Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve

Arabuko Sokoke is the largest and most intact fragment of coastal forest remaining in East Africa, stretching along the Kenya coast between Malindi and Kilifi. This critically important biodiversity hotspot harbours several globally threatened species found nowhere else, including the Sokoke scops owl, Clarke's weaver, and the golden-rumped elephant shrew. Covering 420 square kilometres, the forest comprises three distinct habitats: Brachystegia woodland, mixed forest, and Cynometra thicket. While not a traditional safari destination, Arabuko Sokoke attracts serious birders and naturalists drawn by its extraordinary endemic species and the Gede Ruins — a mysterious 13th-century Swahili town swallowed by the forest.