Treetops Lodge

Built on stilts above a floodlit waterhole in Aberdare National Park, Treetops earned its place in the history books in 1952, when the then-Princess Elizabeth spent a night here and left the next morning as Queen. That sense of occasion hasn't faded — guests still climb into the canopy for a stay built entirely around what happens at the waterhole below, from elephant herds at dusk to the occasional bongo or rhino drawn in by the salt lick.

Rooms are compact by design, since the real living room is the open viewing deck, and a discreet buzzer system wakes guests whenever something worth seeing arrives after dark. It's less a conventional lodge stay than a single, focused wildlife vigil, best treated as one night bookended by longer stays elsewhere in the Aberdares or Central Highlands.

Standard Room: Compact cabin-style room with waterhole-facing window and shared viewing deck access.

Balcony Room: Private balcony seating positioned directly over the waterhole.

Historic Suite: The lodge’s best-known room, tied to its 1952 royal history, with dedicated deck access.