Located 100 mi/160 km north of Nairobi, scenic Aberdare National Park in Kenya's Aberdare Mountain Range has a diverse topography that includes waterfalls, rain forests and rivers. At the highest elevations, the forests give way to open moors. Although home to a variety of animals, the dense forest makes it difficult to spot them.
The two famous lodges in the park, the Ark and Treetops (which is actually built in the trees), overlook watering holes that are lit at night for round-the-clock animal viewing. (Both lodges are expensive, by the way.) It was from Treetops that Princess Elizabeth of England learned of her father's death in 1952. She climbed into her room at Treetops as a princess and climbed down the following morning as queen.
Rains wreak havoc on the park's roads, sometimes causing closures in the wet season. At any time of year, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is advisable.
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