Coasting through Kenya, Watamu Gede

Located north of Mombassa on the Indian ocean, Watamu is pleasant town to spend few days and has some nearby interests. A 20 minute ride inland from Watamu is the small village of Gede, which used to be one of the largest and most important of the Swahili city states along the coast. Right next to the Gede ruins is Kipepeo Butterfly farm. Here conservation and the local economy have a symbiotic relationship. The farmers in the area are paid to collect pupae from the local Arabuko sokoke Forest. The butterflies are hatched in the farm and then sold to foreign collectors and museums. The money goes back into conservation and keeps the local people employed without having to cut the forest reserve, which contain high concentration of rare species of birds and butterflies.

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