Aberdare National Park

Pros & Cons

• Good wildlife viewing in beautiful forest habitat
• Tree hotels offer an unusual wildlife-watching experience
• A chance to see unusual nocturnal animals
• Exciting animal encounters at ground level from a wildlife hide
• Great photo opportunities
• Guided hiking is available
• Tree hotels get busy, especially during high season
• Usual one-night stays have a very packaged feel
• Tree hotels have small, relatively basic, cabin-like rooms

Wildlife

All the Big Five are present. Buffalo and elephant are common, and there is a chance to see black rhino at one of the tree hotel waterholes at night. Lion and leopard tend to stay at higher altitudes in the park and are difficult to spot. Black-and-white colobus monkeys are a real treat, while bushbuck and waterbuck are particularly common.

• More about Aberdare's wildlife

Scenery

Aberdare is a scenically diverse area. And as with any mountain range there are different habit zones at different altitudes. The tree hotels are set in beautiful forest country. At higher altitudes are bamboo forests and Afro-alpine moorland set among steep ridges with beautiful waterfalls and river valleys.

Weather & Climate

Aberdare’s proximity to the equator means that temperatures don’t change much from month to month. It does, however, get colder the higher you go in altitude. Temperatures also plummet in the Dry season (June to September), especially at night and early in the morning. Rain is a constant companion in the park. Heavy falls occur year-round, though more frequently in the Wet season (October to May).

• More about the weather and climate

Best Time To Visit

Wildlife watching is good in Aberdare year-round. If you don’t intend straying far from a tree hotel, visit in the Wet season (October to May) when low-season rates and vacancies make wildlife viewing from your balcony extra-enjoyable. Otherwise, avoid the heaviest of the park’s rainfall in the Dry season (June to September), when local roads are more navigable.

• More about the best time to visit

Want To Visit Aberdare NP?

• Aberdare Safaris & Tours
• Tour Operators for Aberdare