Treetops Hotel is a hotel in
Aberdare National Park in Kenya near the township of
Nyeri, 1,966 m (6,450 ft) above sea level on the
Aberdare Range and in sight of
Mount Kenya. First opened in 1932 by
Eric Sherbrooke Walker, it was literally built into the tops of the trees of Aberdare National Park as a
treehouse, offering the guests a close view of the local wildlife in complete safety. The idea was to provide a (hunting platform on a tree during shikar in India) experience in relative safety and comfort. From the original modest two-room tree house, it has grown into 50 rooms. The original structure was burned down by African guerrillas during the 1954
Mau Mau Uprising, but the hotel was rebuilt near the same
waterhole and has become fashionable for many of the rich and famous. It includes observation lounges and ground-level photographic hides from which guests can observe the local wildlife which comes to the nearby waterholes.