Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia

Blue Nile Gorge is about 200km away from Addis Ababa and makes for a good day trip. The Gorge is sometimes described as the the largest canyon in Africa – competing with the Fish River Canyon in Namibia. Having not yet seen Fish River Canyon it is hard to tell – but definitely Blue Nile Gorge is a stunningly beautiful geological formation. We visited at the end of September in 2017 around Meskel time. Yellow meskel flowers were everywhere around the gorge making it extra beautiful in all the post-rainy- season greenery.

Road out of Addis Ababa towards Chanco, Ethiopia
Road out of Addis Ababa towards Chanco, Ethiopia

Out of Addis we took the road heading north towards Bahir Dar via the Blue Nile Gorge bridge. Once we passed heavy traffic out of Addis and its suburbs the road went through picturesque hilly highlands. In late September the fields were green with meskel flowers blossoming everywhere.

Along the road towards Blue Nile Gorge from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We went on Saturday leaving Addis early at about 6am. There were people everywhere walking along the road to the nearest markets with their cattle, chickens and other stuff to trade.

People walking to the market along the road from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
People walking to the market along the road from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Collecting donations for a church along the road, Ethiopia
Collecting donations for a church along the road, Ethiopia
Scenery along the road from Addis Ababa towards Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Scenery along the road from Addis Ababa towards Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia

As the road nears the Gorge it starts to zigzag to reach the bottom of the spectacular canyon. Still all along the road there were people walking with cattle, women carrying wood (in Ethiopia it is generally a woman’s or girl’s job to collect and bring wood and water), trucks taking villagers to the market and baboons roaming around the edges of the road.

Women carry wood with the Blue Nile Gorge in the background, Ethiopia
Women carry wood with the Blue Nile Gorge in the background, Ethiopia
Baboons along the road to Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Baboons along the road to Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia

Blue Nile emerges from Lake Tana and then goes through this striking canyon for nearly 400km most of it over 1,500m deep. Amazingly it is only in 2004 that a group of explorers rafted the entire length of Blue Nile from its source to Mediterranean sea for the first time. The views of the river were breathtaking as we approached down the steep walls of the Gorge. There are two bridges across the Blue Nile – the newer one built by Japan and the older one built by Italians. The Italian bridge is now only used by pedestrians. When we visited we were the only tourists. There was not much of infrastructure – say a cafe where one could enjoy a lunch or coffee taking in stunning views would be nice. We crossed the bridge and headed a little bit further up the road to get the view of the bridges and a panorama of the gorge and its surroundings.

The two bridges across Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
The two bridges across Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Blue Nile Gorge view, Ethiopia
Blue Nile Gorge view, Ethiopia
View on the new bridge over Blue Nile from the old one, Ethiopia
View on the new bridge over Blue Nile from the old one, Ethiopia
View of the blue nile gorge and old bridge, Ethiopia
View of the blue nile gorge and old bridge, Ethiopia

On the way back as the fog had cleared we got more stunning views of the top of the plateau and the Gorge snaking through it. All the hills and cliffs were covered in bright yellow meskel flowers.

Blue Nile Gorge view, Ethiopia
Blue Nile Gorge view, Ethiopia
Hills with meskel flowers near Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia
Hills with meskel flowers near Blue Nile Gorge, Ethiopia

Heading back we saw more familiar road scenery with people now mostly returning from the markets.

Road from Blue Nile Gorge to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Road from Blue Nile Gorge to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Road from Blue Nile falls to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Road from Blue Nile falls to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We wanted to stop by Debre Libanos – a famous monastery about 100km out of Addis Ababa half way between the Gorge and the city. It is located near the bottom of a striking canyon carved by a Nile tributary river. The road zigzags down towards the monastery with nice views of the canyon. We saw a group of gelada monkeys. They were keeping away and you could not get too close to them unlike the ones we saw in Simien Mountains. We got to the Debre Libanos church but did not get to do the walk around as some nice person came with a rock and tried to scratch our car with it while we were trying to figure out where to park. We decided against trying to park and leaving the car and headed away. We stopped for a (very) late lunch at Ethio-German park hotel with superb views of the canyon.

Gelada monkeys near Debre Libanos, Ethiopia
Gelada monkeys near Debre Libanos, Ethiopia
View of the canyon from Ethio-German park hotel.
View of the canyon from Ethio-German park hotel.

It was definitely a nice day trip from Addis Ababa even if with quite a bit of driving. Many travel agencies offer the trip which makes it easier and probably better for Debre Libanos visit. It can also be a part of a longer overland trip to lake Tana as the road to Bahir Dar crosses the gorge.

More Ethiopia trips

Awash national park, Ethiopia

Awash national park is one of the oldest in Ethiopia and is only about 200km east of the capital Addis Ababa. We visited in November 2017 for a weekend trip leaving Friday afternoon. The drive takes about 3 hours. The first part of the drive is along the new excellent Adama expressway toll road.

Adama expressway, Ethiopia
Adama expressway, Ethiopia
Windmills and harvest in the field approaching Adama on expressway, Ethiopia

After Adama the road becomes a regular two way road and driving slows down quite a bit. This road goes all the way to Djibouti and is the main route for all trucks going to Djibouti port. There are also tricycles, horse drawn carriages, cattle, camels and people crossing or walking along the road making driving on it not the most relaxing task.

Djibouti road towards Awash fall park, Ethiopia
Djibouti road towards Awash national park, Ethiopia
Djibouti road towards Awash fall park, Ethiopia
Djibouti road towards Awash national park, Ethiopia
Camels along Djibouti road towards Awash fall park, Ethiopia
Camels along Djibouti road towards Awash national park, Ethiopia
Cattle crossing Djibouti road towards Awash fall park, Ethiopia
Cattle crossing Djibouti road towards Awash national park, Ethiopia

The drive was very scenic with stunning views of escarpment as we descended from the highlands and headed towards hotter lowlands.

View towards Ethiopia highlands
View towards Ethiopia highlands

We stayed in Awash Falls Lodge located at the south-western edge of the park near to the park’s entrance gate. The park is divided in two parts by the road that goes through it and this lodge, Awash river and the main game viewing area are all south of the road. The lodge is in a beautiful location overlooking Awash falls. The accommodation is pretty basic with limited facilities but there is running water and electricity.

Awash falls and Awash falls lodge, Ethiopia
Awash falls and Awash falls lodge, Ethiopia

The restaurant area has a very nice view of the falls and the crocodiles congregating at the bottom of the falls. There were probably 20 Nile crocodiles hanging on the beach or floating at the bottom of the falls. It is possible to walk down to the beach to get a closer look at the crocodiles some of which were easily 4 meters long.

Awash falls, Ethiopia
Awash falls, Ethiopia
Nile crocodiles near Awash falls, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Nile crocodiles near Awash falls, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Nile crocodile near Awash falls, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Nile crocodile near Awash falls, Awash national park, Ethiopia

Awash river serves as a southern boundary of the national park and there is a nice trail starting at the lodge and going along the river. There is incredible variety of bird life along the river as well as baboons and monkeys and crocodiles in the river. Baboons and grivet monkeys seemed quite relaxed and one could get really close to them. Colobus monkeys were very shy mostly hiding in the top of tree canopy as it seems they get poached fair bit.

Awash river, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Awash river, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Baboons, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Baboons, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Colobus monkey, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Colobus monkey, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Grivet monkey, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Grivet monkey, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Hamadryas baboons, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Hamadryas baboons, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Eagle with a nest on power line, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Eagle with a nest on power line, Awash national park, Ethiopia
African fish eagle eating fish, Awash national park, Ethiopia
African fish eagle eating fish, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Grey-headed kingfisher, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Grey-headed kingfisher, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Eastern yellow-billed hornbill, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Eastern yellow-billed hornbill, Awash national park, Ethiopia
White bellied go-away bird, Awash national park, Ethiopia
White bellied go-away bird, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Leopard tortoise, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Leopard tortoise, Awash national park, Ethiopia

There is a game drive loop around the park and we drove in our vehicle but with the guide from the park. We saw a few oryxes and a small group of Soemmering gazelles. Guide told us that quite a lot of animals died in the drought that hit the are in 2015 and 2016. People with their cattle encroach on the park and poaching of the wildlife is a problem also. The enforcement is weak and fines are quite small even if applied.

