Category National Parks

One of the most beautiful national parks in Ethiopia, its 4,068 square km of wilderness bordered by the Omo River, is the home to an amazing range of wildlife. 306 species of birds have been identified here, while large herds of Eland, Buffalo and Elephant are not uncommon.
The park is not easily accessible, as the current means of access is via Omo Rate and the ferry to the north bank of the river. The park HQ is 75km from Kibish settlement. However, a new airstrip is available close to the HQ and to a pleasant campsite on the Mui River. Plans are in hand for further major improvements

Animal Checklist

1. Eland
2. Buffalo
3. Elephant
4. Giraffe
5. Cheetah
6. Lion

With an outstanding Savannah Grass land Nechisar National Park is situated on a strikingly beautiful setting between two of the Rift Valley spectacular lakes of Abaya and Chamo on two sides (this land is called the bridge of God) and high mountain ranges on the other two sides. It is the only national park in the world where the indigenous Swayne’s Hartebeest still survives. The park also supports mammals like Burchell’s Zebra, Grant’s gazelle, Greater Kudu, Klipspringer, Dikdik, Waterbuck and Warthog. The park is also home of birds like Nightjars; White tailed Bush Lark, Kori Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Crowned Crane and some water birds.

The lakes are one of the best features of the park. Boat trip on Lake Chamo is along the best anywhere in Ethiopia...

ABIJATTA -SHALLA LAKES NATIONAL PARKS located  in the Great Rift Valley, only 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Addis Ababa, and in the Lake Langano recreational areas, the Abijatta Shalla lakes National Park attracts numerous visitors. Using Lake Langano as your base, it is an easy trip to visit the National Park, which is 887 square kilometers in size, 482 of these being water.

The altitude of the park ranges from 1540 to 2075 meters, the highest peak being mount Fike, situated between the two lakes. The network of tracks in this park is always developing. At present you can enter at four different points, three of which are inter connected. Approaching from Addis you first reach the Horakello entrance, where the small Horakello stream flows between lakes Langano and Abijatta.

It was...

The Simien Mountains National Park is on the west side of the Simien Mountain range, and was created in 1969.  The mountain range is one of Africa’s biggest and contain Ethiopia’s highest peak Ras Dashen.

The range is separated into several plateaux by large river valleys, with a huge escarpment on the north and east of the western plateau forming the boundary of this region. From the top of this escarpment, which is over 1000m high in places, you can look north to Eritrea. The mountain Ras Dashen is about 10 km east of the National Park, and the two are separated by a huge gorge that was formed by the Masheha River.

The national park is Ethiopia’s best for wildlife, and resident within its boundaries are three of Ethiopia’s endemic large mammals; the gelada baboon, Ethiopian wolf and Wal...

Located about 600 kilometres from Addis Ababa on the river Baro, Gambela has a strange history. From 1902 until it was captured by the Italians in the Second World War, it was administered by the British, the only part of Ethiopia to be so governed, The reason for this is that the British opened a port there on the wide and navigable Baro River, which during four months of the rainy season is navigable and provides direct access to the sea via the Nile through Khartoum. Ethiopian coffee was exported via this route, up to 1940. Now the port has fallen into disrepair, though remains of the warehouses and jetty can be seen. At its peak, up to 40 ships would be in dock at any one time. Gambela (sometimes spelt Gambella} gives access to the GambeIa National Park...

Bale Mountains National Park is an area of high altitude plateau that is broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, beautiful alpine lakes and rushing mountain streams that descend into deep rocky gorges on their way to the lowlands below. As you ascend into the mountains you will experience changes in the vegetation with altitude, from juniper forests to heather moorlands and alpine meadows, which at various times of year exhibit an abundance of colourful wildflowers.
Bale Mountains National Park is the largest area of Afro-Alpine habitat in the whole of the continent...

Awash National Park is Located in the lowlands 225 km east of Addis Ababa, the south boundary of the park is formed by the Awash river which swings North soon after leaving the park and eventually disappears into the Afar (Danakil) region. The Park covers an area of 827 square kilometers, most of it lies at an altitude of 900 meters. In the middle of the park is the dormant volcano of Fantale, reaching a height of 2007 meters at its top. Temperatures in the park are hot and can reach as high as 42 degrees Celsius. Nights are cooler with temperatures between 10 and 22 degrees Celsius. Rain falls between February and August with an average of 619mm. The terrain is mainly acacia woodland and grassland.

Getting there
Less than three hours drive from Addis Ababa, or one and a half from Nazareth...