Aberdare National Park, Kenya

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Aberdare National Park is one of the less frequented parks, which on the whole can actually be rather pleasant. The main reason is access is allowed only for 4WD’s – the rainy seasons have turned many roads into mud.



During the rainy seasons, the park is often closed. The park is located some 120 miles north of Nairobi, in the Rift Valley Region, and is 767 square kilometers big.

The Kikuyu, the biggest of the Kenyan tribes, believe the Aberdare mountains are the home of Ngai, their God.

Overview

The park has a variety in scenery, flora and animals not easily found elsewhere. The park is composed of two parts, the higher moorlands with the three peaks, and the lower Salient where the rainforest is thick and there’s more wildlife.

The park has several beautiful waterfalls. Paths lead up to platforms from where you can watch the Chania Falls and the Karura Falls. The Gura Falls are even more beautiful, falling over 300 metres (1000 yards), but are less accessible.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is currently building an electrified fence around the park, in order to keep the wildlife in. (Money for this is raised among others through the Rhino Charge, an annual motor race held in various places in Kenya whereby drivers have to get past 10 checkpoints in as short a distance as possible. Of course, the organizers ensure plenty of almost unbelievable natural obstacles between the checkpoints … This is great to watch if you have the chance.)

Animal spotting

There’s plenty of wildlife present, but as the big rainforest is an excellent hiding space for them, it’s best to stay a few days. Animals present include buffaloes, elephants, leopards, lions, baboons and several sorts of monkeys. Higher up in the moorlands, elands and serval cats can also be spotted. Moreover, there are literally hundreds of bird species present, including regal crowned cranes, sparry hawks, eagles, giant kingfishers, sunbirds, plovers, etc. etc.

Activities

Besides animal spotting, the park allows for some great walking. The high moorlands have three peaks (Satima, Kinangop and Kipipiri) which can be climbed rather easy. However, hikers are required to hire an armed guard to keep of dangerous animals, which costs about $15 a day. With so many bird species present, there’s also some great bird watching. Another option is fishing. The rivers in the park carry lots of trout.

Accomodation

Aberdare National Park is home to two great tree hotels, The Treetops and The Arks – buildings on piles which make for great wildlife watching at night, as a lot of big animals such as elephants assemble around the buildings. Although both hotels are rather modest, with small wooden rooms, the nightly wildlife watching makes for a great experience. The Treetops Hotel is probably the most famous Kenyan hotel. Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain was there when she was informed that her father the king had died, making her the queen. Contrary to the Treetops, which is located on a plain, the Ark Hotel is in the forest. A salty water pool next to the hotel ensures the presence of plenty of wild animals at night. Be aware that buzzers will wake you at night as soon as any of the ‘Big Five’ animals approach the hotel. Even leopards, normally very hard to spot, are seen here occasionally. Prices per night are from about $150 in the low season to $250 in the high season.

Access

The entry fee is $30 for adults, $10 for children. Camping is $10 or, for ‘special’ campsites, $15. Vehicles are 200 KSH (about $3).

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