Canopy View Campsite, Aberdares National Reserve

Canopy View Campsite is perfect for botanists, birdwatchers, and hikers. Here, you can appreciate the true vastness of the southernmost Aberdare ecosystem forests. It is breathtaking to gaze out over kilometers of indigenous forest canopy—which serves as a foreground to the sprawling city of Nairobi in the distance—and to marvel at nature’s secrets that remain relatively unexplored in the literal backyard of Nairobi's city dwellers. It is genuinely refreshing to know that there is this large tract of untouched native forest so close to Kenya’s most populous city.

The forest offers exhilarating hiking experiences through diverse forest ecosystems, and you are sure to leave feeling enriched. We recommend the “Waterfall Hike” offered by Keretia Wilderness Ventures. Keep an eye out for the beautiful red-yellow-green Fischer’s lovebird along the way, and try to spot Colobus monkeys dancing in the trees. Nearby, “The Forest” offers a range of outdoor activities and has a restaurant. Please note that there are no amenities at the campsite, and temperatures can be quite cold, with harsh winds especially at night. However, the experience will be well worth it if you come prepared!