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Country Info
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The Central
Highlands
Aberdare National Park
Everybody loves a good story, especially one that
is so rich in our land's history. One such place that offers a mine
of historical information to stir your imagination is the
Aberdares........
Treetops
The Treetops experience is given as part of a
package tour incorporating one night at the Outspan hotel, although
the hotel itself is 17 kilometres away from Nyeri and within the
Aberdare National Park. Transfers between the two hotels are done
every afternoon in 4 wheel drive vehicles that are ideal for the
forest terrains. We feast our eyes on the beautiful greenery that
carpets the undulating slopes of the Nyeri countryside. Coffee farms
are spread out below while the Muhoya hill looms in the background.
A murram road turnoff leads us to the Aberdare National Park 's
Treetops gate. This is one of the six major Kenyan parks run by KWS
where you can only gain entry through the smart card system.
The Aberdare forests have been the target of a
major fencing initiative since 1989, whose aim is to protect one of
Africa's greatest conservation regions with its vital water
catchments, abundant wildlife, indigenous forest and mountain
upland. It pioneers the concept that both humans and wildlife can
live in harmony from shared natural resources brought together by a
common fence boundary. Humans in harmony with habitat and wildlife.
That is the aim of the Aberdare forest fund raising initiative.
A few minutes past the park gate we suddenly see a
lodge looming on a grassy hill, that reminds me of ancient castles,
dark and mysterious. It rises straight out of the ground on stilts.
This is Treetops, the most famous game viewing lodge in the world.
 A guide briefs guests on what will
be covered during our stay before we scale the stairs into the
safety and comfort of this tree hotel.
And once we have settled into our rooms the guide
proceeds to give us a talk about the history of the Aberdares, as
well as information about the animals resident here and their
habits.
Activities
The rooftop is the perfect viewing point to observe
the watering holes on either side of the lodge. Dozens of buffalo,
baboons, waterbuck and Eland lap up the cool waters side by side.
The eland is the largest of the antelope family, and there used to
be more until the introduction of lions to the park. Because of the
cold weather, lions here would eat much more than those in other
parks so the antelope numbers quickly depleted, causing the lions to
be moved out of the park. The resident hunter has years of
experience and therefore plenty of such information and anecdotes to
offer for free.
A herd of elephants noisily makes its way down a
hill, exhibiting an aggressive ness that I have rarely seen.
Apparently this is because they are a bachelor herd, and the females
are nowhere in sight. The largest of them is known as Dishon, named
after a hunter who befriended him. However there is a particular
elephant that is not welcome by even his colleagues. He is so
ill-tempered that he has been nicknamed ‘the destroyer' because all
he wants to do is sit on the tour vehicles, that is until he is
chased away by Amos the hunter.
It's interesting to see how the other animals react
to the elephant's entrance, moving aside just enough to give them
space to drink. The only animal that doesn't fear them is the
stubborn buffalo, and with good reason too because it can injure an
elephant with its strong sharp horns, which it also uses to harass
the gentle elands.
Animal herds spend most of the day eating in the
forest, coming out to drink in the evening and walking along trails
that they created themselves. The ground here is rich in salts, thus
you are guaranteed the sight of many animals coming here for their
daily salt lick. The lodge provides fresh water in a trough to
supplement the minerals. Another vantage point from which to view
the animals really close up is the basement hide, an underground
chamber with viewing holes where animals come close enough to touch.
But of course, don't.
Game drive
Since game viewing is the main activity here, you
can literally do it all night long because floodlights have been set
up overlooking the wateriong holes. It is a welcome change to have
animals come to you instead of you looking for them.
Alternatively go on the usual game drive. We did
this on a particular morning that dawned unbelievably chilly, a
thick mist hanging over the land as far as the eye can see, which
isn't very far. Nevertheless we leave on a drive to explore the
park.
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Did you
know.....
- Mid-year is the coldest time of year
here, from end June to August so if you would prefer warm
weather then plan your holiday from September
onwards.
- It's so cold that the Kikuyu have a term
for this this Kenyan winter- ‘Mworianyoni'- because young
birds literally freeze and fall off of their nests.
- Aberdare forest is one of the largest
indigenous forests in East Africa
- 180 kilometres from Nairobi
- One of the most highly visited parks in
Kenya
- One of Kenya's main water catchment areas
- 44 mammal species, 200 bird species and
772 plant species exist here.
