Travel Guide Aberdare National Park

This incredible 767 km² park is located in the Aberdares range, whose original name Nyandarua means "dry skin" in Kikuyu. This 70 km long volcanic massif, which culminates at an altitude of 4,000 m, is covered with dense forest, bamboo groves and alpine moorland where lobelia and giant ragwort grow.This exceptional vegetation has developed thanks to an extremely humid climate. Unfortunately, the regular rainfall and frequent fog make the reserve difficult to access. It is essential to have a 4x4, because the tracks in and around the park are very muddy and extremely steep. This small handicap, added to the difficulty to spot the animals, explains the very low attendance of the park. It's a pity, because in this amazing setting lives an abundant and varied fauna: buffalos, rhinoceroses, elephants, leopards, lions, antelopes, colobus... including some rare species such as bongos (brown antelopes with thin white stripes), black servals or golden cats.The two other assets of the Aberdares are, on the one hand, its grandiose waterfalls - the highest, those of Gura, reach 300 m - and, on the other hand, its rainbow trout which abound in all the streams to the delight of fishermen.