Ethiopia is one of the most fascinating African countries for wildlife and birding, with new and exciting discoveries being made every year, and is surely also one of the most enjoyable, what with its wonderful light, diverse habitats, amazing scenery and very rich and often colorful avifauna. A must-visit for any wildlife enthusiast, Ethiopia has unique flora and fauna and extraordinary scenery to offer. The primary aim of this special tour is to find the country’s endemic bird and
wildlife resource, and scenery. The trip starts in Addis Ababa and continues with a trip to Debre Libanos, which is a brilliant
place to find beautiful Spot-breasted Lapwing, the taxonomically strange Blue-winged Goose, and other endemics. Then our next destination will be Awash National Park, one of Ethiopia’s premier national parks, which has a rich diversity of birds as well as mammals. Then, we will continue to the Highlight of our trip, Bale Mountains National Park. Here we spend the next two days searching for endemic mammals and birding varied habitats. Interesting mammals here are mountain nyala, klipspringer, Menelik’s bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, and others. Yabello wildlife sanctuary will be the next and important destination of the itinerary, which is a protected area and wildlife sanctuary in southern Ethiopia. This mosaic arid land is home to several wildlife and spectacular birds. Finally, the tour ends with a drive back to Addis Ababa with the birding rift valley lakes. of Ethiopia including Hawassa, Langano and Abijatta Lakes.
Your Itinerary
1
Arrival in Addis Ababa and city tour
Welcome to Ethiopia! Upon arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, you will be welcomed by our staff members. Then the tour starts with a drive up towards and then drive up to the Entoto Mountains, the best location to observe the panoramic view of the capital. After a short break, the tour continues with a drive back to Ghion Hotel, which has very extensive grounds for birding. Among the species spotted here are the White-backed Black Tit and the brown Tit Warbler. After lunch in the hotel, we leave for Gefersa Reservoir, some 20 kms west of Addis Ababa, where we can see the Blue-winged Goose, black-headed Siskin, Abyssinian Long Claw, and Wattled Ibis. Finally, you will drive back to your Hotel and spend the night. Overnight: Magnolia Hotel or similar.
2
Trip to Debre Libanos
After breakfast, embark on a scenic drive north to Debre Libanos Monastery, one of Ethiopia’s most revered religious sites.. Before reaching Debre Libanos, we cross the famed Sululta Plains, a brilliant place to find beautiful Spot-breasted Lapwing, the taxonomically strange Blue-winged Goose, and other endemics. We also hope to find our first gelada baboon (nicknamed bleeding-heart baboon) – these ferocious-looking but vegetarian baboons have huge vocabularies and a complex social system. We’ll eventually reach our destination, from where we will look for Egyptian Vulture, Griffon Vulture, Bearded Vulture, and other raptors as they gracefully sail by, as well as Little Rock Thrush and many other mountain birds. Finally, Drive to Fiche to spend the night Overnight: Silale Hotel or similar.
3
Jemma Valley
After breakfast, we will continue visiting the Jemma River, one of the tributaries of the Nile, and there is a drop of nearly 1000 meters to the valley below. Here at the gorge, and in the forest around the church we can expect to see the Banded Barbet, the Black headed forest oriole, the White billed starling, the Red Billed starling, the White winged cliff chat, the White backed black tit, white cheeked Turaco and Hemp Rich’s hornbill. We’ll be birding around the stunning Jemma River Valley. Here on the rocky valley rim, we will be looking for a number of species but the main agenda will be to find the elusive and well-sought-after endemic Ankober Serin, occurring only along the spectacular Ankober escarpment. Then, continue to Debre Birhan for overnight. Overnight: Getva Hotel or similar.
4
Drive to Awash via Melka Jebdu
After breakfast, start driving to Awash National Park. On the way, we’ll be visiting Melka Jebdu to look for species such as Erckel’s Francolin, Crested Francolin, Speckled Pigeon, White-collared Pigeon, Dusky Turtle Dove, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Eastern Plantain-eater, Abyssinian Nightjar, African Grey Hornbill, Yellow-breasted Barbet, Shining Sunbird to name a few! We will arrive at Doho lodge in the afternoon, where a rich diversity of birds hopefully will make their appearance. We will spend the rest of the day enjoying the natural hot spring and beautiful swimming pools. Overnight: Doho Lodge or similar.
