Bio-Ken Snake Farm

Bio-Ken in Watamu holds the largest collection of snakes in East Africa and is a working research centre — the venom milked here goes into snakebite treatment and the team runs a free rescue service for the region. Guided tours walk families past mambas, cobras, vipers and pythons while explaining which species actually matter and what to do if you meet one. Children come away far less frightened of snakes than when they arrived.

How a family visit works

1. 1Go to Bio-Ken in Watamu for a guided tour. Tours run through the day and take about an hour.
2. 2Stay with the guide. Visitors do not handle snakes. The team milks venom for snakebite treatment and runs a free rescue service for the region — that is the framing, not a scare show.
3. 3Walk past mambas, cobras, vipers and pythons. Let the children ask which species they might actually meet in a Watamu garden.
4. 4The goal is that they leave less frightened, with a clear 'what to do if you see one'. Do not skip the talk at the end.
5. 5Closed shoes. Then you can go back to the beach.

What kids actually do here

• East Africa's largest snake collection
• A working lab that produces venom for antivenom
• Guided tours of about an hour
• Mambas, cobras, vipers and pythons behind glass
• A free snake-rescue service for the area
• Guides who handle everything — visitors watch

What to pack

• Closed shoes
• Water
• A child who can stand still for an hour of looking and listening
• Questions about garden snakes if you live on the coast

Parent questions

Will the children hold a snake?

No. Guides handle the animals. Visitors watch and ask questions.

Is it only for older kids?

It is pitched from about five up. Younger children who cannot follow a guided hour may be better on the beach that morning.

Hours, tickets and activity rules change. Confirm the current details on the official site or at the gate before you travel.