TOUR SUMMARY:
This route includes cultural, historical, and natural interests both en route and nearby Bale mountains national park. Keep in mind that roads and road conditions may change.
These routes are a diverse national park, an undiscovered George, an ancient Muslim shrine, and a mysterious underground cave en route to Bale mountains national park and home of endemic birds for Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco, Stresemann’s bush crow, and the great Ethiopia rift valley.
Day 1: Arrival at Bole International Airport:
Meet and greet you Bale Mountains Tours representative at exit of luggage claim transfer you to the hotel. Overnight stay in one of the hotels in Addis.
Day 2: Drive from Addis to Awash national park:
This day after breakfast drive to Awash national park(125km), through Adama (Nazret) – an ideal stop for a coffee or tea. En route look for a great white pelican, Marabou storks, and yellow-bellied storks on the lake Baseka shores. As soon as in Awash national park, take a short walk through bushland inhabited by Baboon to the Awash River falls and search for he easily be spotted Beisa Oryx, Greater Kudu and Salt’s dik-dik and so more.
Overnight Awash Falls Lodge.
Day 3: Drive from Awash national park to undiscovered Wabeshebelle gorges:
Continue driving to 25km to Bordede on to gravel road (in good condition) leading to Mechara and continue to Ageme Tullu valley to the scattered village across the Hararge plateau, encircled by chat farms and dotted with circular Harar Oromo huts. Stop in Mechara for lunch – the gateway to the undiscovered Wabeshebelle gorge. After 67km we will reach the Wabe gorge, consisting of three smaller gorges; this is arguably the most dramatic gorge in the country. Overnight camping (culture and Tourism office nearby Dire Sheik Hussein shrine.
Day 4: Drive to following the pilgrim’s footsteps from the shrine to the holy cave to Goba.
After leisurely breakfast near the shrine, we can make the tour the impressive conical white ’Gamo’ then continue driving to a stunning view of the Gebayeu mountain on the way to the small town of Jarra via Delo Sebro to Ginnir (an ideal lunch stop) through vast agricultural fields coated with Euphorbia plants.
From the bridges of Ardatere valley, we will drive another 36km to Sofomer cave (the longest network underground cave in Africa). After an hour’s walk in the cave continues driving to Goba via Dadimos mountain.
Overnight Robe Siko Mando Hotel.
Day 5: Drive Goba to Dinsho (park headquarter) to Gaysay valley – Robe.
Today drive 45km to Dinsho the best place for viewing the endemic Mountain Nyala, Menelik bushbuck, and Grey duiker on the northern grassland of the national park. In this part of the national park sometimes you may see up to 50 herbs of Mountain Nyala and ever-present, Bohor Reedbuck and Olive Baboon and so much more.
Birds can be seen in this area include the Abyssinian Longclaw (Endemic), Winding cisticola, Marsh Harrier, Abyssinian ground Thrush (Endemic), spot breasted plover (Endemic) Rouget’s Rail, wattled Ibis, Abyssinian catbird (Endemic) and so more.
Overnight Robe Siko Mando.
Day 6: Drive to Sanetti plateau to the Harenna forest – Bale mountain Lodge.
Early the following day head to the Sanetti plateau to spot the most endangered canid in the world – Ethiopia wolf begins to hunt. Sanetti Plateau is the best place in Ethiopia to see the elegant animal and the winding road atop the plateau, one of the highest all-weather roads in Africa and for prey, birds soaring for rodent species. Then continue driving to Harenna forest (the second-largest tropical rainforest and cloudy forest in Ethiopia).
Overnight Luxury Lodge (Bale Mountain Lodge).
Day 7: Drive from Bale Mountain Lodge to Negelle:
We will be heading to the south of the national park, en route we will stop for a coffee village in Harenna forest and continue driving to Negelle – Borena, a lively lowland town chance to see an endemic Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco and common birds.
Overnight Negelle – Borena hotel.
Day 8: Drive from Negelle Borena – Yabello.
Continue driving towards Yabello and en route explore the village of Elsod known as the “House of Salt” then continuing to Yabello home of Stresemann’s bush crow and white-tailed swallow. Stresemann’s bush crow is found in groups of up to 30 birds and is considered to be quite enigmatic Yabello is one of the country’s premier birding sites due to high diversity and endemism that combine to offer a superb birding experience.
Overnight Yabello hotel.
Day 9: Proceed to Yabello to Awassa.
The next day continues to Awassa (272km from Yabello) en route we will have stops where traditional stelae have been erected in Ethiopia. The site of Tutu fella features around 80 of these carved stones. In this route, we do have a chance to see some of these great Rift valley species.
Overnight – Lewi Resorts.
Day 10: Drive to Addis Ababa for departure.
Today en route we will stop for aquatic birds along Lake Ziway to see marabou stork, Black-tailed Godwit, Greenshank, Wood sandpiper, and African Fish Eagle.
Then continue driving back to Addis to enjoy farewell dinner at one of the traditional Ethiopian restaurants with live songs and dances of different ethnic groups, then transfer to the Airport for departure back to home.