The Aberdare National Park in the central highlands of Kenya retains an air of mystery – you can only imagine what undiscovered creatures still lurk here, such as rare Black Leopards.

The experience in Aberdare National Park is unlike anywhere else in Kenya. The Park is most famous as the place where Princess Elizabeth found out that she was Queen upon the death of her father at Treetops Lodge. Since then this lodge has been popular with tourists on safari to Kenya.

Half the thrill of game viewing in this park is an Elephant or Buffalo suddenly appearing out of the thick rainforest vegetation. One of the best places to see the local denizens is at one of the waterholes by the lodge. The Park has several high mountain peaks, deep ravines with icy mountain streams and many beautiful waterfalls with a moorland plateau. You can explore the park while on game drives and trek up the high peaks and take in the spectacular scenery.

The thick rainforest gives way to bamboo forest and interesting alpine vegetation the higher you travel up the mountain peaks within the park. The forest is home to populations of forest Elephants, Buffalo, Lion and several species of antelope such as Waterbuck, Duiker, the rare Suni and Bushbuck. If you are very lucky you might catch a glimpse of Kenya’s rarest antelope, the Bongo. The Park is also home to a healthy population of Black Rhino.

Serval and Leopard also occur some of which have a rare black coat. There are many species of primates, including Black and White Colobus and Sykes and Vervet Monkey’s.