5
Birding around the Ali Dege Plains
This morning we will head north towards the reserve at Ali Dege, an area of plains habitat with a few clumps of cover. The road passes by several customs points with the first one having a male Mocking Cliffchat. The next stop will be good for Egyptian Vultures which shows well on the ground with a party of Helmeted Guineafowl, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Cut-throat Finch and a Rosy-patched Bushshrike. The acacia bushes attract Woodchat and Great Grey Shrike, Tawny Pipit and the first of many Chestnut-backed Sparrow Larks. We will also encounter Gravy Zebra, Gerenuk, and Soemmering’s Gazelle. There is also a rare chance to see Wild ass. Here you will have a game drive and scan the vast plain for Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, Simmering Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Somali Ostrich and for some rare birds. Then drive to Doha Lodge for lunch and enjoy the natural hot spring. Overnight: Doho Lodge or similar.
7
Langano and area
We will explore the forest around the lodge and the lake shores - here again will find good numbers of species. The endemic Yellow-fronted Parrot and the Black-Winged Lovebird are found around the lodge, also Broad-billed Roller, Narina Trogon, Red-shouldered and Emerald Cuckoos, Lemon, Blue-spotted, and Tambourine Doves, different woodpeckers, Sharpe's Starling, Double-toothed Barbet, Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Red-breasted Wryneck, Masked Weavers, Beautiful Sunbird and many more. It is home to a few mammals including the Bushbuck, Vervet and Black Colobus Monkeys, Olive Baboon and Golden-backed Jackal. Afternoon, After a relaxed Lunch, touring around Langano, visit the villages of the Oromo people, interact with locals and learn their real ways of life. Overnight: Rosetta Marina Beach Resort or similar.
8
Drive to Bale Mountains National park
We drive to Dinsho, which is the gateway to the fabled Bale Mountains, which reach an altitude of around 4 500 meters (more than 14 000 feet). Here we spend the next two days birding varied habitats for such sought-after species as Abyssinian Owl, Cape (Mackinder’s) Eagle-Owl , African Wood Owl, Wattled Ibis, Chestnut-naped Francolin, Moorland Francolin, Wattled Crane, Red-billed Chough, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, and, with luck, Golden Eagle, as well as a long list of other birds. Interesting mammals here are mountain nyala, klipspringer, Menelik’s bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, and others. The days in this area are also a botanical treat, with vegetation ranging from Hagenia-dominated forest to giant Erica woods to high-altitude moorlands, sometimes with fabulous giant lobelias. Overnight: Wabe Shebelle hotel or similar
9
Sanetti Plateau and Harenna Forest
After breakfast, we will be driving on Africa’s highest road, passing close to the summit of Ethiopia’s second-highest mountain. We will search for Black Stork, Wattled Ibis, Rouget’s Rail , the endemic Blue-winged Goose, Spot-breasted Lapwing, Wattled Crane, Thekla Lark, migratory flocks of Red-throated Pipit, Abyssinian Longclaw, Red-breasted Wheatear,the dumpy Moorland Chat, and flocks of the endemic Black-headed Siskins. Then, we will continue to the south of the Park lies a 1200m (3700 ft) escarpment, below which is one of the largest and most extensive forests remaining in Ethiopia, the Harenna Forest. Here rare Bale Monkeys inhabit the trees and the birdlife is spectacular. Wild coffee is harvested to the south of the lodge and delicious Bale honey is obtained by the local people from hives placed high within the canopy. Here is also found 3% of Africa’s remaining bamboo forest. Overnight: Wabe Shebelle hotel or similar.
