Aberdare National Park Amazing Trip Report

Aberdare National Park Travelogue

Aberdare National Park Safari Company Used:

Aberdare Country Club and Ark Hotel

Duration: 2 days, 13-14 April

Journal Author: Jill Thompson, Thomasville, USA

African Elephant Picture - Bruce Whittaker (c)

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Jill spent two days in the Aberdare National Park and experienced some amazing things like a horse ride amongst the wildlife and a hunting drama at a waterhole with two hyena chasing a swimming bushbuck.

Accommodation:

Jill stayed at the Aberdare Country Club which has 48 en suite rooms and a 9-hole golf course for one night and spent the rest of the time at a very unique hotel called the Ark.

The Ark Hotel has an interesting custom to alert guests to the presence of animals at the floodlit waterhole located right in front of the lodge.

Each room has a little speaker in it and the staff ring a bell if any large animals arrive at night—twice for the ‘big three’ (buffalo, rhinos, elephants) and three times for lions or leopards.

Very handy. It's like spotting wildlife in your sleep.

Travel Highlights:

A group of eland close to the lodge that Jill was able to approach and photograph on foot.

A horse ride in the reserve where they were able to pass a herd of zebra and waterbuck virtually unnoticed and a walk right through the middle of a group of giraffe.

Spotted the critically endangered black rhino on an afternoon game drive for a few seconds before he disappeared back into the protection of the dense woods.

Saw a lot of wildlife at the Ark Hotel. The front of building has large glass windows and observation decks which face a salt lick with the “port” decks facing a waterhole to the left. A herd of buffalo, a group of elephants and two rhino arrived to enjoy the salt and the water.

After dinner, two hyena prowled around the waterhole and when a lone bushbuck came down for a drink they tried to catch it but it swam out to an island in the water. Eventually the bushbuck headed for the opposite shore with the hyena in hot pursuit. But that wasn't the end of this remarkable drama.

After several minutes the bushbuck ran back into view close to the salt lick with the hyenas trailing on his heels. This happened a number of times and the hyenas fell further behind each time the bushbuck doubled back until they eventually lost him. The bushbuck had purposely doubled back to confuse the hyena and make them unable to follow his scent trail. Amazing.

Aberdare National Park Tips & Recommendations:

If the weather is good, you will be able to get some amazing views of the magnificent Mount Kenya from the national park and the lodges.

The dirt roads to reach the Aberdare National Park may not be in the best of condition depending on the time of year. The rains play havoc with them and create potholes and washouts in some of the sections.

Top three Aberdare National Park safari companies