Oryx and Soemmering gazelle, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Oryx and Soemmering gazelle, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Oryx, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Oryx, Awash national park, Ethiopia

The game driving loop takes you to the Kereyu lodge with a nice view over Awash river gorge. It seems the lodge was going to get upgraded and expanded adding pool and proper rooms to the trailer cabins it had before. At the time of the visit though there was no sign of any construction continuing. And with unrest that started in 2015 and periodically flairs up it seems fewer tourists make it to the park.

Awash river gorge, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Awash river gorge, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Unfinished pool in Kereyu lodge overlooking Awash gorge, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Stopped construction in Kereyu lodge, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Stopped construction in Kereyu lodge, Awash national park, Ethiopia
railer-rooms in old Kereyu lodge, Awash national park, Ethiopia
Trailer-rooms in old Kereyu lodge, Awash national park, Ethiopia

Similar to the Abijatta-Shalla park we saw cattle grazing in Awash national park. Generally it seems Awash situation is better though as there was still plenty of long grass and we saw only one herd of cattle – unlike Abijatta-Shalla with its manicured-lawn look.

Cattle in the distance in Awash national park, Ethiopia
Cattle in the distance in Awash national park, Ethiopia

About 10km from the national park there is lake Beseka with good birdlife, Mount Fentalle and hyena cave at the foot of the mountain. We headed for the sunset on the lake and a look at the hyena cave. Hyenas emerge from the cave at sunset and head out to hunt.

Mount Fentalle and lake Beseka, Ethiopia
Mount Fentalle and lake Beseka, Ethiopia

Mount Fentalle is a dormant volcano that last erupted probably in early 19th century. The scenery is quite stark with old lava flow and vents surrounding the mountain. It is possible to hike up the mountain to see the crater. The lake at the foothills of the mountain has lots of birds but is also quite polluted with the growing town of Metahara on its shore.

Yellow-billed stork, lake Beseka, Ethiopia
Yellow-billed stork, lake Beseka, Ethiopia
Marabou stork, lake Beseka, Ethiopia
Marabou stork, lake Beseka, Ethiopia
Sunset on lake Beseka, Ethiopia
Sunset on lake Beseka, Ethiopia

To see the hyena cave we joined a small group of local tourists with a guide and drove from the lake towards the Fentalle mountain for about 2km. We then parked and hiked. The walk involved crossing the newly constructed railway line connecting Addis Ababa with Djibouti. The terrain at the foothill of the mountain is rocky with solidified lava flows. There are also massive volcanic fissures in the ground that seem to go very very deep with bats popping out of them. We reached the hill providing a good view of the cave as sun was setting. We saw about 5-6 hyenas emerge from the cave and trot away hunting. It was too dark to get a good picture of them unfortunately. As we started going back it was already dark. Hopping over volcanic fissures and stumbling around rocky solidified lava with a phone torch as the only source of light was quite an adventure.

Addis Djibouti railway, Ethiopia
Addis Djibouti railway, Ethiopia

Next day we headed to the northern part of the park to Doho lodge and hot springs passing some traditional Afar homes on the way.

Afar traditional home, Ethiopia
Afar traditional home, Ethiopia

Doho lodge has ostriches wondering around the grounds and nice looking cabins. The hot springs are concreted in several pools – the water was super hot boiling temperature and given it was a hot day we did not quite feel the need to jump into these hot pools. The hotsprings drain into a nice little lake and the lodge’s restaurant is set up so that you have a nice view over the lake. It seemed that the place would be very good for bird watching too.

