

Kabianga University:

The Kabianga University is situated in the West District of Kericho in the vicinity of Kabianga high School. This university has a large campus and offers all latest courses including business management courses.

Churches in Kericho:

Housing a larger proportion of Christian population, Kericho houses many renowned churches including Africa Gospel Church, which is one of the largest churches in Kericho County. Other major churches in Kericho include Anglican Church, Holy Roman Catholic Church, SDA and AIC.

List of the other places of interest in and around Kericho include:

Kericho Tea Plantations
Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site
Olorgesailie Pre-Historic Site
Desert Museum
Lake Nakuru National Park
Masai Mara National Reserve
Amboseli National Park
Samburu National Reserve
Sibiloi National Park
Kalama Wildlife Conservancy
Kabarnet Museum
Treasures of Africa Museum

Best time to visit Kericho:

Probably during the months between September and February is the best time to visit Kericho in Kenya.

Hotels in Kericho:

There are modernized hotels limited in Kericho, so visitors can consider hotels in nearby Kisumu for better hospitality services. The prominent hotels in Kericho and Kisumu (around 85 km) are as follows: