A visitor's note on Aberdare National Park

Exploring the Aberdare National Park was a dream coming true. I always wanted to visit a reserve where I can view the exotic wildlife in all the comforts. With two luxurious hotels, The Ark and the Treetop located inside, Aberdares was the ideal place to admire the various shades of wildlife. The breathtaking sights of rare bango antelope along with several other species will remain fresh in mind for years to come.

Factfile - Aberdare National Park

Location: 160kms north of Nairobi
Total area: 800 square kilometers
Major attractions: Bongo antelope
Best time to visit: October-February

A word about Aberdare National Park

Running south to north for 60 km through the central highlands area are the magnificent Aberdare mountains. Nearly 800 km2 of, which have been set aside as, the Aberdares National Park. The volcanic heights are part of the great rift valley's eastern rampart, and their lower slopes support a fine diversity of wildlife, including elephants and a number of rare animals such as the shy and lovely bongo antelope.

My experience at Aberdare National Park

It was a great experience to reach the park passing through the small industrial town of Thika surrounded by extensive pineapple plantations. After crossing the Tana River, the landscape changed and became more lush as I climbed into the Aberdare National Park.

The wildlife was at its best even during the daytime. As I headed towards the Treetop hotel, I spotted elephants, buffaloes and rhinos roaming freely in their natural environs. The night spent at the Treetop hotel was the most adventurous. I saw a procession of forest animals including elephant, rhino, buffalo, giant forest and many other species visiting the floodlit waterholes and saltlicks.