This short wildlife safari takes you northeast of Addis Ababa to Awash National Park, which is found 253 km into the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley. The Awash National Park is home to over 460 species of birds and several mammals such as the beisa oryx, desert warthog, Soemmering’s gazelle, lesser kudu, hamadryas baboon, olive baboon, grivet monkey, Abyssinian hare, Salt’s dik-dik, spotted hyena, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, golden jackal and other rarely seen mammals.
Arrival (See Getting There for more details)
A transfer from the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.
Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Morning meet in Addis and drive to Awash National Park, 230 km away, part of the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley. The drive to Awash National Park will take us through the volcanic mountains and valleys, and witness the lava on both sides of the road as freshly turned earth. We will stop at the beautiful Beseka Lake which is rich in birdlife. Here, you can see the pink-winged pelican, African fish eagle, saddle-billed stork, and many more birds. This is also the place where you can see the nomadic Kereyu tribe, bringing in large herds of camels for water.
In the afternoon, we will drive to Awash National Park for a possible evening game drive and visit the beautiful Awash Falls. We will encounter wildlife such as oryx, baboon, greater and lesser kudu, warthog, gazelle, and colobus monkey. If you’re lucky there will be a chance to see some of the big cats.
Main Destination: Awash National Park
Best Time To Visit: October to February (Little rain and less hot)
High Season: September to April (The park is never busy)
Best Weather: October to February
Accommodation: Doho Lodge & Hot Springs Mid-range lodge located just outside Awash NP
Meals & Drinks: Lunch & dinner (Breakfast not included), Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
In the morning, we will have an early morning game drive around Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve. Here we can expect to see olive baboons, beisa oryx, Soemmering’s gazelle, gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, and waterbucks, perhaps the kori bustard and Arabian bustard, as well as many indigenous birds and more. After our morning game drive, we will drive to Doho Hot Springs where Doho Lodge is located. It overlooks Doho Lake, which formed as the result of the many hot springs around the area. For the rest of the day, relax around the hot springs or rest. Optional, we can also visit the nomadic Afar Villages.
Main Destination: Aledeghi Wildlife Reserve
Accommodation: Doho Lodge & Hot Springs, Mid-range lodge located just outside Awash NP
Meals & Drinks: All meals included, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
Morning after having some time in the Lodge, take a drive back to Addis Ababa through Debre Zeit and the express road. En-route, you visit the Debre Zeit crater lakes. you can relax at one of the beautiful resorts before heading to Addis Ababa. We expect to arrive in Addis Ababa late in the afternoon.
Main Destination: Addis Ababa (City)
Meals & Drinks: All meals, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
End of tour (See Getting There for more details)
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
A transfer back to the airport can be arranged for an extra cost.
