Mount Kenya National Park
At 5,199m high, Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain. It offers easy or challenging ascents with scenic beauty.
According to Kikuyu folklore, it is the home of the Supreme Being: Ngai, a name also used by the Maasai and Kamba to describe God. In traditional prayers and sacrifices, Ngai is addressed by the Kikuyu as Mwene Nyaga: Possessor of Brightness. The name comes from Kere Nyaga the Kikuyu name for Mount Kenya, meaning Mountain of Brightness - Ngai's official home.
Part of the mountain's fascination is the variation in flora, including Giant Groundsel and lobellia, and fauna as the altitude changes. The lower slopes are covered with dry upland forest, the true montane (mountain) forest begins at 2,000m is mainly cedar and podo. At 2,500m begins a dense belt of bamboo forest which merges into the upper forest of smaller trees, interpersed with glades. In this area the trees are festooned with high altitude lichen.
These forest belts are host to many different animals and plants with at least 11 unique species. Game ti view includes: Black and White Colobus and Sykes Monkeys, bushbuck, Rock Hyrax, buffalo, elephant and lower down Olive Baboon, waterbuck, Black Rhino, black fronted duikers, leopard, giant forest hog, genet cat, bushpig and hyena. More elusive is the bongo, a rare type of forest antelope.
A number of other rare or endangered species can be found here: Suni Antelope, Mount Kenya Mole Rat, Skinks (lizard), Montane Viper and a variety of owls. Occasional sightings have been recorded of albino zebra.
The high altitude heath at the top (3,000 - 3,500m) is generally open, dotted with shrubs: African Sage, protea and helicrysum. The peak (above 3,500m) is moorland, with little game other than high altitude zebra and eland, common in the northern moorland.
There is only one lodge inside the park (total 66 beds) seven climbers huts (total 82 beds) and three self-help banda sites (total 136 beds). Just outside the Park there are three lodges (total 456 beds) and another self-help banda site (34 beds).
Central Kenya, the Highlands and the Great Rift Valley
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