WHICH R 10 BEST ETHIOPIA SAFARI TOURS

WHICH R 10 BEST ETHIOPIA SAFARI TOURS [2021]: ENDEMIC WILDLIFE + CULTURAL MONUMENTS + TRIBAL VISITS. Hosted by charming forester who explored all national parks for Ethiopian Parks Service

Central and Southern Ethiopia Safari Tour

WHICH R 10 BEST ETHIOPIA SAFARI TOURS [2021] are different from safaris in the traditional safari countries to its south. National parks in Ethiopia are not teeming with wildlife as one often sees on television. Even though most species of wildlife are still present, numbers in Ethiopia are down in all of its parks. Only few species are occur in relatively large numbers, such as buffaloes in Gambella National park, and Zebras in Nechisar National Park.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Most of our hundreds of pictures are favored in Google! Why? Because no other website has so many beautiful high resolution pictures, all taken by ourselves. Our pictures not only show you the beauty of Ethiopia, but they also show that we have been everywhere when we researched all parks for the Ethiopian Wildlife Autharity, photographing wildlife, plants, people and culture. Read our PDF report to the Government on Parks an Culture! So why consider booking our our Ethiopia Culture & National Parks modules? Because only we combine the culture of Ethiopia with its nature. We don't mislead you like many tour operators do. When the Blue Nile falls are dry.... we tell you. When fog clouds the lava lake of Erte Ale Volcano? We let you know. Just drop us a mail info@nationalparks-worldwide.com  and we will check it out for you.

Our tours take you to ALL famous cultural places of Ethiopia, and on top of that, you get to see up to 20 large parks accompanied by a conservation professional, not a mere guide. There is nothing similar on the market. Check out our tours in modules like: Historical Circuit; Danakil Depression; Eastern Route; Simien Mountains; Bale Mountains; Southern Parks Safari; Gambella; Addis Ababa. BUT WAIT: if you buy your international ticket with Ethiopia Airlines, they will sell the internal flights at a price that you can't even ride the bus for. But you MUST plan it all in one package and making changes may be very costly. So let us help you plan your entire trip and book your local flights for an incredibly low price after you booked your international flight with Ethiopian Airlines! Also: Ethiopia can be combined with other East African countries, we organize.

However, what is lacks in numbers, it compensates with extremely rare and endemic mammals and endemic birds. For birdwatching is Ethiopia an El Dorado, with 43 restricted range species and 18 endemic species. The total number of species of birds exceed 860 species of which 596 are residents and 224 are regular migrant species.

Ethiopia being one of Africa's most ethinically diverse countries of Africa, one can't just look at nature and ignore the fabulous cultural and ethnic variety of the people of Ethopia.

Also the landscapes of Ethiopia are very different from most countries in Africa. While the parks in the south and the west are somewhat similar to parks elsewhere in Africa, the highland parks are very different, as Ethiopia is the only country with significant highland plateaus and high mountain regions. As an extension to this package you can include Bale Mountains National Park module described below.

Our Central and Southern Parks and Tribes Safari tour combines Ethiopia's wildlife, birds and living culture in a fascinating itinerary below, or Take me to the descriptions first.

Nature and People of Ethiopia

The Maribou Stork may have ugly heads, but they are certainly gracious in their own way and common along the Riff Valley's lakes.

Common Ostriches live in  Abyjata-Shalla Lakes National Park.

Swayne's Hartebeest in is a common sight in Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary.

Common in the highlands, the Thick-billed Raven is an endemic bird of Ethiopia.

Podocarpus forest at Proposed Megado Podacarpus National Monument has some of the tallest and widest podocarpus trees in the country.

Leaves of Podocarpus tree in Ethiopia.

The Stresemann's Bushcrow is an endemic bird in Central South, particularly in Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary.

Burchell's Zebras are common in Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary.

Konso is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site for its traditional landscape with terraces, its uniquely structured villages and huts and for their famous wooden statues.

Roofs of traditional houses of Konso UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 Brand new Kanta Lodge in Konso.

Girl with locks saturated with fat and red ochre and then twist into dreds.

Their appearance is extremely important to the Hamar People, having spectacular hairstyles, for both men and women, so hair grooming is essential to the Hamar's sense of beauty.

The Buska Lodge is frequently used for its location near the Hamer town of Turmi.

If you visit Southern Ethiopia in February, you will no doubt fall with the Desert Rose, that looks like a miniature Baobab Tree with Rhodondendron leaves and flowers, but to neither of which it is related.

Some hoofed animals are very small, like this common Grey Duiker.

Extremely rare Grevy's Zebras are still present in the park.

The Mursi are famous for the women stretching up their underlip to fit a large terracotta disk. Several villages in the park can be visited.

Giant Fig Tree grove in Nechsar National Park.

Terrace at hotel in Arba Minch, overlooking Nechsar National Park.

An often heard question is, what season is better? The wet season or the dry season. The answer is that both have advantages and disadvantages. During the wet season, the landscape is lush green but not all roads are passable. During the dry season, wildlife is better visible among the bushes.

Nechisar in the wet season with flowers but less wildlife visibility.

Nechisar in the dry season without flowers or green, but better wildlife visibility.

Large predators still populate the parks of Ethiopia, although not in great numbers. The "Black" Maned Lion was the symbol of the Ethiopian crown. Cheetahs still occur in the Southern parks of Ethiopia Ethiopia including Nechsar National Park as well as in Bale Mountains National Park.

Hippos occur in quite a few lakes and rivers in Ethiopia. You will almost always see them in Lake Chamo.

African Crocodiles can also be found in many of the rivers and lakes of Ethiopia. A good place is in Nechsar, Lake Chamo near the former crocodile farm.

Bale Mountains extension module

The Bale Mountains module usually departs from Awassa. From there is takes you to the parks headquarters, where the night can be spent in cabins or in the new Bale Mountains Lodge. The next day will be spent in the higher part of the park and the night will be spent again in the same location. The next day return to Awassa to spend the night, after which the Ethiopia Central and Southern Parks & Tribes Safari Tour will be followed as described above. For details and different options, click on Bale Mountains National Park Tour.

Giant Erica Trees in Bale National Park, covered with moss.

Ethiopian wolfs are a common sighting in Bale National Park.

The Mountain Nyala, can be frequently seen in Bale National Park.

Giant Tuber Passion Flower, Ethiopia.

WHICH R 10 BEST ETHIOPIA SAFARI TOURS [2021] & Lodges

Not all places in Ethiopia are accessible from quality lodges and at times one needs to be willing to accept somewhat lesser accommodations and such inconveniences as power outages on our Ethiopia Safari Tours. Nevertheless, every year new tourism infrastructure is opened and travel conditions and hotels improve.

WHICH R 10 BEST ETHIOPIA SAFARI TOURS