Ostriches at Doho Lodge, near Awash national park, Ethiopia
Ostriches at Doho Lodge, near Awash national park, Ethiopia
Hot springs at Doho lodge, near Awash national park, Ethiopia
Hot springs at Doho lodge, near Awash national park, Ethiopia
The view of the lake from the Doho lodge restaurant, near Awash national park, Ethiopia
The view of the lake from the Doho lodge restaurant, near Awash national park, Ethiopia

After having a nice lunch overlooking the lake we headed back to Addis Ababa enjoying more impressive scenery on the way back.

View along Adama express towards Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
View along Adama express towards Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

More Ethiopia trips

Lakes Langano, Abijatta, Shalla and Ziway, Ethiopia

Lakes Langano, Abijatta and Shalla are about 200km south of Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa with Lake Ziway along the way at about 150km. These lakes are a part of the string of East Africa Rift Valley lakes stretching further south through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. This is the line along which Africa tectonic plate is splitting at a rate of 6-7mm a year. In 10 million years a new continent will appear and the ocean will cover the Rift Valley. For now East Africa Rift Valley is incredibly scenic part of Africa and Ethiopia has a good chunk of it from Danakil depression in the north to lake Turkana in the south and many lakes and striking hills in between.

Route from Addis Ababa to lakes Ziway, Langano, Abijatta and Shalla, Ethiopia
Route from Addis Ababa to lakes Ziway, Langano, Abijatta and Shalla, Ethiopia

Lakes Langano, Abijatta, Shalla and Ziway are relatively easy to reach from Addis Ababa by car through Adama expressway to Mojo and then the road going south to Hawassa. The expressway is an excellent recently built modern tall road that so far takes you to the city of Adama but will eventually be part of the road going all the way to Djibouti.

Adama expressway, Ethiopia
Adama expressway, Ethiopia

After passing Bishoftu – a town surrounded by four small lakes all part of the same Rift Valley, the road reaches Mojo – home for the main dry port of Ethiopia and a hectic little town packed with trucks. Here is where you exit the nice expressway and go on the “normal” road towards Hawassa. The new Hawassa expressway is under construction and once finished will make the trip much shorter and a less intense driving experience. For now it takes about 3.5 hours to get to Langano from Addis.

Road from Mojo to Hawassa, Ethiopia
Road from Mojo to Hawassa, Ethiopia

The two-way Hawassa road passes through numerous towns. There is a lot of traffic including overloaded not necessarily road-worthy trucks, tricycles, and horse drawn carriages. There is also cattle walking along the road or crossing it and also people walking everywhere. The situation is further complicated by the poor state of the road with lots of potholes. Drivers prefer to drive around potholes even if it means going to oncoming traffic at high speed.

Road from Mojo to Hawassa, Ethiopia
Road from Mojo to Hawassa, Ethiopia

Bottom line driving is not easy and absolutely not to be attempted in the dark. There are many tour companies that offer trips covering these lakes so this is another option if driving in such conditions does not appeal. We went to the lakes in the fall of 2017 and since then security situation has been fluid in some of the areas. The unrest often means that roads get blocked or protesters try to throw stones at vehicles. It is always good to check before heading out whether roads are calm.

Road from Mojo to Hawassa passing through city of Ziway, Ethiopia
Road from Mojo to Hawassa passing through city of Ziway, Ethiopia

After turning south from Mojo the first lake along the road is lake Koka. This is a man made lake – a reservoir created by the Koka dam blocking Awash river. The size of the lake varies greatly between rainy and dry season. The picture below is at the very end of the rainy season when the lake is at its largest. In dry season water recedes and floodplain is farmed.

Lake Koka, Ethiopia
Lake Koka, Ethiopia

The road continues through fields and villages. Driving during Saturday morning hours we saw lots of people walking along the road to the nearest markets.

Along the road from Mojo to Ziway, Ethiopia
Along the road from Mojo to Ziway, Ethiopia

After about 85km on the road from Mojo is the town of Ziway on the lake of the same name. As you approach the city along the road you see hundreds of marabou storks cruising in the sky and dotting the trees along the road. It appears Marabou storks thrive in Ethiopia as they tend to hang around landfill sites in busy towns across the country with plentiful food supply.

