DESTINATION GUIDE // KENYA
Aberdare National Park
Misty highland forest, waterfalls and tree lodges where the animals come to you after dark.
766 km2
PARK AREA
3,999m
HIGHEST POINT
160 km
FROM NAIROBI
Bongo
RARE ANTELOPE
Tree lodges
NIGHT VIEWING
Quick answer: Aberdare National Park protects 766 square kilometres of mountain range in central Kenya, rising to just under 4,000 metres. It is about 160 km north of Nairobi. The park is known for dense highland forest, high waterfalls and tree lodges built over floodlit waterholes for night viewing.
OVERVIEW AND LOCATION
Aberdare National Park At A Glance
The Aberdares are cold, wet and forested, which makes them completely unlike the savanna parks. Game viewing works differently here: rather than driving to find animals, you sit at a tree lodge above a waterhole and let elephant, buffalo and rhino come in through the night. The moorland above the treeline is stark and beautiful, with waterfalls dropping several hundred metres.
| Detail | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Location | Nyeri, Nyandarua and Murang’a counties, central Kenya |
| Distance from Nairobi | Approximately 160 km, 3 hours by road |
| Size | 766 km2 |
| Highest point | Ol Donyo Lesatima, 3,999 metres |
| Established | 1950 |
| Known for | Tree lodges, Karuru Falls, bongo antelope, black leopard sightings |
WILDLIFE AND ACTIVITIES
What You Will See and Do
Night Viewing From Tree Lodges
Lodges built on stilts over floodlit waterholes let you watch elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog and occasionally rhino through the night without moving.
Bongo and Black Leopard
The forest holds the rare mountain bongo. Aberdare is also one of the few places in the world with documented black leopard sightings.
Waterfalls and Moorland
Karuru Falls drops around 270 metres in three stages. Above the treeline the moorland is open, cold and quite unlike anywhere else in Kenya.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
When To Go
| Months | What to expect | Crowds |
|---|---|---|
| Jun to Sep | Driest, clearest, best road conditions | Medium |
| Dec to Feb | Dry and cool, good visibility | Medium |
| Mar to May | Long rains, very wet, tracks difficult | Low |
| Oct to Nov | Short rains, misty and atmospheric | Low |
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