ETHIOPIAN TOURS & SAFARIS

National Parks

The Simien Mountains National Park
Registered by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a human heritage site, the Simien Mountains National Park has three general botanical regions. The lower slopes have been cultivated and grazed, while the alpine regions (up to 3600 m) were forested, although much has now disappeared. The higher lands are mountain grasslands with fescue grasses as well as heathers, splendid Red Hot Pokers and Giant Lobelia.

The Park was created primarily to protect the Walia Ibex, a type of wild goat, which is endemic to Ethiopia. Other endemic mammals in the Park include the abundant Gelada Baboon and the rare Simien Fox. The visitor, although named after the mountains, rarely sees the Simien Fox. Over 50 species of birds also can be seen in the Simien Mountains.

The Awash National Park
Lying in the lowlands east of Addis Ababa, and striding the Awash River, the Awash National Park is one of the finest reserves in Ethiopia. The Awash River, one of the major rivers of the Horn of Africa, waters important agricultural lands in the northeastern part of Ethiopia and eventually flows into the wilderness of the Danakil Depression. The dramatic Awash Falls as the river tumbles into its gorge, is the site not to be missed in the national park. A special attraction is the beautiful clear pools of the Fil Woha, hot springs.

Awash National Park, surrounding the dormant volcano of Fantale, is a reserve of arid and semi-arid woodland and savannah, with riverside forests along the Awash River. Many animals have been identified here, including Beisa Oryx and Swayne's Hartebeest. The bird life is prolific especially along the river and in the nearby lake Basaka, and there are fine endemic amongst the 392 species recorded.

Bale Mountains National Park
Rich in its unique wildlife, birds and flora, the Bale Mountains National Park stretches on the plateau between the 4,308-meter Summit of Mount Batu, Southeast to 3,339 meters Mount Bale. It was established as the last stronghold of three endemic mammals namely; the Simien Fox, Mountain Nyala, and Menelik's Bushbuck. Thirteen of Ethiopia's 23 endemic birds including the bone breaker - Lammergeyer, Blue winged Goose, Roget's Rails and Thick-billed Raven inhabited in the Bale Mountains.

The giant heath with patches of St. John's red hot poker, the Silvery flowered helichrysum and the spectacular giant lobelia are all there in the Bale Mountains which offer some of the finest high altitude horse and foot trekking routes in the world.

Omo National Park
One of the most beautiful national parks in Ethiopia, its 4,068 km2 of wilderness bordered by the Omo river, is home to an amazing range of wildlife. 306 species of birds have been identified, while large herds of Eland, some Buffalo, Elephants, Giraffe, Cheetah, Lion, Leopard, Burch ell's Zebra are not uncommon, though the park is not easily accessible.

Mago National Park
Covering an area of 2162 km2 on the banks of the Omo River, the Mago national park is the gateway to Mursi people. The broad grasslands teem with herds of Buffalo, Giraffe, Elephants and Kudu, while some times it is possible to find Lion, Leopard and Burch ell's Zebra. The abundant bird life here is typical of dry grasslands and rivers banks.

If you wish to visit Ethiopia, please contact us at
holidays@safari-africa.co.uk

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Pictures in this column were
taken in Ethiopia.