LTT 600 MENAGESHA, DEBRE LIBANOS, AWASH, RIFT VALLEY LAKES, WONDOGENET, BALE PARK (By car) (15 days)
1. Arrival and city tour of Addis Ababa. O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…).
2. Addis Ababa - Menagesha forest – Addis Ababa: Winged goose, black headed Siskin etc. O/n in hotel.
3. Addis Ababa – Debre Libanos monastery-Addis Ababa: Abyssinian long claw, Lapper faced vultures, etc. O/n in hotel.
4. Addis Ababa – Debrezeit lakes - Awash Park. O/n in hotel.
5 & 6 Awash: 400 species of birds have been recorded here. O/n in hotel.
7 & 8 Awash – Langano: Herons, Knob-billed Geese, Marabou, storks, etc. O/n in hotel.
9. Lake Abyatta & Shala: Pelicans, Ducks, Geese, flamingoes, etc. O/n in hotel.
10. Langano - Awassa: Marabous, pred, Kingfishers, Ducks, Geese, etc. O/n in hotel.
11. Drive to Wondogenet forest: Crowned Eagle, Blue Headed Coucal, etc. O/n in hotel.
12. Wondogenet - Bale park. O/n in hotel.
13, 14 Bale Park: 17 endemic birds are recorded here; Rouget’s Rail, Wattled Crane, Abyssinian Lungclaw, Lammergeier, etc. O/n in hotel.
15. Drive to Addis Ababa through Assela. Evening departure or O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…) for next day departure.
LTT 601 MENAGESHA, ETHIOPIAN RIFT VALLEY LAKES, WONDOGENET, BALE PARK, AWASH PARK (BY CAR) (12days)
1. Arrive Addis Ababa we leave for Geferssa Reservoir, some 20 kms west of Addis, where one can see the Blue-Winged Goose, Black-headed Siskin, Abyssinian long Claw and Wattled Ibis O/n in hotel in Addis Ababa.
2. We leave Addis Ababa early in the morning to the main Ethiopian Rift Valley stopping at Koka Dam and the Awash River. We head down to the lake shore where huge numbers of aquatic birds are congregated. African Pygmy Geese, yellow billed Storks, Collared pratincoles, Lesser Jacanas, African Jacanas, White Pelicans, Fish Eagles, Crowned and common Cranes, and some more species to be seen here in extensive numbers. O/n at one of the Lake Langano hotels.
3. We drive a short distance to the Abiyata and Shalla National Park passing the Ostrich Farm. We first go to Shalla Lake, the deepest in the Ethiopian Rift, where there are a number of hot springs. Some of which are so hot that locals boil merge in it. Then at lake Abyata, thousands of lesser and greater Flamingos, African Pochards, Avocet, Gull Billed Tern and pintail, Ruff and a variety of Ducks, pelicans are among other species to be seen. O/n in hotel at Langano.
4. We drive for Lake Awassa. Lake Awassa is rich in bird life and also has Hippos, Malakite Kingfisher, Spur-winged plover, pygmy Geese the endemic Black-winged Love Birds, Bruces Green Pigeon, Red Breasted Wryneck and Bare-Faced Go-away Birds are some of the species visited here. O/n in hotel at Awassa.
5. Early in the morning we go to the fish Market where we can get so close to birds that are used to human company. And then we leave for Wondo Genet an hour’s drive. It has thermal springs and naturally heated pools in a lush forested mountain settings. We climb through the Juniper plantations the endemic yellow Fronted parrot, the Black headed forest Oriole and the Abyssinian Wood-peaker (Golden) can be seen. O/n in hotel at Wendo Genet.
6. Full day birding in the forests around Wendo Genet. O/n in hotel.
7. Start driving early for the magnificent Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP), with its forests, mountain lakes the Trout fish streams and falls. We stop at Dinsho Park for endemic mammals like the Mountain Nyala and Menelik’s Bush Buck and others like the Reed Bucks, Worthogs, Bush Bycks etc. Late arrival at Goba. O/n in hotel at Goba.
8. Full day birding in the amazing Afro-Alpine setting of the Senetti plateau, home to the endemic Ethiopian Wolf. One can see spot-breasted plover, Rouget’s Rail, Abyssinian cat bird; Black headed Siskin, Blue-winged Geese, Wattled Ibis, White-collared pigeon and Black Winged love bird, Augur Buzard, Wattled Cranes. Back to Goba for O/n in hotel.
9. We set off back to the lakes region arriving at Lake Langano we stay birding and swimming along the shores of the lake. O/n in hotel at Langano.