- Endangered animal species include the
rhino and mountain bongo
- Activities include mountain climbing,
hiking, fishing and walking
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The Aberdares, being the second highest ground in
Central Kenya, was believed to be God's abode when He was not on
Mount Kenya. It was originally known as Nyandarua, which
in Kikuyu means ‘the drying hide' because its hills resemble the
folds of an unstretched hide. The range was later
renamed after Lord Aberdare of the royal geographic society which
was involved in exploration.
Treetops is on the lowest level of land called the
salient which lies at 6,450 feet above sea level. Our game drive
takes us upto the moorlands standing at 10,000 feet above sea level.
Kenya Wildlife Service rangers escort us. You may hire a ranger for
your drive from the park gate, in fact it is advisable because no
one should leave a vehicle unprotected.
On the way we pass the Satima peak, the highest in
the Aberdares and sometimes used for mountain climbing excursions.
After the salient forested region comes the bamboo forest, from
where the road continues to wind upward and onward to the moorlands,
whose vegetation is clearly different from that at the lower levels.
Fields of tussock grass and kikuyu grass abound here, and the air is
chilly. Our first stop is at the Chania falls. The Aberdare ranges
are the source of many rivers such as the Tana, so the park is
renowned for its torrential waterfalls plunging from great heights
to spray-filled ravines. Step out and take a closer look, before
driving further on to a waterfall that played an important role in
the Mau Mau liberation struggle.
Queen's picnic site, formerly used by Dedan
kimathi
This is the Queen's picnic site, a picnic table set
at the entrance to a waterfall and cave that was originally used by
field Marshall Dedan Kimathi, the Mau Mau freedom fighter.
Similarly, or should I say ironically, the cave that lies at the
base of the Magura waterfall was called the Queen's cave after her
visit, although it was used by Dedan Kimathi as a hideout from the
colonial army that pursued him and his fighters during the State of
Emergency in the fifties. Hence it is now fondly known as ‘Kimathi's
cave' . He operated from here because the cave was virtually
invisible from aerial patrols .
The highest waterfalls in Kenya are the magnificent
Karuru falls. By the time we get to them a thick mist has enveloped
the valley, such that all we hear is the thundering water plunging
down to the depths below. Fortunately within a few minutes it clears
up, revealing a breathtaking sight that stretches more than 400 feet
far below our viewing ledge. The waterfall is in three steps,
flanked on both sides by thick leafy trees towering up to the sky as
they reach for optimal light. Within all this you might just catch a
glimpse of the elusive bushbuck and reedbuck.
Dedan Kimathi left quite a legacy here, he even had
a post office that was crucial during the state of emergency in the
early fifties. Please note that during the rainy season only 4 wheel
drive vehicles can pass here.
Accommodation
KWS manages bandas within the park, such as the
Fishing lodge. Each can comfortably accommodate 7 people at a very
reasonable rate, with bedding and cooking equipment provided. All
you need to carry is food.
Treetops' rooms are quaint and cosy, all looking
out over the watering hole. The larger room is the Queen Elizabeth
suite, named so because Queen Elizabeth II slept in it during her
return visit in 1983. Her first visit made history when, February
1952, Princess Elizabeth visited with her husband Prince Phillip.
She climbed up the treehouse one day a princess and climbed down the
next morning a Queen – her father King George VI had died during the
night. A collection of photographs and newspaper cuttings of
historical significance relate this and other stories surrounding
the lodge, so spend your evening browsing through the vast
collection.
The original lodge was
originally built by Sherbrooke Walker, an ex soldier whose
contribution to wildlife conservation was to build this lodge from
where hunters could shoot animals using cameras, not guns. It was
hower razed to the ground during the mau mau struggle.
Dinner is a la carte, the setting unique with all
guests seated at long tables with benches, so that you get to mingle
with guests from all over the world. The food is passed down along a
central train that is jokingly called the ‘Treetops Express'.
The bar remains open until after midnight but for
those who can't keep awake, an optional buzzer in your room will
alert you if an animal that you really want to see shows up during
the night.
Please note that children under 5 are not allowed
at Treetops, because the emphasis is on making as little noise as
possible so as not to scare away the animals. And of course, so that
you can enjoy the peaceful surroundings of this cosy treehouse that
is sure to leave you with lasting, pleasant memories.
Accommodation rates and
images
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