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Ethiopia: A Wildlife Photography Tour
Tour Code: ETH14A 14-day holiday exploring the wildlife and varied landscapes of Ethiopia in the company of an expert photographer.
£7,495
£6,595
Highlights
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Summary
Join wildlife photographer, Nikon Creator and Adobe Lightroom tutor, George Benjamin, on this 14-day holiday to photograph Ethiopian Wolf, a suite of other rare mammals and a varied birdlife, including many endemic species.
Ethiopia is very special – unique amongst African countries in its blend of truly spectacular scenery, its extraordinarily rich culture and history, and its wealth of African wildlife, harbouring a variety of endemic birds and mammals.
We begin our holiday in the south-east of the country, where a 2-night stay in the region of Bonga, the origin of wild Arabica coffee, gives us access to Kafa Biosphere Reserve – part of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, one of the 35 most biodiverse regions of the world. The reserve and its surrounding habitats provide opportunities to photograph such photogenic species as Black-and-white Colobus Monkey, the rare Boutourlini's Blue Monkey, Black Crowned and Wattled Cranes, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, White-cheeked Turaco and a plethora more. Here we can also visit vibrant colonies of Ethiopian and Little Bee-eaters.
After positioning ourselves in Jimma for an evening, we take a morning flight, via Addis Ababa, to Arba Minch where we have two nights in a beautiful hotel where sunbirds, weavers, Thick-billed and Fan-tailed Ravens, and many more species can be found in the hotel’s stunning grounds overlooking Nechisar National Park, which we will explore during our stay. A day here is also dedicated to a boat trip on Lake Chamo where Hippopotamus, Nile Crocodile, Nile Monitor, African Fish Eagle, kingfishers and Northern Carmine Bee-eater are just some of the photographic opportunities amongst stunning backdrops. We next drive to Lake Hawassa, which provides an opportunity to photograph Marabou Stork and terns at the famous fish market, Spotted Hyena, plus an interesting birdlife including African Pygmy Goose, Black Crake, kingfishers, Rüppell's Robin-chat, and a thriving population of Hamerkop. Here again we use a well-appointed hotel, where there is the opportunity to photograph species in the hotel’s grounds.
Next we travel east, through the Rift Valley to the beautiful Bale Mountains. En route we have a carefully planned overnight stop in Goba which allows us to spend time at Gaysay Grassland, home to Mountain Nyala, Bohor Reedbuck, Warthog, Spot-breasted Lapwing, Rouget’s Rail, Moorland Chat, Blue-winged Goose and a healthy population of raptors. There is even the chance to see Serval here.
We next enjoy a 3-night stay at the fabulous Bale Mountain Lodge, tucked deep within the Harenna Forest. This forest is home to Giant Forest Hogs, plus ‘black-maned’ Lions and Leopards, both rarely seen (though our February 2025 Ethiopia – Wildlife & Culture group had two Leopard sightings, one having successfully hunted an endemic Bale Monkey), but it is the grassy uplands and towering rocky outcrops of the Sanetti Plateau where we hope to photograph the strikingly elegant Ethiopian Wolf and its favourite prey, the Giant Mole-rat. Whilst photographing the wolf is arguably the main attraction of our stay here, during our time at Bale Mountain Lodge we can hope to photograph a variety of mammals including Bale Monkey, Spotted Hyena, Menelik’s Bushbuck and Giant Forest Hog, along with a rich flora and a special range of birds which includes 14 endemics!
This tour is designed to offer anyone with a keen interest in photography the opportunity to develop their photographic and post-production skills under the expert guidance of a wildlife photographer and Adobe expert.
- Photograph the world's rarest canid, Ethiopian Wolf, in spectacular scenery
- Explore the Bale Mountains – an endemics hotspot
- Flight options from London, Manchester and other regional airports
- Limited to just six participants
- Daily workshops to refine post-production techniques
- Time in the field carefully planned to take advantage of light conditions
- Led by a wildlife photographer, alongside an experienced local guide who has led over 100 Naturetrek tours in Ethiopia!
Outline Itinerary
Dates & Prices
2025

Tour Leader: George Benjamin
Growing up with the River Stour on his doorstep, George's obsession with capturing the natural world started at a very young age. After a short career in advertising post-university, he ditched the corporate world for conservation and has never looked back.
Since then, his work has taken him from the rainforests of the Congo Basin, through to the northern climes of Canada photographing Polar Bears on foot. He's worked particularly closely with IFAW (International Federation for Animal Welfare), having documented their Barbary Macaque work in the Atlas Mountains, as well as One-horned Rhino and Asian Elephant rehabilitation projects on the India/Bhutan border.
His photography has been awarded and featured in a number of international awards and publications, including a story on Rubondo Island's (Lake Victoria, Tanzania) Western Chimpanzees for National Geographic.
Outside of assignments, George loves sharing his passion for the natural world – and photographing it – with others. He has led trips in Canada, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and his home, the Isle of Mull.
Above all else, there's nothing more he loves than taking his beloved border collie, Dylan, on long walks at home on Mull, with White-tailed Eagles soaring above, and Otters tumbling below in the local loch.
George is a Nikon Creator, Adobe Lightroom tutor, and has recently returned from an exciting trip to Ethiopia.
2026

Tour Leader: George Benjamin
Growing up with the River Stour on his doorstep, George's obsession with capturing the natural world started at a very young age. After a short career in advertising post-university, he ditched the corporate world for conservation and has never looked back.
Since then, his work has taken him from the rainforests of the Congo Basin, through to the northern climes of Canada photographing Polar Bears on foot. He's worked particularly closely with IFAW (International Federation for Animal Welfare), having documented their Barbary Macaque work in the Atlas Mountains, as well as One-horned Rhino and Asian Elephant rehabilitation projects on the India/Bhutan border.
His photography has been awarded and featured in a number of international awards and publications, including a story on Rubondo Island's (Lake Victoria, Tanzania) Western Chimpanzees for National Geographic.
Outside of assignments, George loves sharing his passion for the natural world – and photographing it – with others. He has led trips in Canada, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, and his home, the Isle of Mull.
Above all else, there's nothing more he loves than taking his beloved border collie, Dylan, on long walks at home on Mull, with White-tailed Eagles soaring above, and Otters tumbling below in the local loch.
George is a Nikon Creator, Adobe Lightroom tutor, and has recently returned from an exciting trip to Ethiopia.
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!