Aberdare National Park – Mountain Mist, Forests and Waterfalls
Aberdare is different from the classic savannah safari. Here you can expect dense mountain forests, drifting mist, moss-covered trees and spectacular waterfalls. The park lies in the Kenyan highlands and offers a completely different safari experience – quieter, cooler and more mystical.
Why Aberdare National Park is special
Highland safari
Dense forests instead of open savannah.
Waterfalls
Several spectacular waterfalls, such as Karuru Falls.
Cooler climate
Pleasant temperatures thanks to the altitude.
Tree hotels
Legendary lodges overlooking waterholes.
Where is Aberdare National Park?
Aberdare National Park lies in the central highlands of Kenya, west of Mount Kenya, about 150 km north of Nairobi. The journey takes around 3–4 hours by car. Thanks to its altitude (over 3,000 metres in places), the climate is noticeably different from the classic savannah parks.
The famous tree lodges such as The Ark or Treetops Lodge, from which you can watch animals at the floodlit waterhole at night, are the park’s trademark. Elephants, buffalo and sometimes even leopards come right up to the lodge.
Best time to visit
Aberdare can be visited all year round. The drier months from January to March and June to October are especially good. Because of the altitude, however, it can be misty or rainy at any time.
Who is Aberdare ideal for?
- For travellers looking for a change from the savannah
- For nature and landscape lovers
- For short trips from Nairobi
What you get:
- Mountain scenery with waterfalls
- Wildlife viewing right from the lodge
- A calm, almost mystical atmosphere
What you DON’T get:
- No open savannah landscape
- No migration
- Fewer classic game drives than in savannah parks
Aberdare vs. Meru – highlands vs. river landscape
- Aberdare: Cool, forested, lodge experience
- Meru: Warm, open, classic safari
- For variety in your itinerary: Aberdare offers a completely different setting
Aberdare is not a typical savannah safari – and that is exactly what makes the park so exciting. Cloud forests, waterfalls and wildlife viewing from raised lodges make for a unique experience in the Kenyan highlands.
Common questions
What does SafariMarkt offer?
SafariMarkt is your neutral point of contact when you want to find out which safari in Kenya really suits you. We don’t sell trips – instead, we help you gain clarity with a carefully designed questionnaire, tailored to your travel style, your wishes and your everyday life.
We have been returning to Kenya again and again since 2014. We know the differences between the parks, types of travel and seasons – and how differently people tick on safari.
Whether you prefer to travel light or are looking for a bit more comfort: we show you what fits – and also what probably doesn’t.
How does the safari questionnaire at SafariMarkt.de work?
Our questionnaire is your personal companion on the way to the right safari – honest, calm and surprisingly in-depth. Instead of flooding you with offers, we ask you targeted questions about your travel style, your preferences, your limits and your inner expectations – including some you may never have asked yourself.
It’s not just about budget or length of trip, but about how you want to feel on safari: active or observing, secluded or sociable, open to new things or preferring to feel safely looked after.
The questionnaire learns every day, is regularly refined and is based on real experience in Kenya since 2014. At the end, you get an honest, personal assessment: what suits you well – and what you should rather avoid.
Is SafariMarkt free?
Yes – SafariMarkt is and will remain completely free for you.
You pay nothing for the questionnaire, the results or our recommendations.
Why?
Because our goal is not to sell you something – but to help you make a good decision for yourself. You get honest assessments, a neutral overview and clear guidance – with no pressure to book and no hidden fees.
How trustworthy is SafariMarkt?
SafariMarkt has no sales agenda – and that is exactly what makes us credible.
We respond solely to your answers in the questionnaire and, based on them, give you an honest assessment: what suits you – and what doesn’t. We don’t recommend any providers, earn nothing from bookings and deliberately stay independent.
Our experience comes from more than 10 years of travelling through Kenya. We know the parks, regions and types of travel – and how differently people tick when they go on safari.
Who is behind SafariMarkt?
SafariMarkt is run by a small, independent team that has been travelling regularly to Kenya for over 12 years – not as tourists, but as people with a real connection to the country. We know the National Parks, the hidden corners away from the classic routes, and the realities of the people who live there.
Our strength is connection: between travellers and landscape, between wishes and reality, between experience and openness. We are well connected, have stayed curious and place great value on respect – for nature, animals and communities.
If you have a question that isn’t answered here, feel free to contact us directly.