One of the best and least well known places to visit is the Kakamega Forest Reserve. This pocket of forest is all that remains of a vast forest that once spread the girth of Africa from the Congo Basin. The Kakamega Forest is home to a huge variety of animals, birds and reptiles. Some 367 bird species have been recorded in the forest but the main stars are great Blue Turacos, great turkey-sized birds who look as if they are adorned in bright evening gowns. The forest also has a number of monkeys such as Colobus, Blue Monkey and White-nosed Monkey with its long red tail! More unusual creatures to be found are the Potto (a lemur-like animal), the hammer-headed fruit bat and flying squirrels!

Kisumu itself is also rich in things for visitors to do including the world famous Kisumu Bird Sanctuary (which is the nesting site of hundreds of pairs of herons, iibises, cormorants, egrets and storks), a snake house (housing different species of Kenyan reptiles) and the Kisumu Museum with zoological exhibits and ethnographic exhibits (gives people an idea of different tribes and cultures, musical instruments which include the nyatiti – a traditional Luo Lyre used in many African concerts in Kenya and abroad).

Most East Africans (Kenyans and Tanzanians) are avid fans of Barack Obama, donning t-shirts and posters in support. If Obama wins the election, there is bound to be joyous celebrations ringing through the Rift Valley in East Africa!

To find out more about Kisumu, the ancestral region of Barack Obama in Kenya, contact Aim4Africa on 0845 4084541 or www.aim4africa.com <http://www.aim4africa.com/> .

About Aim 4 Africa
Set up over four years ago by Nancy Cutinha, who was born and raised in Tanzania, Aim 4 Africa’s main ethos is responsible tourism. Aim4Africa helps with the development of local communities, creating more permanent employment, taking part in community and conservation projects so that the local people and the environment benefit from tourism and clients get to enjoy their holiday knowing they have helped make a difference to the local communities. Aim4Africa is a member of ATTA (African Travel and Tourism Association. www.atta.co.uk), EAWS (the East African Wildlife Society) and TIES (The International Ecotourism Society).