Marabou storks at a garbage dump near lake Ziway, Ethiopia
Marabou storks at a garbage dump near lake Ziway, Ethiopia

Once in Ziway we headed first to the pier to have a look at the lake Ziway. Lake Ziway is a big lake with a surface of about 430 square km and an average depth of about 9 meters. The lake has rich bird life and hippos. It is possible to take a boat to go around the lake and to visit some of the islands. One of the islands Tullo Gudo is where the Ark of Covennat was stored for safekeeping at some point according to tradition. As we were heading further down to Langano on the same day we did not do the boat and island thing but stopped for a lunch at Haile resort (owned by the running legend Haile Gebrselassie). Many tours overnight in Ziway as part of the longer rift valley lakes trip which allows for time to explore Ziway lake more.

Ziway town pier, Ethiopia
Ziway town pier, Ethiopia

Lake Ziway formed during the last Ice Age and used to be part of one giant lake encompassing Ziway, Abijata, Shalla and Langano. Over time water levels came down and the four distinct lakes eventually formed by about 2000 years ago. Geological changes in the rift valley combined with increase in human activity contribute to changes in water levels and quality.

Marabou stork and pelicans on lake Ziway, Ethiopia
Marabou stork and pelicans on lake Ziway, Ethiopia
Marabou stork and fishing boat on lake Ziway, Ethiopia
Marabou stork and fishing boat on lake Ziway, Ethiopia

After our lunch in Ziway we headed further south towards lake Langano. The road stretches along the lake and is lined with flower farms that have expanded fast in recent years turning Ethiopia into the second larges flower exported in Africa after Kenya. We stayed in Hara Langano lodge on the south eastern side of the lake Langano. Reaching the lodge required taking off the main road and shifting towards a local road which was mostly paved to go around the southern shore of the lake.

View on Langano lake from the road at the souther side of the lake, Ethiopia
View on Langano lake from the road at the souther side of the lake, Ethiopia

Taking this road we were getting deeper into rural Ethiopia. There were villages, small subsistence farms and kids running around everywhere. The birdlife along this rode was amazing. We saw plenty of hornbills and all sorts of other spectacular birds.

traditional house near lake Langano, Ethiopia
Traditional house near lake Langano, Ethiopia

Hana Langano lodge is quite remote located away from the main concentration of lodges along the main road. It has basic wooden cabins, hot water and reasonable food. The cabins are facing the lake and you can see hippos from your room. Same hippos at night come and graze in the vicinity of the lodge. We saw a group of colobus monkeys passing through the beautiful huge trees dotting the lodge. There was also plenty of birdlife.

Colobus monkeys at Hana Langano lodge, Ethiopia
Colobus monkeys at Hana Langano lodge, Ethiopia

Amazingly for this relatively remote location – it took us nearly five hours to get there – there were two fairly large groups of Chinese and Japanese people from Addis Ababa. They were well equipped with fishing gear, tents and all things needed for preparing big dinner – including own barbecue grill and blow torch for starting the fire.

Fishing on lake Langano, Ethiopia
Fishing on lake Langano, Ethiopia
Sunset on lake Langano from Hana Langano lodge, Ethiopia
Sunset on lake Langano from Hana Langano lodge, Ethiopia

Next morning, after a nice breakfast we headed for the Abijatta Shalla National park – back to the main road. This national park, like other national parks in Ethiopia are not exactly as well run as the parks in neighboring Kenya or Uganda. You can self drive through the park but must take a guide with you when you pay for your permit at the gate. We did not pre-book the tickets and did not see many tourists in the park.

Entrance gate to Abijatta Shalla National Park
Entrance gate to Abijatta Shalla National Park

After passing the guards’s house presumably national park starts. We were quite excited to see ostriches walking towards us along the road. But then after driving a bit further we passed a fence and it turned out that the ostriches we saw were an ostrich farm not exactly wild park ones.

