13 Days Bird watching Tour to the Great Rift Valley - Lake
Basaka, Ziway, Langano, Abiata, Awassa, Abaya, Chamo plus
Awash Park, Nechsar Park and Mago Park.
Itinerary: L`Arada Ethiopian tours
Expect more than 350+ species of birds
Day 01.
Leaving Addis early morning we drive east towards the Great
Rift Valley via Bushoftu Crate Lakes and Nazaret town to visit
Awash Park with its volcano landscapes and savannah grassland
habitat for a variety of bird species. On the way we detour to
Lake Basaka's saline water which is good habitat for water
birds such as Flamingoes, Pelicans, Storks, Herons, Plovers,
Lapwings, Sandpipers and Stints.
Overnight Genet Hotel at Awash town.
Day 02.
Full day excursion in the park including Ilala Sala Plain
(Oryx Plain), Awash River Waterfalls and acacia thickets for
birds such as Grey Hornbill, Somali Fiscal, Helmeted
Guineafowl, Blue-napped Mousebird, Kori Bustard, Yellow-necked
Francolin, Drongo, Red-winged Lark, Woodland and Striped
Kingfishers, Robins and birds of prey such as Tawny Eagle,
Long-crested Eagle, Yellow-billed Kite and Dark Chanting
Goshawk. Awash park is also home to mammals such as Oryx,
Lesser Kudu, Hammadryas Baboon and Olive Baboon, Vervet
Monkey, Salt’s Dick-dick and more.
Overnight Genet Hotel at Awash town.
Day 03.
To day we drive to Lake Langano and Abiata with stop at
Koka/Awash Bridge and Ziway. Spectacular Rift scenery,
stunning view of colorful birdlife such as Banded Barbet,
Masked Weaver, Spur-winged Plover, Malachite and Pygmy
Kingfishers, Little Bee-eater, Ruppell’s and Superb Starlings,
Seed-eaters, Sunbirds and many birds of prey.
Overnight Bekele Mola Hotel at the bank of Langano.
Day 04.
Dawn birding and after breakfast proceed to ‘Bishangari’
meaning “Blessed water” located on the eastern bank of Lake
Langano. Adjacent to the Chilalo chain of mountains on the
southern edge of the Great Rift Valley with it's tropical rain
forest. En route we search the secondary forest for
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Nubian Woodpecker, Speckled
Mousebird, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, African Mourning Dove and
many more colorful forest birds.
Overnight Bishangari Eco-Lodge./ African vacation club
Day 05.
Today we explore the riverine forest and adjacent lake for
birds such as Yellow-Fronted Parrot, White Cheeked Turaco,
Orange-bellied Parrot, African Paradise Flycatcher, Bare-faced
Go-Away Bird, African Fish-eagle, Cuckoo Shrikes, Kingfishers,
Weavers and water birds including Egrets, Herons, Cormorants,
Gulls, Geese, Ducks and Shanks.
Overnight Bishangari Eco-Lodge./ African vacation club .
Day 06.
Today we drive to Lake Awassa and on arrival we search the
grounds for Spotted Creeper, Senegal Coucal, Dusky Flycatcher,
Grey-headed Kingfisher, Ruppell’s Starling and numbers of
Marabous Storks and Pelicans. Overnight Wabeshebele Hotel No1
at Awassa town
Day 07.We walk around Lake Awassa's shoreline looking for
African Pygmy Goose, Hottentot Teal, Black Crake, African
Fish-eagle, Hadeda Ibis, Purple Heron, Common Sandpiper,
White-backed Duck, Reed and Sedge Warblers, African Jacana
ending at the traditional fish market, where many birds feed
on fish left-over. Then we drive to Wendogenet with birding en
route. On arrival we search the grounds for Bruce’s Green
Pigeon, Slender-billed Starling, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Hooded
Vulture and more.
Overnight Wendogenet Hotel.
Day 08.Pre-breakfast walk along the hot springs thicket
looking for Yellow Fronted Parrot, Half-collared Kingfisher,
Mountain Wagtail, Double-toothed Barbet, White-cheeked Turaco,
Narina Trogon, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Red-shouldered Cuckoo
Shrike, Hill Babbler, Tambourine Dove, African Harrier hawk,
Steppe Buzzard, Great Sparrow hawk and Crowned Eagle.
After breakfast we drive south through savannah terrain
towards Arbaminch, meaning ‘Forty Springs’ to Nechsar National
Park which hold a diversity of fauna and flora.
Overnight Paradise lodge with its spectacular view.
Day 09.Excursion to Nechsar Park through Lake Chamo and
Abaya's land of barrier called the ‘Bridge of God’.
Interesting wild animals in the Park are the endemic Swayne’s
Hartebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Lesser and Greater Kudu, Grant’s
and Thomson’s Gazelle and number of birds including
Secretarybird, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Abyssinian Roller,
African Fish-eagle, Lesser Kestrel, Kingfisher, Weavers,
Seed-eaters and many more.
After lunch we take a boat trip on Lake Chamo to the
"Crocodiles Market", where large numbers of Crocodile (some up
to 6 meters long) gathers to sunbath and the Hippos pool.
Overnight paradise lodge .
Day 10.
Today we continue driving south to Jinka via the Konso peoples
land, renowned for their traditional terracing farming. En
route we visit the Keyafer weekly market, where the Hamer,
Bena, Tsemay and Arri tribes with their interesting ornamental
beautified hide dressings and hair buntings.
Over night Jinka Resort at Jinka town.
Day 11.
Driving further south to Mago Park looking for Greater and
Lesser Kudu, Difasa Water buck, Bushbuck, Gerenuk, Hartebeest
and Oribi. Of course, Mago Park is also home to many birds
such as Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill, Giant Kingfisher,
Northern Brownbul, Hartlaub’s Bustard, Abyssinian
Scimitarbill, Woodpeckers, Shrikes and more.
Over night Jinka Resort.
Day 12.
Today we drive back to Arbaminch with many road side stops for
natural scenery and the remote country side tribe’s lifestyle.
In the late afternoon we check in to Swaynes hotel for the
night. From the spectacular view point of the hotel compounds
we will enjoy the two lakes, the evergreen tropical forest and
at night the blue African night with all its stars.
Overnight paradise lodge .
Day 13.
Today we drive back to Addis via Sodo, Butajira and Tiya
enjoying the beautiful landscape roadside .Arriving Addis late
afternoon we will have a farewell dinner & departure
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