Aberdare – A Destination Guide

Aberdare national park is a scenic site of splendid natural beauty situated in the central region of Kenya. The park stretches over an area of 766 square kilometers forming part of the Aberdare mountain range.

 

Best time to visit

Aberdare national park can be visited throughout the year, however the best time to visit is between December to February and June to September. During the rainy season from March through May, the roads are impassable.

 

How to get there

By Road: The Park is readily accessible on tarmac from Nyeri and Naro Moru on the Eastern side and is 150 Kms from Nairobi.

 

Tourist attractions

 

Wildlife

The park is a home to a variety of animal species including the Big Five (elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions and leopards). It’s a renowned home to the second-largest population of endangered black rhinos in Kenya, other animals found in the Aberdare national park include hyenas, bushbucks, defassa waterbucks, reedbucks, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, Sykes monkeys and many more.

 

Birdlife

The park is a home to more than 250 bird species including the striking Hartlaub’s turaco, the indistinct Aberdare cisticola which is endemic to the region and found at the higher altitudes of the park. Other birds found and spotted in Aberdare national park include the rare scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird, Aberdare cisticola, Abyssinian crimsonwing, African goshawk, African green pigeon and many more.

 

Aberdares Ranges

The Aberdare ranges are the most signature tourist attraction in Aberdare national park, the ranges are 160 kilometer of an isolated volcanic range forming the easternmost wall of the Great Rift Valley. Because of these ranges, the park is one of the best sites for Kenya hiking tours.

 

Unusual vegetation

Aberdare national park is dominated by unusual types of vegetation including the steep forested ravines and open moorland making up the Aberdare vegetation, in the park there is a total of 778 vegetation and plant species, sub species and varieties found in the ark due to the park’s altitude and rainfall. Some of the trees found in the park include the hardwood trees including camphor, cedar, podo and hagenia.

 

Waterfalls

Aberdare national park is a renowned destination for magnificent waterfalls plunging from cloud-shrouded heights and spraying into the ravines.