Aberdare National Park
Misty Moorland, Waterfalls and a Night by the Waterhole
A high, wet range of bamboo forest and moorland above Nyeri, best known for the tree lodges where elephants, buffalo and the occasional leopard come to a floodlit waterhole beneath the windows at night. Karuru and Gura falls drop off the moorland, and the forest hides the rare bongo antelope. It is cool, often misty and best as a one-night stop between Nairobi, Mount Kenya and Laikipia.
Highlights
- A night at a tree lodge above a floodlit waterhole
- Elephants and buffalo at the salt lick
- Karuru Falls, Kenya's highest
- Moorland drive among giant heather
- Bongo and giant forest hog (rarely seen)
- Baden-Powell's grave and Paxtu cottage in Nyeri
Things to do
- Moorland game drive to Karuru and Gura fallsMorning · 4h
- Evening and night watch at the tree-lodge waterholeEvening · 3h
- Nyeri: Baden-Powell's grave and PaxtuAfternoon · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: June – September, December – February
Worth knowing
Long Rains: Muddy Roads, Some Camps Closed
⚠️ The long rains fall from about April to May: heavy afternoon storms, black-cotton soil roads that trap vehicles, and some tracks and river crossings closed. Many seasonal camps in the Mara, Samburu and Laikipia close; those that stay open cut their prices. Allow extra time on the roads, and bush flights can be delayed.
Heads up
Short Rains
The short rains bring brief showers, mostly in the afternoon, from about November into early December. Game drives still run; tracks can be muddy for a day after a storm.