Ostrich farm in Abijatta Shalla national park, Ethiopia
Ostrich farm in Abijatta Shalla national park, Ethiopia

We then proceeded to the hill top with an incredible view over both lakes and the narrow strip of land separating them. The view was stunning especially given the contrast between the two lakes. Shalla is a deep 257m lake covering a crater of ancient volcano. Abijatta is a shallow shrinking lake that lost about 100 square km or half of its surface since the 1980s. The land between the lakes is also part of the national park so it was surprising to see permanent villages, cultivated fields and cattle scattered over the area. Population encroachment is a problem across the national parks in Ethiopia it turned out. By some estimate about 50,000 individuals reside in Abijtta Shalla National Park.

View of the Abijatta Shalla National park.
View of the Abijatta Shalla National park.

From the hilltop view point we headed down to the park. The route did not appear to be frequented by tourists. Most tourists – at least those on a big bus with what seemed to be school kids that we saw – finished the tour of the park by taking pictures at the hilltop view point. The roads in the park are not exactly maintained and as we were there just at the end of the rainy season some of the driving we did was on riverbeds. It would be impossible to know where to go without the guide – though even guide was not too sure at times as rains washed away parts of “roads”.

View of lake Shalla, Ethiopia
View of lake Shalla, Ethiopia

We first went towards the lake Shalla. It is a large lake of dark blue color framed by spectacular cliffs. Because of its depth the lake holds more water than Lake Tana even though Lake Tana has surface area almost ten times larger. As we were heading down towards the lakes we saw (not wild) camels with their herders. We also saw a horse-drawn carriage heading down – amazing given that even in 4×4 it was quite a fit to drive on that road.

Camels on shore of lake Shalla, Ethiopia
Camels on shore of lake Shalla, Ethiopia
Horse-drawn carriage in Abijatta Shalla National Park, Ethiopia
Horse-drawn carriage in Abijatta Shalla National Park, Ethiopia

But then we reached the lake and there was an empty shore and lots of flamingoes and it looked perfectly wild and beautiful. It was before our camera lens upgrade and we unfortunately did not get any closeups of these beautiful birds.

Flamingoes on lake Shalla, Ethiopia
Flamingoes on lake Shalla, Ethiopia

Then we went a little further up the shore of the lake towards the hot springs and were surprised to see all the people there. They were cooking corn in the boiling water coming out of the ground and then further down the stream where the water cools a bit as it reaches the lake – doing laundry. There was an entire settlement set up on the shore. All still firmly inside the national park according to the map.

Hot spring flowing into lake Shalla and people doing laundry, Ethiopia
Hot spring flowing into lake Shalla and people doing laundry, Ethiopia
Cooking corn in hot springs near lake Shalla, Ethiopia
Cooking corn in hot springs near lake Shalla, Ethiopia

From hot springs we headed across the land separating the two lakes towards lake Abijatta. Driving through washed away roads we passed many little settlements with their gardens. We saw some nice birds along the way but no mammals of any kinds, even monkeys.

Settlements inside of Abijatta Shalla National Park, Ethiopia
Settlements inside of Abijatta Shalla National Park, Ethiopia

It is only as we were reaching lake Abijatta we saw several Grant’s gazelles in a distance. They were very skittish – unsurprisingly as it seems encounters with humans do not usually go well for them even in what is technically a national park.

Grant's gazelle in the distance in Abijatta Shalla National Park, Ethiopia
Grant’s gazelle in the distance in Abijatta Shalla National Park, Ethiopia

Lake Abijatta is a very shallow lake of brownish color with very scenic hills on the western side of the lake. The lake has been shrinking fast over the past thirty years and is now surrounded by a wide margin of dried lake bed.

Lake Abijatta, Ethiopia
Lake Abijatta, Ethiopia

As we walked closer the ground got softer. The surface of it was actually crispy solid dry but under it was shifty moving mud so you could not get all the way to the water really. There were quite a few flamingoes on the lake though we could not quite get near enough to get good pictures.

Flamingoes on lake Abijatta, Ethiopia
Flamingoes on lake Abijatta, Ethiopia

The grass around the lake and through most of the park area that we drove through was very short – looking like a perfectly manicured lawn. And then we saw a large herd of cattle grazing next to the lake – all still inside the national park boundaries.

