from the Rift Valley to the Bale Mountains
Ethiopia is often called The Roof of Africa and is amongst the continent’s top wildlife destinations. Our tour will take us through a wide range of habitats, from mountain peaks and forests, to desert plains.
The extensive highlands are the largest mountain block in Africa, with local specialities such as Gelada Baboon, an impressive but gentle primate to be found grazing the escarpment slopes in troops of hundreds of individuals, Mountain Nyala, Giant Mole Rat and around 30 bird species confined to this dramatic region, including Rouget’s Rail, Blue-winged Goose and the handsome Spot-breasted Lapwing. These scenic mountains are also famously home to the Ethiopian Wolf, probably the world’s rarest carnivore with as few as 200 mature animals, of which half are found in the Bale National Park, where we will spend time looking for (and hopefully watching!) these magnificent, and highly endangered animals as they hunt amidst giant lobelias.
The Great Rift Valley scythes the highlands down the middle. Dotted with lakes and covered in arid savanna and grasslands rich in wildlife, with ’familiar’ East African species combining with the more localised species as well as the influx of European and Central Asian migrants here for the winter, to create not only a distinctive mix, but also a diverse one. In Awash National Park we will look for local specialities such as Northern Gerenuk, Lesser Kudu and Beisa Oryx, Arabian Bustard and Somali Ostrich.
Our time in Ethiopia will be a truly wildlife-filled experience in an unusual country, combining endemic birds, unrivalled scenery, unique mammals and fascinating cultures, a long awaited trip not to be missed!
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Please note that holidays change, although sometimes only slightly, from year to year and previous trip reports may not reflect the planned itinerary, or other holiday details, for the current trip. Please ask us if you would like to know of any significant differences.
