The Best of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a magical land of myth and legend. It was perhaps the earliest home to man, and later to Prester John and a dynasty originating from the Queen of Sheba and concluding with the Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. It is a land of mixed race and mixed religion, of countless tribes and even more languages, mingled and matured by time and history. It is filled with donkeys, cattle, and an elegant people... plus the finest of Africa’s mountain scenery. Ethiopia has been a melting pot, since Christ, for ideas from the East, West and from Africa; today nothing seems straightforward. Amharic, the national language, has an alphabet of over 200 characters; the year, following the Julian calendar, has 13 months! Its wildlife — particularly its avifauna — is outstanding. Over 830 birds have been recorded — 29 of them endemic — and we will hope to see nearly half of them, whilst 80 species of larger mammals survive with mixed fortunes, seven of which are also endemic.

We begin in Bahar Dar, at the edge of Lake Tana, the country’s largest lake. Here we have two days to enjoy the excellent lakeside birding, as well as visits to the source of the Blue Nile and the spectacular Blue Nile Falls. It may also be possible to visit one of the wonderful Coptic monasteries on one of the lake’s islands before we set off on the drive around the lake to Gondar. Founded by King Fasilidas in 1635, this town served as the imperial capital for 250 years and is full of historical sites, notably its group of 17th-century castles and the fantastically decorated church of Debre Birhan Selassie.

From Gondar we head up into the dramatic Simien Mountains National Park, one of Africa’s most extensive and rugged mountain ranges, reaching its highest point of 4,620 metres at Mount Ras Dashen. Staying in the Simien Lodge for three nights, we have ample time to explore the stunning scenery and search for three of Ethiopia’s most iconic endemic mammals. The Gelada Baboon has its stronghold in these mountains, where a population of around 20,000 individuals lives in troops that can number up to 400. In much smaller numbers, the endangered Walia Ibex may also be seen, whilst the elegant Ethiopian Wolf, now sadly declining in these mountains, will be much harder to see.

After three fabulous days in the Simien Mountains, we return to Gondar where we overnight prior to flying to Addis the following morning. From Addis we drive east to Awash National Park where we will stay for three nights in a comfortable lodge. Awash, spanning 905 square kilometres, became Ethiopia’s first sanctuary in 1966 and, with its rolling grasslands, acacia scrub and the volcano Mount Fantalle, resembles a classical east African game reserve. Beisa Oryx, both Greater and Lesser Kudu, Waterbuck, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Warthog, Swayne’s Hartebeest and Salt’s Dik-dik graze the acacia-dotted grasslands alongside Ostriches, Kori and the rarer Arabian Bustards. Lion, Leopard, Caracal and Serval have all been seen on our tours but they are both infrequent and hard to see. Amongst the larger acacias along the Awash River, hornbills, parrots, finches and doves feed. We will explore the park on foot and also drive into the nearby hills.

Leaving Awash, we follow the Great Rift Valley southwards to the luxuriant shores of Lake Hawassa where an abundance of waterbirds awaits. Amongst the lilies and great reedbeds that encompass the lake we should find Black, Goliath and other herons, Marabou Stork, Hamerkop, Hadada Ibis, a variety of egrets, dainty African Pygmy Geese, Fulvous and White-faced Whistling Ducks, Knob-billed Duck, Black Crake, African Jacana, Three-banded Plover, Whiskered and White-winged Black Terns and both Pied and Malachite Kingfishers.

A patchwork landscape unfolds before us as we drive east to the beautiful Bale Mountains National Park, a huge and remote area of grassy uplands, towering outcrops, hanging forests, rocky peaks, and exposed moorlands dotted with giant lobelias, redhot pokers, and with peaty pools and lakes. This is the last refuge of the endemic Mountain Nyala, and of three other endemic mammals — Menelik’s Bushbuck, the peculiar Giant Root Rat (Mole Rat), and the magnificent Ethiopian Wolf. It is the latter species that we are particularly hoping to find and watch here, for it is a critically endangered species that occurs only in a handful of isolated pockets of the Ethiopian highlands. Threatened by disease and persecution, and the loss of its high-altitude habitat, its numbers are now down to about 500, making it one of the most endangered of the world’s larger mammals. During two full days in the field, we will look for it in its strongholds, the Bale Mountains’ Web Valley and Sanetti Plateau. We will also hope to see some of the commoner mammal species of the area, which include Klippspringer, Grey Duiker, Bohor Reedbuck, Warthog, Rock Hyrax and Olive Baboon, as well as a rich flora and variety of special birds which includes a staggering 14 endemics!

Finally, we transfer our focus back to the beautiful Rift Valley Lakes. These lie amongst acacia woods and farmland between the distant valley walls, each one with a different depth, salinity and character. We will visit both Lake Shalla and Lake Abiata; the latter is a vast and shallow soda lake where the margins are often thick with flamingoes, pelicans, cormorants, storks, herons and waders. We spend our final two nights at Lake Langano, where we have plenty of time to enjoy the tranquil surroundings before we return to Addis Ababa. From here, you may choose to extend your tour with a visit to the famous rock-hewn churches and monasteries in the medieval capital of Lalibela.