Aberdare National park

The ultimate guide to Aberdare National Park, one of the enchanting wilderness destinations on your magical Kenya safaris, guided by Superfine Safaris Limited. Aberdare National Park is a spectacular Protected Area in the Aberdare Mountain ranges. It is located in Central Kenya, east of the East African Rift Valley. Aberdare is 100 km North of Nairobi and lies at an altitude of 2000 to 4000 meters.
Aberdare spans across Nyandarua and Nyeri Counties. It occupies the land area of 767 sq. km and makes up part of the scenic Aberdare Mountain Range. Deep, shaped valley rivers, mountain peaks, and waterfalls also characterize Aberdare’s landscape.

General History of the Park

Aberdare was established in 1950, making it one of the oldest Parks. It was in this Park where the late Queen Elizabeth the II became the Queen following the death of her father. Aberdare was established with a primary goal of sheltering its rich forested slopes and moorlands. The Aberdare Ranges features Mt. Santima (4001m), Elephant Peak (3590m), Martini Hill (3698m), Mount Kinangop (3906m), and Table Mountain (3791m).

Main Attractions in Aberdare park

Wildlife to See in Aberdare
Aberdare hosts a diverse array of wildlife that makes it an amazing wildlife tour destination. The different wildlife to see in this park includes forest hogs, African elephants, reed bucks, hyenas, elands, leopards, rhinos, skyes monkeys, lions, golden cats, side-striped jackals, warthogs, bongo antelopes, and more.
The higher moorland areas of Aberdare host huge concentrations of elephants and serval cats. The forested areas offer refuge to a diverse array of antelopes, especially duikers, waterbucks, bushbucks, suni, elands, plus forest elephants and zebras.

Birds of Aberdare
Aberdare is an impressive birding destination with a total of about 250 species of birds. These include moorland and forest species. The checklist of Aberdare birds includes cinnamon-chested bee-eaters, scarlet-tufted malachite sunbirds, African hawks, Jackson’s francolins, African paradise flycatchers, Montagu’s harriers, bar-tailed trogon, Tacazze sunbird, Abyssinian crimsonwing, white-headed hoopoe, hunter’s cisticola, Doherty’s bush shrike, tambourine dove, white-faced whistling ducks, crowned hornbill, helmeted guineafowl, long-tailed cormorant, black-chested snake eagle, Sharpe’s long-claws, silvery-cheeked hornbills, moorland francolin, and Egyptian goose.

Aberdare also holds bird species such as giant and pied kingfishers, Verreaux’s owl, buff-spotted flufftail, African emerald, African sacred ibis, purple heron, blacksmith lapwing, mountain yellow-warblers, lemon doves, Nyanza swift, white-eyed slaty flycatchers, plain martin, brimstone canary, Kikuyu white-eye, red-knobbed coots, African rail, streaky seed-eaters, brown parisoma, stout cisticola, African black headed oriole, martial eagle, and more.

Vegetation

Aberdare is comprised of distinct vegetation cover. The Park’s vegetation cover is characterized by moorland, bamboo forest, and thick forests. These offer refuge to some of Aberdare’s diverse wildlife species.

5 Best Activities to do in Aberdare

Game drives with an expert

Aberdare is one of the best places you can experience an amazing game drive. A range of wildlife can be spotted during a guided game viewing session in Aberdare. They include elephants, buffalo, rhinos, bushbucks, duikers, side-striped jackals, elands, leopards, reedbucks, and many bird species. Visitors can enjoy half day or a full-day game drive and all sessions can involve an experienced expert.

Birding

Birding in Aberdare is all about exploring the diversity of birds in their habitats. The park’s diverse birds you stand a chance to spot include among others moorland francolins, moustached green tinker bird, bar-tailed trogon, rufous-chested sparrow hawks, golden-winged sunbird, crowned hornbills, mountain gray woodpeckers, hartlaub’s turacos, Egyptian goose, helmeted guineafowl, Jackson’s francolins, African paradise-flycatcher, African sacred ibis, black kite, speckled mouse birds, blue-headed coucals, lesser striped swallow, yellow-breasted apalis, and purple heron.
In addition, you can also come across the black-crowned night, blacksmith lapwing, lemon dove, African spoonbill, great egret, buff-spotted flufftail, cinnamon-chested bee-eaters, and more.

Nature walks with experts

Nature walks in Aberdare perfectly introduce you to the finest habitats with diverse wildlife and birds. A guided nature walk in Aberdare is done with the lead of an experienced guide and expect to have a complete immersion as you unearth the park’s wonders.

Primate watching

Aberdare is an ideal spot to explore during a primate watching tour. The Park holds interesting primates including olive baboons, Skye’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys.

Cultural encounters

Beyond wildlife encounters, a visit to Aberdare also presents you with a great chance to embark on a cultural tour. Cultural visits are done in the nearby local communities where you can interact with the Maasai and Kikuyu people. You can also learn more about the Mau-Mau rebellion leader –Dedan Kimathi.
The Kikuyu community comprises the Kikuyu people. The Kikuyu believe that the Aberdare Mountains are home to their god also referred to as “Ngai”. Before, it was called Nyandarua meaning dried hide considering the numerous folds that exist in this area.

The Best Time to Explore Aberdare

Aberdare is an all-year-round destination but the dry season is the best for you to enjoy guided game viewing tours. Aberdare records its dry season from June to September then from December to February. During these dry months, the park experiences low or no rain with the game tracks kept drier and accessible. These are far better than the wet months (October to November, March-May) when heavy rain is experienced.

Where to stay

Top places to consider for overnight stay in and around Aberdare include Giraffe Ark Game Lodge, Treetops Lodge, Aberdare Country Club, Tusk Camp Banda, and Aberdare Cottages. Other lodges include Kimakia Tea Cottages, Maverick Camp, Amboni Lodge, Fishing Lodge, Sapper Hut, and more.

How to get there

Aberdare National Park can be easily reached by road or air. Traveling by road involves driving for 150 km a journey that takes you about 2-3 hours from Nairobi. Access gates include the Wandare gate, Ruhurina, Treetops, Ark, Kiandongoro, and more. These offer access to visitors who set off to Aberdare through Nyeri. In case you are setting off from Nyahururu, then expect to reach the park via Shamata or the rhino gate. Visitors departing from Naivasha can also reach Aberdare via Mutubio gate. By air, you can take a chartered/scheduled domestic flight from Wilson Airport to Mweiga or Nanyuki Airstrips.