Treetops is
located just inside the gates of the Aberdare
National Park, overlooking a waterhole and saltlick.
Originally built in 1932, Treetops is famous as the
place where the then-Princess Elizabeth learned of
her father’s death and ascended to the British
Throne in 1952.
Styled to resemble Noah's Ark, the lodge comprises
four decks and a top viewing deck. Timber built, it
is raised on stilts overlooking a water hole and
salt lick, while living tree branches form part of
the fabric of the building itself. Typically
guests take lunch at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri
before journeying to Treetops. Upon arrival they are
met by a ranger for a briefing on optimum safety and
game viewing.
With the focus being game viewing the features
are simple and the dining area sociable with bench
seating. Treetops has 50 simple, rooms, designed
like cabins on board a ship, which have open
balconies for viewing and photography. Shower and
toilet facilities are shared. Coffee and liqueurs
are served in the comfortable lounge, which features
picture windows and trees growing through the
building. Guests can drink in the sight of
Elephants, Buffalos, Rhinos and more from the safety
of four viewing decks and a rooftop platform.
An optional buzzer in the rooms alerts the guests
when a spectacle is unfolding at the waterhole.
Treetops is located very close to the animals. For
this reason, children under the age of 5 are not
allowed so as to maintain the quiet of the
environment.
The lodge offers nightly
talks on the flora, fauna, avifauna and history of
the park. 2-hour game drives are also offered in the
‘Salient’ of the Aberdare National Park (the lower
slopes of the range) and full-day game drives take
in the upper slopes or moorlands area. The lodge has
a gift shop. |
