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A 14 Day Bird Watching Tour

Brief Description:

This is a similar Bird watching tour as the previous package around Addis and on the southern route is a 14 day travel package which includes Menagesha Forest , Debre Libanos Monastry, Bale National Park . This package, however goes down south to Yabello to the Yabello Sanctuary and also includes a visit to lake Awassa, Lanagano and Africa’s best spot to see pelicans – the Abijata Shall lake and Wondogenet

Itinerary

Day 1: Upon arrival in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , You will be greeted with the traditional Ethiopian hospitality at the airport and transferred to the hotel. (Depending on your arrival time we can arrange afternoon or after hour city tour)

Day 2: Addis Ababa : Addis offers you a variety of birds; White-backed black tit & Brown tit warbler are expected to be seen at the hotel extensive gardens. After noon, drive to Gefersa wet land or Mt Entoto that overlooks the town will giving the opportunity for diverse bird life. Entoto is especially believed to be home for 200 bird species. Here we expect the Abyssinian wood pecker, Abyssinian catbird, wattled Ibis (endemic), Moorland Francolin, white-collared Pigeon, Black-winged Lovebird, White-cheeked Turaco, mountain Nightjar, banded Barbet, White-winged Cliff Chat, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Brown parisoma, White-backed Black Tit, Abyssinian Black-headed Oriole and White-billed Starling. In addition the area gives a view for 5 species of vultures including Lammer gayer as well as various eagles and hawks. Return to your hotel.         

Day 3: Addis -Menagesha forest-Addis : After breakfast we head west on the Ambo Road for Menagesha State Forest , about 50 km from Addis Ababa . The Emperor Zera Yacob (1434-1468), noticing the degradation of the forest around Mount Wechecha , initiated what was perhaps the first reforestation and conservation measure in the region by having Juniper trees planted. We will take a picnic lunch, making our way up through the forest towards the top of Mount Wechecha . We can expect to see the Abyssinian Catbird, Banded Barbet, Golden-backed Woodpecker, Black-headed Forest Oriole, Wattled Ibis, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-winged Lovebird, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Crowned Eagle and Narina's Trogan. Among the wildlife species recorded here are: Menelik's Bushbuck, Leopard, Colobus Monkey, Serval, Grey Duiker, Hyaena, Warthog, Porcupine and Civet Cat. We will return to Addis Ababa by the Jimma Road , to the south of the forest. o/n Ghion Hotel.        

Day 4: Addis Ababa - Debrelibanos-Addis: Early start for Debre Libanose monastery, about 110 km north of Addis Ababa via Sululta plain. The Red-rumped Swallow, pectoral-patched cisticola and Black winged Lapwing are some of the birds that we are seeing along the road. Around the Monastery we will see the endemics like the Black-headed forest Oriole, White-billed starling, the Ruppell's chat and White-backed Black Tit. The Lammergier, Verreaux's Eagle, Egyptian and White-backed Vultures, Lanner Falcon, Little Rock Thrush and Plain-backed pipt are seen at the escarpment. Late afternoon drive back to Addis-Ababa.           

Day 5: Drive to Langano lake via Zeway: We drive early morning to the rift heading south. En route we will be birding, stopping at Koka Dam and the Awash River and make a lunch stop at Ziway. Ziway lake shore is where huge numbers of water birds are congregated. African Pygmy Geese, Yellow-billed and Marabou Storks, Collared Pratincoles, Lesser and Greater Jacanas, African Jacanas, White Pelicans, Fish Eagles, Crowned and Common Cranes are seen in numbers. Leave to Langano Hotel    

Day 6: Drive to Yabello: Leave to Yabello where one finds the forest reserve with over 200 species like; Abyssinian Bush crow, White- tailed Smallwo, Abyssinian Grosbeak Canary, Black- capped social weaver, short- tailed lark, Pringle’s puff- back, Northern Grey Tit, Somli Sparrow and many others. Overnight in a hotel

Day 7: Full day birding at Yabello Sanctuary. Overnight in a hotel.           