10
Bale Mountains National Park - Negele Borena
Drive through grasslands and the Genale Valley Leaving behind the moist tropical forest, drive 50km south to Delo-Mena. Delo-Mena is known for its coffee and offers basic accommodation to Negele-Borena, a large, bustling town. En route look for the Turaco and outstanding Golden-breasted Starling. We will also seek the endemic Sidamo Lark and the Somali Short-toed Lark and possibly Heuglin’s Bustard on the Negele Plains. The Sidamo lark is quite secretive and like many Ethiopian endemics inhabits a very small area. we may also encounter dik-diks running along the road on the way. Overnight: Mareg guest house or similar
10
Bale Mountains National Park - Negele Borena
Drive through grasslands and the Genale Valley Leaving behind the moist tropical forest, drive 50km south to Delo-Mena. Delo-Mena is known for its coffee and offers basic accommodation to Negele-Borena, a large, bustling town. En route look for the Turaco and outstanding Golden-breasted Starling. We will also seek the endemic Sidamo Lark and the Somali Short-toed Lark and possibly Heuglin’s Bustard on the Negele Plains. The Sidamo lark is quite secretive and like many Ethiopian endemics inhabits a very small area. we may also encounter dik-diks running along the road on the way. Overnight: Mareg guest house or similar
11
Negele Borena - Yabello
Drive along another long and seldom-traveled road, which takes you near to the Kenya border and finally to the Yabello region, home to two of Ethiopia’s most sought-after endemic birds, both listed as globally threatened: the enigmatic Stresemann’s bush crow and glistening White-tailed swallow. You should spot the Swallow threading its way through the termite chimneys and groups of Bushcrows in the thorn bushes. For the entire day explore the Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary and Reserve; species to look for include: Somali Ostrich, Secretary Bird, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, African Pygmy Falcon, Kori Bustard, Starspotted Nightjar, Yellow-billed Hornbill, Lilac-breasted Roller, Rufous-crowned Roller, Red and Yellow Barbet, Short-tailed Lark, Northern Grey Tit, Black-capped Social Weaver, Grey-headed Silverbill, Taita Fiscal, and Somali Golden-breasted Bunting. Overnight: Yabello motel or similar.
12
Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary
A full day in bushcrow country – but we’ll also look for tons of other birds such as Somali Courser, Somali Fiscal, Taita Fiscal, Short-tailed Lark, and Red-naped Bushshrike, and also for many less range-restricted species like Speke’s Weaver, Black-faced Waxbill, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, Eurasian Hobby, Black Cuckoo, and two spectacular Whydah species, Steel-blue and Straw-tailed. Throughout this epic tour, we should stumble across a plethora of Eurasian migrants, which could include many different warblers, and all the others. This place also contains the improbably long-necked gerenuk, an antelope that feeds high up in trees and bushes while standing on its hind legs. A night drive might yield yet another mammalian treat, the Somali bushbaby. Overnight: Yabello motel or similar.
13
Yabello –Lake Hawassa
Morning, drive to Lake Hawassa, which is on the edge of Abaro Mountains and Rift valley, rich with the habitat of edge effect species, includes Spotted Creeper, Banded Barbet, Black-winged Lovebird, Grey-backed Fiscal, Double-toothed Barbet, Beautiful Sunbird, Blue-headed Coucal, Abyssinian Waxbill, Red-throated Wryneck and White-rumped Babbler. Among shorebirds, African Pygmy Goose, White-backed Duck, Lesser and African Jacana, Goliath Heron, Fulvous and White-faced whistling Ducks, Common Waxbill, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers, Marabou Stork, Great White Pelican, Reed and Great Cormorant, Egrets, Spur-winged Goose, Squacco Heron, Grey-headed Gull, Whiskered and White-winged Terns are some to mention. Overnight: Lake view Hotel or similar.
13
Drive back to Addis Ababa
Morning, you will visit the beautiful city of Hawasa, including Lake Hawasa and the most famous fish Market. Then After breakfast, start driving back to Addis Ababa. The tour ends with a transfer to Bole international airport
Birding Awaits
Includes
- Park Fees(For non-residents)
- All activities mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional)
- Meals (as specified in the day-by-day description)
- All accommodation mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional upgrade)
- In Roundtrip airport transfer
- A Professional Birding driver/guide
- All transportation mentioned (unless clearly labeled as optional)
- All flights during the tour
- All Taxes
- Beverage during the Safari (Local Beer, Wine, Soda, Mineral water)
- 24/7 Service
EXCLUDES
- International flights (from/to the client's home country)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips: tipping guideline of 10.00US$ per person per day for the guide and crew
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees and other personal items)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees