Aberdare Tree Hotel

Samburu - Mt Kenya
(4 Days)

Established in 1950, the Aberdare National Park comprises 590 sq kms (28 sq miles) and includes moorlands and a portion of the forest of the Aberdare Mountains which are part of the central highlands of Kenya and in altitude range up to 3,930m (12,900 ft). The mountain slopes are covered with heavy forest and are crisscrossed with deep ravines through which hidden trout steams flow and waterfalls cascade. In the forest are Red Duiker, suni, bushbuck, elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog, leopard and colobus monkey. Eland (the largest of the antelopes) occur on the open moorlands as do serval. Mobile game viewing can be difficult in such thick vegetation and so the lodges within the park overlook well-visited water holes. A service is provided to wake you in the night should a nocturnal species in which you have an interest come to drink. The lodges are built overlooking a salt lick and waterhole. From the game viewing balconies and hides we can watch forest animals like elephants, buffalo and giant forest hog come to drink. Even at night game scouts are on constant lookout and will wake us, if requested, when anything interesting appears at the waterhole.

The Samburu Game reserves are the most accessible of the Northern frontier faunal sanctuaries, 343 km (213 miles) from Nairobi. The reserve covers an area of 104 sq. Km (40 sq. Miles) on the Northern bank of the Uaso river. The Buffalo springs reserve lies on the southern bank of the river. In addition to the rugged splendour of it's landscape the very name 'northern frontier province' conjures up an atmosphere of mystery and adventure. It is indeed a vast and little visited region where the traveling is rugged and the people have changed little over the centuries. The main attractions are the Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx, the blue necked Somali Ostrich and river crocodiles. Elephant are plentiful and Black Rhinoceros, lion leopard, Cheetah, Gerenuk, Buffalo and the two species of Hyena are to be seen. Among the smaller mammals the Ground Squirrel is abundant and tame. For such relatively small area the bird life is strikingly numerous and colourful; there is no difficulty in seeing well over a hundred species of birds in a single day. Perhaps the most impressive sight is the immense flocks of helmeted and vulturine Guinea fowl which make their way each afternoon to the riverbank to drink, the latter resplendent with white streaked necks and brilliant blue underparts.
Buffalo springs, in the reserve of that name with it's pools and streams of fresh water, is the drinking place in the dry season for literally thousands of Sandgrouse and doves, in addition to a galaxy of smaller birds. The tiny Pygmy Falcon is common, the males blue-grey and white, the females with a mahogany- brown mantle. At a distance, when perched high in some acacia tree, they distinctly resemble shrikes. The giant Martial Eagle is often seen, usually perched high on some vantage point, alert for Dik-Dik or guinea fowl.
Accommodation with all amenities is at the Samburu Game lodge sited on the edge of the Uaso Nyiro River, below giant Newtonia trees and Dom palms. The lodge is built on the camp site of the most famous of the old time Elephant hunters, Arthur Newman. The visitor may find it fitting to take a 'sundowner', to contemplate the austerity endured by the early hunters and explorers contrasted with the comfort of the modern day Safari!

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Mount Kenya is the country's highest mountain. Sitting astride the equator its icy summit reaches to 5199m (17,058 ft). All of the mountain above the 3200m contour forms a national park. In fact the mountain consists of three principal zones; the rocky peak area, actually an eroded volcanic plug, with its mantle of glaciers and snowfields; the alpine zone with its distinctive giant vegetation; and the vast gentle lower slopes drenched in mountain forest and bamboo jungle. It is no wonder that this remote majestic wonderland was considered as God's domain by awed farmers at its foothills. Many rivers flow from the perpetual snows, among them the mighty Tana, Kenya's largest and longest river and source of much of Kenya's electricity supply. Most visitors are content to marvel at the mountain's beauty but some will want to attempt to reach the peaks; a feat requiring considerable rock climbing skill. But the mountain's lesser peaks and glaciers can be scaled and walked by the fit and the adventurous. Point Lenana, 4985m, can be easily reached. In fact the majority of visitors go to the mountain to enjoy the walking and especially the high level hut-to-hut hike round the mountain with its humbling vistas. Wildlife within the forests below the park boundary includes elephant, buffalo, lion, several species of antelope including the rare bongo and occasionally the melanistic forms of both the leopard and the serval. Much of this wildlife can be seen from the safety of Mountain Lodge which lies just inside the forest on the south side of the mountain. Mountain climbers should appreciate the need for acclimatisation over several days before attempting the high peaks. Naro Moru River Lodge specialises in assisting climbers with guides, porters and equipment. It is quite unwise to attempt to climb during the rains. The best months are January and February and late August through September. Serious climbers may seek advice from the Mountain Club of Kenya. For those who wish to savour the mountain air, the glorious views and the peace and tranquillity which emanate from the mountain, there are many hotels around the foothills among them the famed Mount Kenya Safari Club.

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Booking your flights both internal and external

• Day 1:Drive through ranchland before reaching the foothills of Mt Kenya where much coffee is grown. Arrive at your base hotel in time for lunch. Afterward drive through the forest to reach your tree hotel where the night is spent watching animals. Dinner and overnight at The Ark Tree Hotel.
• Day 2:After breakfast continue northwards to reach Samburu National Reserve for lunch. Afternoon game drive in this reserve noted for its reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and the Somali ostrich. Overnight at the Lodge.
• Day 3:After a morning game drive in this wild but splendid reserve continue to luxurious Mount Kenya Safari club whose immaculately manicured garden nestles on the forested slopes of the mountain. Afternoon enjoy the numerous optional facilities of the club which include horseback riding, tennis, golf and swimming. Overnight at the club.
• Day 4:Take a walk in Nyeri town or rest in the hotel gardens where peacocks roam about with mount Kenya in the back ground until lunch time at Outspan hotel, then depart for Nairobi with a stop over for coffee at Chania falls, arriving in Nairobi late in the evening. For those going to Mombasa by train can be dropped off at the railway station.

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