Day 8: Set off for Lake Awassa . The spotted creeper, African pygmy kingfisher, Bruce's Green pigeon, Viloet-backed Starling, Grey Kestrel, Giant Kingfisher, Klaasa's Cuckoo, Tree pipit, Allen's Gallenue, Lesser Moorhen, Painted Snipe, Lesser Swamp Warbler, Grey kingfisher, Banded snake Eagle, the African and common snipe, purple and Goliath Heron, Greater Honey Guide, Grosbeak weover, Red-breasted Wryneck, African Harrier Hawk and Greater spotted Eagle are one of the birds have been recorded in Awassa. O/n Awassa

Day 9: Drive to Wendogenet:  Drive to Wondo Genet (There is naturally heated open air pool) set among forested hills. In the gardens of the hotel and juniper Forests behind the hotel, we will see the silvery-cheeked Hornbill, White - cheeked Turaco, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Black-headed Forest Oriole, golden-backed Woodpecker, Red wing Starling, Grosbeak Weaver, Mountain Wagtail and Black-roughing Swallow. We can also see Columbus monkey ,Anubis baboon and Bushbuck. O/N Wondo Genet Lodge

Day 10: Wendogenet - Bale mountains: After breakfast in the hotel we set off for the Bale Mountains National Park , an area of diverse habitats, rich in endemic birds (6 from Ethiopia , 14 including those shared with Eritrea ), animals, trees and plants. It has the largest extent of Afro-Alpine habitat in Africa , and the all weather road that crosses the Sanetti Plateau is the highest on the continent. We stop at Dinsho, HQ of the park, for picnic lunch and will spend some time exploring the area around the HQ as here is found the main concentration of the endemic Mountain Nyala. We can also see the endemic Menelik's Bushbuck, Grey Duiker and Warthog. Birds we can expect to see here (as elsewhere in the park) include the Spot-breasted Plover, Rouget's Rail, Thick-billed Raven, Blue-winged Goose, Abyssinian Long Claw, White-collared Pigeon and Black-winged Love Bird. Dinsho has no tourist class hotels so unless visitors are prepared to camp or share space at the Park Lodge, we push on to Goba and the Wabe Shabelle Hotel.     

Day 11: Full day in Harena forest & Sanetti plateau: Bale national park : Full day with picnic lunch on the 4000 asl Sanetti Plateau, with its striking Afro-Alpine flora, such as the Giant Lobelia and Red Hot Poker. It is the best place in Ethiopia to see the Simien Wolf, the rarest canid in the world, while the huge rodent population, including the endemic Giant Mole Rat, supports a variety of raptors. The rare Wattled Crane is often seen, while there are a good number of the Spot-breasted Plover. Tullu Dimtu at 4377 m is the second highest mountain in Ethiopia and we can drive all the way to the top. o/n Wabe Shabelle Hotel, Goba.

Day 12: Drive to Sodere

Day 13: Birding at bank of Awash river & drive back to Addis Ababa         

Day 14: Addis Ababa is located at 2,500 meters above sea level at the footstep of the highest parts of series of Mountain chain. Addis is also the seat of African Union (AU) and many International offices and over 100 Embassies. It enjoys an excellent climate all year round; with an average temperature of 16°C. Addis Ababa is a pleasant city with wide avenues of jacarandas, interesting museums and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa , known as the Merkato. After early breakfast we will visit the National Museum (a multi-collections representing Ethiopia 's past and present image). Among the famous exhibits, the 3.5 million year old skeleton of 'Lucy' is worth visiting. We will also visit the Ethiopian Studies Institute Ethnological museum for it’s extraordinarily collection of the priceless and varied ethnic medley. Then we continue driving up to the mount (over 3000 meters) Entoto, the first seat of Emperor Menelik II before he established Addis Ababa as the capital of Ethiopia in 1886. Visitors will also have the opportunity to visit Trinity Cathedral and Merkato. Along our way we will have the chance to see avenues, squares, obelisks and many places of interests and shopping. Late at night transfer to the Bole International Airport and depart for home.

Other activities

Fest Ethiopia Travel & Tour Plc - 2010