Aberdare National Park

• A fairly small national park, Aberdare is in Kenya's Central Highlands.
• One of the more scenic and tropical parks, it is home to the Big 5, as well as some rare forest-dwelling game like the shy bongo antelope.
• Within easy striking distance of Nairobi, the Aberdare National Park has some original, historical safari lodges, and offers a unique safari experience in spectacular scenery.
• A fairly small reserve, the Aberdare National Park offers a different safari experience to the better-known, open savannah parks of Kenya.
• Situated in the country’s Central Highlands, just 180 km north of Nairobi, it has two unusual landscapes; a moorland plateau and areas of dense rainforest.
• When you visit the Aberdare on safari, you’ll not only enjoy unique and spectacular scenery, you'll also experience excellent game viewing, especially in its eastern sector.

Wildlife viewing from this elevated position is a remarkably rewarding way to see animals otherwise difficult to spot in the dense vegetation. Aberdare NP is home to all of the Big Five. However, it is not a typical Big Five destination. Bushbuck and defassa waterbuck are very common and sightings of elephants and buffalo are almost guaranteed. Leopard and black rhino are sometimes spotted at one of the tree hotel’s floodlit waterholes at night. The lion is rarely seen. The park is a refuge to many interesting forest creatures, including several primates such as the black-and-white colobus monkey and sykes monkey. Nocturnal animals, including giant forest hog and large-spotted genet, often visit the waterholes at night. The forest is also home to the very elusive and beautiful bongo antelope. Unfortunately, numbers have decreased over the last few decades and sightings are extremely rare.

Aberdare National Park is located 160km/100mi north of Nairobi and 20km/13mi southwest of Nanyuki. The drive from Nairobi takes about 2½ to 3 hours. There are daily scheduled flights to the Nanyuki airstrip. Getting to Nairobi is easy as this is one of the biggest transport hubs on the continent. International flights arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), 15km/9mi southeast of Nairobi.