10. We leave for Awash National park where over 350 species of birds have been recorded. In this savanna grassland the Abyssinian roller, Abyssinian Ground-Horn Bills, Wire tailed Swallow, Buff crested Bustard, Dark chanting Goshawk, pygmy Falcon, Honey guide, wood Land King fisher, Helmet Shrikes, Carmine Bee-eaters and Lilac breasted Roller etc…
We will also see variety of mammals like the soemmering’s Gazelle, the endemic Swayne’s Heart-beest, Greater and Lesser Kudus and (sometimes lions) O/n in hotel.
11. Full day birding in the game park including a trip to the filwoha (hot springs). O/n in hotel.
12. Return to Addis Ababa stopping at Nazareth for lunch and at Debre-Zeit for birding. Early evening arrival at Addis Ababa. Evening departure or O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…) for next day departure.
LTT 602 BIRDING AROUND ADDIS ABABA, AWASH PARK, RIFT VALLEY LAKES, WENDOGENET AND THE BALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (15 days)
1. Arrival and city tour of Addis Ababa. O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…).
2. Drive to Menagessha forest about 50km from Addis Ababa for the Black-headed Forest Oriole, Abyssinian Cat Bird, Banded Barbet, Golden-backed wood pecker etc. O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…).
3. Drive to Debre Libanos about 110 km from Addis. Debre Libanos is an important center for the Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, and the birds. At the Jemma river gorge, for White-billed starling, Red-winged staling, white winged cliff chat, White backed. Black Tit and Hemprich’s Hornbill. We will also see one of the Ethiopian endemic mammals the Gelada Baboon, Lammerguyer’s Ruppell’s and Lapper-faced vultures. Drive Back to Addis for O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…).
4. Drive to Debre Zeit Crater lakes and Awash National park, for the Dark chanting Goshawk, woodland king Fishers, Kori Bustard, Swallows, Abyssinian Roller and more than 350 species of birds. O/n in hotel at Awash.
5. Full day birding in the game park including a trip to the palm hot springs. O/n in hotel.
6. Drive to Lake Langano via Lake Zeway. Stop at Lake Zeway for numerous birds like, Lesser, Jacanas, African Jacanas, Yellow billed stork, Collared pratincoles, White pelicans, Fish Eagles, Crowned and common Cranes, and continue to Langano for an overnight in hotel.
7. Leave for Abiyata Shalla National Park. We first go to Shalla Lake, the deepest in the Ethiopian Rift, where there are a number of hot springs. Some of which are so hot that locals boil merge in it. Then at lake Abyata, thousands of lesser and greater Flamingos, African Pochards, Avocet, Gull Billed Tern and pintail, Ruff and a variety of Ducks, pelicans are among other species to be seen. O/n in hotel at Awassa.
8. Full day birding on the shores of Lake Awassa. O/n in hotel.
9. After breakfast drive to Wendo Genet about an hour drive. It has thermal springs and naturally heated pools in a lush forested mountain settings. We climb through the Juniper plantations the endemic yellow Fronted parrot, the Black headed forest Oriole and the Abyssinian Wood-peaker (Golden) can be seen. O/n in hotel at Wendo Genet.
10. Full day birding in the bush forest of Wondo Genet. O/n in hotel.
11. Drive to Bale Mountains National Park with its forests, mountain lakes the Trout fish streams and falls. We stop at Dinsho Park for endemic mammals like the Mountain Nyala and Menelik’s Bush Buck and others like the Reed Bucks, Worthogs, Bush Bycks etc. Late arrival at Goba. O/n in hotel at Goba.
10. Full day birding in the amazing Afro-Alpine setting of the Senetti plateau, home to the endemic Ethiopian Wolf. One can see spot-breasted plover, Rouget’s Rail, Abyssinian cat bird; Black headed Siskin, Blue-winged Geese, Wattled Ibis, White-collared pigeon and Black Winged love bird, Augur Buzard, Wattled Cranes. Back to Goba for O/n in hotel.
13. Full day birding in the Harena forest. O/n in hotel at Goba.
14. Return to the lake region birding on the shores of Langano. O/n in hotel at Langano.
15. Early morning birding by the cliffs next to the lake, then set off back to Addis Ababa. Evening departure or O/n in hotel of your choice (5 stars, 4 stars, 3 stars…). Click Here to book this tour
Ethiopia, as large as France and Spain combined, has an area of 1,235,000 sq. k. About 65% of the land is arable, with 15% cultivated.
There are two seasons: the dry season prevails from October through May; the wet season runs from June to September.
Ethiopia has an elevated central plateau varying in height between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. In the north and center of the country there are some 25 mountains whose peaks rise over 4,000 meters. The most famous Ethiopian river is the Blue Nile(or Abbay), Which runs a distance of 1,450 km from the source in Lake Tana, to join the white Nile at Khartoum.
