The Aberdare National Park covers the eastern slopes of the Aberdare Range west of Nyeri, a tangled landscape of bamboo forest, dripping podocarpus woodland, and high-altitude moorland with waterfalls plunging off the escarpment. The wildlife — elephant, buffalo, leopard, bushbuck, and a small population of black rhino — is harder to spot than on the open savannah, but the setting is the most atmospheric in Kenya. Mist hangs in the trees, the air is cold enough to need a fleece, and you can drive for hours without seeing another vehicle.
The famous tree lodges — Treetops and The Ark — are built directly above waterholes and salt licks. Game viewing takes place from the verandah; in good seasons elephants and buffalo come right up under the windows after dark. The park entrance gates lie about 15 km west of Nyeri. Self-drive is possible but a 4x4 is essential — the dirt roads turn treacherous in rain.