Sululta Plain, Debre zeit, Awash Park, Sodere Spa, Bale Mountains Park, Awassa, Wendogenet, Langano and Ziway

Highlight

Expect more than 350+ species of birds

Duration: 11 nights / 12 days
Transport: Surface

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Bale International Airport (Addis Ababa) where you will be met by Destiny Ethiopia Tour and Travel representative and transfer to hotel. O/N – Hotel

Day 2: An early start we drive to the Sululta Plain with its short grass and wetland habitat looking for unique birds including Blue-winged Goose, Wattled Ibis, Ethiopian Black-headed Siskin, Ethiopian Cisticola, White-collared Pigeon, Three-banded Plover and Yellow-billed Duck. Debrelibanos Monastery escarpment is adjacent to woodland and thicket holding Banded Barbet, White-cheeked Turaco, Grey-headed Woodpecker and Ethiopian Black-headed Oriole. Birds of prey including Lammergeyer, Vareaux’s Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Egyptian Vulture, Thick-billed and Fan-Tailed Raven.
Overnight Etho-German Lodge.

Day 3: After an early breakfast we explore the nearby gorge that attracts White-billed Starling, Ruppell’s Black Chat, Abyssinian Black Wheatear, White-winged Cliff-chat and Mocking Cliff-chat. Scrub lures Erckel’s Francolin, Stout Cisticolas and Sunbirds. Driving to Debrezeit with its crater lakes like Chalalaka an important seasonal shallow lake for waders and significant numbers of Cranes and Marabou storks. At Lake Hora we can spot Malachite Kingfisher, African Paradise Flycatcher, Little Grebe, Great Egret and African Great Cormorants.
Overnight Dreamland hotel at Debrezeit Town.

Day 4: Awash Park with its acacia thicket and savannah grassland has a variety of bird species including Grey Hornbill, Somali Fiscal and Helmeted Guineafowl, Blue-napped Mousebird, Kori Bustard, Yellow-necked Francolin, Drongo, Chestnut-breasted Sandgrouse and birds of prey such as Tawny Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Swallow-tailed Kite and Chanting Goshawk.
Awash park is home to larger mammals including Beisa Oryx, Lesser Kudu, Hammadryas and Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Salt’s Dick-dick and Spotted Hyena.
Overnight Genet Hotel at Awash Town.

Day 5: Today we travel the Kudu loop track running through acacia trees and pass isolated villages. Typical birds of the area include Red-bellied Parrot, Gillett’s Lark, Ashy Cisticola and Somali Fiscal. Mt. Fentale dominates the landscape, a semi-dormant volcano resulting in a habitat of lava flows and deep fissures. Interesting birds in this unique habitat include Sombre Rock-chat, Blackstart, Yellow-throated Serin and White-headed Buffalo Weaver. Later in the day, we travel through the Sabober Plains where we find Black-headed Lapwing, Superb Starling, Cyprus and Pied Wheatear. At dusk we may find the local Star-spotted Nightjar and Woodland Owl.
We spend tonight again at Genet Hotel.

Day 6: Today we drive to the Sodore Spa revisiting the remaining part of the Park plus the famous Awash River Waterfalls. Stop at Lake Basaka for migrant waders including Saddle-billed Stork, Spoonbill, Stints, Plovers and Shanks. The river Awash flow by the hotel with old fig and acacia trees covering its banks. Open areas have Claperton’s Francolin, Pygmy Kingfisher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Black-winged Lovebird, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Black Saw-wing, Village Weaver, Shining Sunbird and Pygmy Kingfisher.
Overnight Sodore Resort or Rift Valley Hotel at Nazareth town.

Day 7: Passing through farmland used for cereal production and livestock grazing our destination is the town of Goba in the highlands of Bale Mountains. The northern part of Bale Mountains Park is important for Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, Grey Duiker and Warthog. Birds of prey can be numerous including Eastern Imperial Eagle, Lanner Falcon, Kestrels and Golden Eagle. Grass verge attracts White-collared Pigeon, Dwarf Raven, Erlanger’s Lark, Botta’s Wheatear and Alpine Chat.
Overnight Wabishebele Hotel at Goba Town.

Day 8: Beyond Goba is an extensive stand of Juniper and Hagenia Abyssinica forest, home to Abyssinian Slaty-flycatcher, Woodland Warbler, Olive Pigeon. Among birds of prey Steppe Eagle, Augur Buzzard, Vareaux’s Eagle and Peregrine Falcon occupy upper rocky escarpments. Sanate plateau crater lakes itself attracts the remnant population of Wattled Crane and Ruddy Shelduck. The objective of today is to find and study the rare endemic Ethiopian Wolf hunting for Giant Mole rat.
Overnight Wabeshebele Hotel at Goba Town.

Day 9: Lake Awassa is significant for birds including African Pygmy Goose, White-backed Duck, Long-tailed Cormorant, Black Crakes, African Jacana, Sedge Warblers and Common Waxbill. On arrival we look for Spotted Creeper, Cordon Bleu, African Thrush, Ruppell’s Robin-chat and African Paradise Flycatcher flipping in the canopy of acacia trees.
Overnight Wabeshebele Hotel at Awassa Town.

Day 10: We walk around Lake Awassa shoreline looking for African Pygmy Goose, Hottentot Teal, Black Crake, African Fish-eagle, Hadeda Ibis, Purple Heron, Green Shank, Common Sandpiper, Great White Pelican, White-backed Duck, Sedge Warbler, Common Waxbill to the traditional fish market were many birds feed on fish left-over. Later we drive to ‘Wendogenet’ meaning ‘the small paradise’ with birding en route. On arrival we search the grounds for Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Mountain Thrush, Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill, Slender-billed Starling, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Hooded and White-backed Vulture.
Overnight Wendogenet Spa hotel.

Day 11: Before breakfast walk along the springs and hillside to search the rare Half-Collared Kingfisher, Yellow Fronted Parrot, Mountain Wagtail, Double-toothed Barbet, Narinna Trogon, Grey Cuckoo shrike and birds of prey including African Harrier Hawk, Steppe Buzzard and Crowned Eagle. In the afternoon we drive to Lake Langano and Abijata breeding and roosting grounds for Pelicans and Flamingos. It is also excellent ground for migratory waders from Europe and Asia.
Overnight Simbo Lodge at Langano beach.

Day 12:Drive back to Addis Ababa we bird on the way and detour to the Lake Ziway wetland looking for Giant Kingfisher, Black Heron, Godwits and many fresh water birds. Arriving in Addis Ababa late afternoon we have farewell dinner before transferring to Bole International Airport.