Aberdare National Park

Aberdare National Park is a beautiful national park in the central Kenyan Aberdare Mountain ranges, which are in the East African Rift Valley area. Aberdare National Park has been around since 1950 and is 766 square kilometers in size. It is run by the Kenya Wildlife Services. An area of the park that rises between 2,000m (6,600 ft) and 4,000m (13,000 ft) above sea level is part of the Aberdare Mountain Range. There are two amazing eco-systems in the Park’s scenery. The main one is made up of rainforest, moorland, and bamboo on the lower slopes. On the other hand, the mountain range has deep V-shaped slopes that are crossed by rivers, streams, and waterfalls.

Aberdare National Park is known as one of the best places in Kenya to go on trekking. The park has a lot of wildlife as well as beautiful 300-meter-high waterfalls, foggy tropical jungles, and steep terrain. Hiking in the park takes you from the rainforest to bamboo trees and high alpine plants. Along the way, you can see buffalo, baboons, monkeys, elephants, and antelopes coming out of the thick jungle. In Aberdare National Park, over 2,000 elephants roam the park’s beautiful scenery. The park is also home to some very rare animals, like the bongo, a huge antelope that lives in the bamboo forest.

This is where Kenya’s second-largest group of black rhinos lives. It is also common to see spotted hyenas, African golden cats, bush pigs, jackals, waterbucks, elands, and the hard to spot black leopard. Even the lion lives in Aberdare, though people rarely see it. Aberdare National Park is also a great place for birdwatchers. The park’s misty jungle is home to over 290 kinds of birds, including the endangered Aberdare Cisticola. There are also many raptors and migratory bird types that live in the park.

When is the best time to visit Aberdare National Park?

In general, Aberdare National Park is a great place to see wildlife all year long. However, it is likely to rain at any time because the park is in a hilly area. In any case, the best times to go on a Kenya tour in the park are from June to September and January to February, when it is dry. These months are great for hiking and seeing wildlife. Aberdare National Park gets wet in March through May and again in October through November. These are good times to watch birds.

Top Things to Do in Aberdare National Park

Mountain Ranges of Aberdare
Aberdare National Park’s most well-known tourist spot is the Aberdare Ranges. They are a single volcanic range that runs for 160 kilometers and forms the eastern edge of the Great East African Rift Valley. Because of the Aberdare Mountain ranges, it’s one of the best places in Kenya to go climbing. At its highest point, the Aberdare ranges are about 4000 meters above sea level.

They are made up of several mountains: Amount Santima, which is the range’s highest peak; Mount Kinangop, which is the range’s second highest peak at 3,906 meters; the Chebuswa range, which is 3,364 meters; Table Mountain, which is 3,791 meters; Martini Hill, which is 3,698 meters; and Elephant, which is 3,590 meters.

The Aberdare Mountain ranges are important to the local Kikuyu people as well as being home to many animals, including monkeys and birds. The Aberdares are called “Nyandarua” by the Kikuyu, which means “drying fleece” because of their unique shapes. For example, the ranges to the west of the Aberdares drop steeply into the Kinangop plains, while the ranges to the east have gentler slopes.

Wildlife
Aberdare National Park is home to many different kinds of animals, such as elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, black rhinos, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, bushbucks, waterbucks, and more. The African golden cat, the African wild cat, the bongo, the serval cat, the African civet cat, and lions are just a few of the animals that have been seen very rarely. A lot of rhinos live in Aberdare, which makes it a great national park in Kenya. It has the second-largest number of rhinos in all of Kenya.

Birds
Aberdare National Park is a great place for birdwatchers and a great place to go on a Kenya birding safari. It is home to over 250 kinds of birds, such as the unique Hartlaub’s turaco and the mysterious Aberdare cisticola, which is only found in this area. Aberdare National Park is home to many different kinds of birds, such as the rare Abyssinian Crimsonwing, the Scarlet-tufted Malachite sunbird, the African goshawk, the Bronzy sun-bird, the Augur buzzard, the Bar-tailed trogon, the African yellow warbler, the African green pigeon, the African paradise flycatcher, the Ayres’s hawk-eagle, the Bar-tailed trogon, and the Cinnamon-chested bee-eater.

Falling water
You can also go on a tour to Aberdare National Park and check out its waterfalls, which are also gorgeous. There are many waterfalls in the park, including Karuru Falls, which is home to many unique mature wonders. The falling water is the biggest and tallest in Kenya. It’s a beautiful sight that drops more than 300 meters below the watching area. The waterfall is surrounded by beautiful plants and scenery. There are many more waterfalls in the park, such as the Chain waterfalls, Thomson’s waterfall/Nyahururu waterfalls, Kereita cave and waterfall, Queens cave, and Magura waterfalls.

The Kikuyu People
The people who live near Aberdare National Park are Kikuyu. They think that one of Ngai’s homes is in the Aberdare ranges. The people who lived here gave it the name Nyandarua, which means “drying hide,” because of all the different folds they saw. The Kikuyu are an interesting group of people who have a unique and real culture that can be seen during a cultural meeting in the park.

