Village Weaver Birding

Village weaver birding
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Mega Ethiopia birding and Wildlife tour

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Your Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa & Entoto Highlands

Arrive at Bole International Airport and meet your guide. After a short rest at your hotel,drive up the eucalyptus-covered Entoto Mountains, which overlook the capital. Here, enjoy fresh mountain air and panoramic views while birding in forest edges. Later, walk the gardens of Ghion Hotel and continue to Gefersa Reservoir for endemic waterfowl.Overnight: Magnolia Hotel, Addis Ababa

A scenic drive north takes you across the Sululta Plains, an open highland grassland dotted with livestock and wild grazers. Continue to Debre Libanos Monastery, one of Ethiopia’smost revered spiritual sites, perched above a dramatic gorge. Walk along the cliff edges,scanning for Gelada Baboons grazing peacefully on grasses and raptors soaring overhead.Overnight: Silale Hotel, Fiche area.
Key Mammals today: Gelada Baboon (excellent sightings), Klipspringer.

Descend into the Jemma River Valley, a breathtaking gorge almost 1,000 m deep. Birding walks around the escarpment and church forests are rewarding, but mammals are also present: Geladas clamber on cliff faces, and jackals move through the grasslands. After lunch, drive toward Debre Birhan . Overnight: Getva Hotel, Debre Birhan .
Key mammals today: Gelada Baboon, Grivet Monkey, Ground Squirrel.

By afternoon, arrive at Doho Lodge, where natural hot springs provide a relaxing soak. After dark, head out for your first night drive, with rangers using spotlights to search for elusive nocturnals.

Overnight: Doho Lodge, Awash.Key mammals today: Aardvark (night drive target), Honey Badger (night), Grivet Monkey,Gambian Sun Squirrel, and Crested Porcupine.

Drive spend the day exploring Awash’s diverse habitats: open acacia woodland, the lush Awash river gorge, and the savanna plains. On game drives, look for herds of Beisa Oryx, Grant’sGazelle, and Soemmering’s Gazelle, while baboons and vervet monkeys chatter in the thickets. In the evening, enjoy another spotlight drive, which gives excellent chances For caracal, Aardvark, Honey Badger, and nocturnal porcupines.Overnight: Doho Lodge, Awash.
Key mammals today: Beisa Oryx, Grant’s Gazelle, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Grivet Monkey,Aardvark (night), Honey Badger (night).

This morning, drive into the wide-open Ali Dege Plains, where endless horizons make spotting wildlife easier. Scan for herds of Beisa Oryx, Grevy’s Zebra (occasional), Grant’sGazelle, and Gerenuk standing upright to feed from acacia branches. Raptors soar overhead while ground squirrels dart among termite mounds. Return to the lodge for a relaxed evening by the hot springs.Overnight: Doho Lodge,Awash.
Key mammals today: Beisa Oryx, Grant’s Gazelle, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Ground squirrel, Golden Jackal.

Drive south into the Rift Valley, where a chain of lakes provides rich birding and mammal encounters. Visit Lake Ziway and Abijatta-Shalla National Park before continuing to Lake Langano, where your lodge is set on the shore. Afternoon at leisure with optional lake shore walks or birding.Overnight: Hara Langano
Lodge.
Key mammals today: Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Bushbuck, Golden Jackal, Colobus monkey (localized).

Spend the morning birding around the lake and nearby woodlands. Villages of the Oromo people nearby offer opportunities for cultural interaction. After lunch, enjoy leisure time or explore forest trails where troops of colobus monkeys swing above.Overnight: Hara Langano Lodge .
Key mammals today: Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Colobus Monkey, Bushbuck, Golden jackal.

Climb steadily into the Bale Highlands, arriving at Dinsho, gateway to Bale Mountains National Park. Walk the trails around park HQ with local rangers, where Mountain Nyala and Menelik’s Bushbuck are regularly seen.Overnight: Wabe Shebelle Hotel (upgrade: Bale Lodge).
Key mammals today: Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, Klipspringer.

Spend a full day on the Sanetti Plateau, the highest all-weather road in Africa, at over4,000 m. Scan the moorlands carefully for Ethiopian Wolves, often seen hunting the abundant highland rodents such as the Ethiopian Highland Rat. The scenery is striking with giant lobelias towering above open tundra-like expanses.Overnight: Wabe Shebelle Hotel (upgrade: Bale Lodge).
Key mammals today: Ethiopian Wolf, Ethiopian Highland Rat, Mountain Nyala, and Crested Porcupine (night).
Descend into the lush Harenna Forest, one of the largest intact forests in Ethiopia. Walk quietly with rangers to search for the endemic Bale Monkey, which lives only in bamboo patches here. Look also for Menelik’s Bushbuck and forest squirrels. Return to the lodge inthe evening.Overnight: Wabe Shebelle Hotel (upgrade: Bale Lodge).
Key mammals today: Bale Monkey, African wild dog (low possiblity), Menelik’s Bushbuck,Gambian Sun Squirrel, and Crested Porcupine.

Drive south through highland-to-lowland transition landscapes via Negele Borena and Delo-Mena, with stops for key birding and scanning for dryland mammals. Continue into Yabello region in the afternoon/evening.Overnight: Yabello Motel
Target mammals: Dik-dik, Grant’s gazelle, ground squirrels, and occasional larger antelopes en route.

Dryland Endemics & Nocturnals
Full day in Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary, focusing on endemic birds and dryland mammals.Walks and drives through thorn scrub and termite-chimney landscapes to find bush crow and white-tailed swallow, while scanning for gerenuk, ground squirrels, and other savannaspecies.Overnight: Yabello Motel
Target mammals: Gerenuk, Grant’s gazelle, Somali bushbaby (night), Ground squirrel,Aardvark (night, opportunistic), and Honey badger (night).

After a morning session in Yabello, drive east/southeast to Wolayta Sodo. This is a planned transit stop to break the long distance and prepare for the final Chebera expedition. Arrive late afternoon; rest and vehicle checks.Logistics: Transit day with long driving; comfortable hotel night to recharge.Overnight: Haile Resort Wolayta.

Depart early for the lowland rainforests and riverine systems of Chebera Churchura National Park. After park entry and brief orientation, take a late afternoon game drive to experience the park’s wild, little-visited character. This is prime season to detect elephant movement and other large mammals. Evening briefing.Overnight: Chebera Safari Lodge
Target mammals: Elephant, Buffalo, Hippo (river sections), Giant forest hog, Goldenjackal.
A full day dedicated to the deep exploration of Chebera with experienced local scouts and rangers. Early morning game drives, mid-day river walks, and late afternoon stakeouts for predators.Overnight: Chebera Safari Lodge
Target mammals (high-priority): Aardvark (night), Honey badger (night), Caracal (night),Elephant, Hippo, Giant forest hog, Golden jackal.

 Then drive north to Jimma for a comfortable stay at Haile Resort. Evening at leisure.

Overnight: Haile Resort, Jimma.Key mammals: Roadside baboons, jackals, squirrels

Early departure for Gibe Gorge, an excellent birding site with riverine forests and escarpments. Continue to Addis Ababa for farewell dinner and airport transfer.
Overnight: Magnolia Hotel Addis (if needed) / Departure
Key mammals: Gelada baboon (gorge cliffs), Grivet monkey, Olive baboon

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