The Aberdares are cold, wet mountain forest and moorland — nothing like the plains below. The lodges here are built over waterholes and you watch from a balcony instead of a vehicle, often after dark, which is when the elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog and the occasional bongo come in.
Every one of these is something we run here, not a stock list.
Prices are per person and include your vehicle, guide, park fees and accommodation. Every one of these can be changed — they are starting points.
8 Days
Established in May 1950 to protect the slopes and moorland of the Aberdare Mountains, the park covers an area of 767 Km2
Geography/Habitats: The park occupies the elevated areas of the Aberdare Mountain ranges covering an altitude of 1829M to 4001M above sea level hosting the spectacular peaks of Kinangop (3906m/12814 feet) and Ol Donyo Lesatima (3999m/13123 feet).
The topography of the Aberdares is diverse with rugged terrain, deep ravines and many clear streams and waterfalls, v-shaped valleys at higher altitudes and moorland, bamboo forests and rainforests at lower atlitudes. There are red volcanic soils that are rich in organic matter.
Animals: Large population of black rhinos, an endangered species There are also lions, leopards, baboons, balck and white colobus monkeys and over 250 bird species.
Of interest: Game drives, camping, hiking, bird watching, trout fishing and horse riding at designated areas.
Most safaris here combine two or three of these.
The Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem, and the single best place in Africa to watch big cats hunt. Between July and October around a million and a half wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River into it. The rest of the year it is quieter, cheaper, and still holds the highest density of lion, cheetah and leopard in Kenya.
Amboseli is where you photograph elephants with Kilimanjaro behind them. The swamps fed by meltwater off the mountain hold big herds year round, the plains are open and dusty so nothing hides, and it is close enough to Nairobi to be worth three days on its own.
Samburu is the dry north, and the wildlife is different for it. Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich live here and almost nowhere else in Kenya — guides call them the Samburu Special Five. The Ewaso Nyiro river keeps it all alive and draws elephant down to drink all afternoon.
Naivasha is the freshwater lake in the floor of the Rift Valley, ninety minutes from Nairobi. You get out of the vehicle here: a boat among the hippos, a walk or a cycle on Crescent Island among giraffe and zebra with no predators to worry about. It is the day that breaks up a driving safari.
Tell us roughly when you can travel and how long you have. We will tell you honestly whether Aberdare National Park is the right call for those dates — and what it costs.