The best safari things to do in Aberdare National Park are game drives.

Game drives in a 4×4 safari car are a great way to see this beautiful Aberdare National Park. You can go at night or during the day. Visitors to Aberdare National Park can go on game drives to see the park’s many animals, such as the “big 5”, as well as many wild cats, rare species, and other animals that are active at night, which can be fun.

About 250 kinds of birds live in Aberdare National Area. You can see them while on tour in the park. It is possible to see many types of birds in Aberdare. These include Sunbirds, Jackson’s francolins, mountain buzzards, Goshawks, Rufous-breasted sparrow hawks, Fish eagles, Ayre’s hawks, and more. Aberdare National Park is a great place to see birds all year, but from November to April, migratory birds are there.

Hiking: In Aberdare National Park, hiking is the most exciting way to go on adventure. It is home to the Aberdare Mountain ranges, which make the park a hiker’s dream with rough, hilly terrain perfect for hiking. Hiking to the Table Mountains, the Twin or Elephant Hills, or over the beautiful waterfalls gives you the chance to see animals and see stunning scenery.

Take a trip to Sweetwaters Game Reserve.

You can find the Sweetwaters Game Reserve close to the Aberdares Ranges and the peaks of Mount Kenya. It is home to many different kinds of animals, such as the highly endangered Black Rhino, the Big 5 (Lion, Buffalo, Leopard, Elephant, and Black Rhino) and chimps that are not native to the area. A trek in Ol Pejeta is like no other because of the beautiful views and wide range of animals that live in the vast fields. One of the most famous places to visit in Sweetwaters is the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. Another draw is Morani, a famous rhinoceros that has been tamed.

Fishing
Aberdare National Park is one of the best places in Kenya for people who like to fish to go on fishing trips. Tourists in the Aberdares fish in the streams and rivers of the high moorlands. People can fish for trout in the Chania water or any other water in the park.

Go to Kikuyu.
The Kikuyu live in a village at the base of the Outspan Hotel in Aberdare National Park. If you go there, you can learn about their rich culture and practices. In this beautiful town, traditional Kikuyu dancers dressed in traditional clothes put on shows. In this hamlet, which was built just for tourists to learn about the cultures of indigenous countries, you can experience an Agikuyu custom.

How to Drive to Aberdare National Park

The park is about 99 miles (160 kilometers) from Nairobi’s Capital. On the eastern side of the park, a nice paved road links the Naro Moru and Nyeri villages. But the best way to get there is to start in the towns of Naivasha and Nyahururu. The exits are at Treetops, Ark, Ruhuruina, Wandare, and Kiandongoro if you’re coming from Nyeri. Use the Shamata or Rhino Gates to get into the park from Nyahururu. People coming from Naivasha should use the Mutubio gate.

By Air: There are two airstrips that offer charter flights to Aberdare National Park. Both Mweiga and Nanyuki.

The Treetops Hotel in Aberdare

The Treetops Hotel Aberdare is the first treehouse in Kenya. It is in Aberdare National Reserve. People love the hotel because it’s in the park and has a view of a salt lick, a waterhole, and a royal connection from the past. The hotel is 6,459 feet above sea level and has grown to have 50 rooms since it opened in 1932. There are 43 twin rooms, 5 suites, and 5 triple rooms in the hotel. It is in the middle of the thick, lichen-covered Aberdare Forest and has a great view of Mt. Kenya, as well as a salt lick and a creek.

Stay at Rhino Watch Safari Lodge

This lodge is on the road between Nyeri and Nyahururu, about 6 kilometers from Mwiga Town. The cabin is right in the middle of the 30-acre Rhino Watch estate. It has cozy and stylish chalets that are built in the style of a normal Kikuyu home. Some types of grass are used to make the roofs, which have a 25-square-meter bed and living room. Each room has two beds that can be put together to make a king-size bed. There is also a small desk and a few chairs available. A big bathroom with a hot shower is also there.

Tent Camp at Chaka Ranch
Chaka Ranch Tented Camp is in Kiganjo, Nyeri County, and offers one of the most luxurious places to stay in Aberdare National Park for guests on safari in Kenya. It is tucked away in beautiful grounds and natural surroundings, halfway between Mount Kenya and the Aberdares Mountain Ranges. There are 12 high-end tents for guests to stay in, each with its own private bathroom.

The Chaka Tented Camp is only a short walk from the beautiful Chaka Ranch Leisure Park. This park has the largest collection of quad bikes and off-road cars in Kenya, so people of all ages can have amazing experiences. You can take the wheel of one of several great off-road cars on a 2 km race track.

Castle of Tafaria and Cunty Lodge
On a hilltop, Tafaria Castle and County Lodge has a view of Mount Kenya, the Aberdare Ranges, and the Laikipia Plains. The lodge has great guesthouses and serves tasty meals from both local and foreign cultures. The Aberdares create a beautiful wallpaper-like pattern right outside the hotel. This lodge is the best place to look at both this pattern and Mt. Kenya.