The Aberdares

At just 160km from Nairobi, the Aberdares are easily reached by road either from the east from Nyeri on the A2 or from the west via Naivasha on the A104, the eastern approach is usually favoured since the park headquarters are at Mweiga just 12km from Nyeri. There is an airstrip at Nyeri and one next to the park headquarters. There are eight access gates into the park and the road network is generally good but the central higher regions can be difficult to navigate during the rainy season and 4 x 4 vehicles are advisable.

The western highlands are mainly above the treeline while the lower eastern arm of the park, called the salient, was once an elephant migration route and is more fertile forest and scrub. Rainfall is high everywhere. Flora and fauna vary with altitude, at lower levels such as around Nyeri vegetable smallholdings, tea and coffee plantations are the norm, between about 2,100m and 2,400m the vegetation is mainly bamboo and at higher levels there are ancient forests with cedar and hagenia trees covered in mosses. At the very highest levels the forest gives way to alpine vegetation. Heather, St John’s Wort, lobelia and groundsel all grow to giant heights.

Some of Kenya’s most spectacular waterfalls are on the visitor trails, the Queen’s Cave Waterfall cascades into a beautiful ravine; Queen Elizabeth stopped here for lunch. Gura Falls are the highest in Kenya, a drop of 300m into a deep forested ravine, the nearby Karura Falls have a 275m drop, and there is a viewing platform for visitors. Fly fishing for both brown and rainbow trout in the ice-cold waters of the Guru, Karuru and Chania rivers is popular, permits can be obtained from the park wardens and some hotels provide equipment for hire. The Kenya Wildlife Service fishing lodge, high on the heathland, is actually two three bedroomed houses with linen and kitchen equipment provided.

The Aberdares region is rich in game, elephant, buffalo, and rhino, antelope are fairly common, and the Aberdares lions are notoriously fierce. Dense vegetation means that game viewing is not always easy, especially from vehicles, most sightings occur at waterholes visible from the lodges. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded. Crowned eagles are Africa’s largest and fiercest with dark plumage and huge yellow feet, monkeys and small antelope are among its prey.

Colourful sunbirds, hornbills, buzzards and several species of kingfisher including the ruddy chested giant kingfisher wait silently on low perches over the rivers. There are seven public camp sites, which have fairly basic facilities, and three banda sites, all of which are booked with the KWS.

Some of Kenya’s most famous accommodation is in the park, Treetops and The Ark are treehouse style lodges with good game viewing at floodlit water holes, neither accept children under seven and both have an associated sister hotel just outside the park. Visitors to Treetops need to turn up at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri (this was the last home of Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the scout movement) for transfer into the park, while The Aberdare Country club organises transfers to the Ark, the club is a smart colonial style hotel with its own 9 hole golf course.

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