KENYA, ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK
In depth guide to the seasons, animals, birds and wildlife habitats of the African safari region
of Aberdare in Kenya.
To
request a private safari tour of the
Aberdares in Kenya, click here >>> |
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The
fertile slopes of the central Highlands
were recognised by European settlers as being
great farming country for tea, coffee, wheat
and flowers. Many came and took the land with
the colonial government's blessing. There was
little regard for tribal land or local customs
and this created great resentment, which erupted
into the bloody Mau Mau Rebellion of the 1950's.
Dedan Kimathi
was the notorious Mau Mau leader and had his
terrorist headquarters in the thick forests
of the Aberdare Mountain Range. He knew the
forest well and it took a considerable manhunt
to track him down in 1956.
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Aberdares retain an air of mystery and it would
be easy to get lost amongst its thickly wooded
hills and mountains, the highest of which reaches
to a lofty 14,000 feet (4,267m). The mountain
air is rare and crisp and the Aberdare Rainforest
is a vital water catchment supplying the whole
of Nairobi. Water cascades over spectacular
waterfalls and into rivers swimming with trout.
Aberdare
National Park is famous for its tree-house
hotels - Treetops and The Ark. With walkways
and accommodation raised into the forest canopy,
you can watch animals from a unique vantagepoint.
Positioned by waterholes and natural salt licks,
animals provide constant entertainment and seem
undisturbed by the stream of curious visitors,
some of whom stay up all night to catch sightings
of shy animals by floodlight. There is even
a viewing hide dug below ground with windows
level with the waterhole, where elephants fee
come within inches of your face. |
| ANIMALS
& BIRDS
A trip into the treetop
lodges of the Aberdares is quite unique and
the rooms have a bell system, to wake you up
for particularly good sightings, whereupon you
can go to the viewing decks or just peer out
of your window. For example a leopard may warrant
two rings, while a hyena might only get one
ring.
Elephants
dominate the waterholes and salt licks and when
the lions and hyenas want a drink they have
to contend with elephants seeing them off at
great speed. Leopards are shy and are best seen
under the night-time floodlight.
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drives or walks through the forest may reveal
some of the monkeys for whom this is ideal habitat,
and some of the many birds found here. At about
10,000 feet (3,048m), the bamboo thickets are
the favourite haunt of the bongo, a rare and
elusive forest antelope.
SEASONS
Daytime temperatures are pleasant year round
but it gets colder day and night during the
dry winter months.
Rainy Season: April - June
- hot and wet (long rains), November - December
- warm and wet (short rains).
Dry Season: January - March
- hot and dry, July - October - cool and dry
with very cold nights.
ABERDARE
SPECIALITIES
· Treetop accommodation
· Viewing animals from
above
· night and day game
viewing at waterholes and salt lick
· Close up elephants
· Lion and leopard
· Spectacular rainforest
and montane forest scenery
FACTS
Altitude is from 7,000 to 14,000 feet (2,133-4,267metres)
The national park area is 296miles² (767km²)
The altitude makes this an unlikely area for
malaria although you will return from here into
areas that are. |
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