Cattle grazing near lake Abijatta, Ethiopia
Cattle grazing near lake Abijatta, Ethiopia

Done with Abijatta and Shalla we headed for the exist from the park and towards lake Langano. We stopped at Sabana lodge for a late lunch. The lodge overlooks lake Langano and is a popular spot for Addis residents on weekends. There are several less fancy lodges along the shore and a few modern houses.

View of lake Langano, Ethiopia
View of lake Langano, Ethiopia

Lake Langano is reportedly free of bilharzia or schistosomiasis – a disease caused by parasitic warm carried by snails – and is safe for swimming. We did not try our luck and as it was not that hot yet did not see many people in the water. We enjoyed a nice lunch overlooking the beautiful lake before heading back to Addis Ababa after quite active weekend exploring the four lakes.

View of lake Langano, Ethiopia
View of lake Langano, Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a densely populated country of 100 million people and enforcing borders of national parks is very difficult. Competition for land and resources is a major source of conflict. On some level it was fascinating to see the people and their cattle and their villages in the stunningly beautiful environment. But it was also clear that wild life does not have much chance and is being squeezed out. Overgrazing in these marginal areas that are often hit by droughts makes one also wonder if the large herds of cattle are sustainable. Water resource use as towns around lakes grow also threatens the lakes themselves. Ethiopia has incredible landscape and nature and still some wildlife left as we saw in other national parks in Awash, Simeon mountains and Nechisar. As Government plans to boost tourism hopefully chances for wildlife in national parks will improve too.

More Ethiopia trips

Diving in Nosy Be, Madagascar

Nosy Be Madagascar from airplane
Nosy Be Madagascar from airplane

Nosy Be is an island off the north-west coast of Madagascar with incredible diving and a chance to see some of Madagascar’s unique wild life. We were there in the middle of September and got to snorkel with whale sharks, watch humpback whales, had fantastic dives in good visibility and reasonably warm water (26C). Topside is excellent as well and we saw lemurs and chameleons. Nosy Be is a volcanic island with several crater lakes – all of different color and reportedly full of crocodiles. There are white sand beaches, acceptable quality road, delicious food and friendly locals. We were there for a week and it felt too short.

Andilana beach, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Andilana beach, Nosy Be, Madagascar

Ambatoloaka is the main tourist beach with quite a few hotels and restaurants. It gets pretty busy but good to go for lunch or dinner on the beach. Andilana is a nice white sand beach in the northern part of the island – has fewer hotels and a couple of restaurants. Small islands around Nosy Be have beautiful white sand beaches and island hopping with snorkeling is one of the main tourist activities.

Nosy Tanikely beach, Madagascar
Nosy Tanikely beach, Madagascar

Nosy Tanikely is one of the small islands around Nosy Be – has a nice beach, excellent snorkeling and there is a view point at the top from where you can see Madagascar mainland and various surrounding islands.

Ambaro beach, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Ambaro beach, Nosy Be, Madagascar

We stayed along the shore north of Dzamandzar town. The long stretch of the beach seems to be named Ambaro. There are a few resorts along the shore but the atmosphere is more quiet and relaxed than on the two main beaches. This is also where several dive shops are. We dove with Love Bubble which was absolutely wonderful. And not only did we have superb diving but also got to snorkel with whale sharks and watch humpback whales.

Humpback whales come to the waters of Madagascar from Antarctica to breed and usually can be seen between July and November. When we visited in September 2019 they were just arriving – much later than usual. At the same time whale sharks arrived earlier then usual at the beginning of September. So we got really lucky to see both whale sharks and humpback whales. We saw about 6-7 whales blowing water and flipping tails but did not manage to get a nice shot of a breaching whale this time. You can only watch them from the boat, no snorkeling allowed.

Humpback whales, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Humpback whales, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Humpback whale tale, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Humpback whale tale, Nosy Be, Madagascar

In addition to diving, snorkeling and beach there is much to do inland on Nosy Be topside. Mont Passot is the highest point on the island and has an amazing view. You get to see the lakes, the surrounding islands and Madagascar mainland. The place is popular with locals for sunset especially on the weekend.

Sunset view from Mont Passot over lakes and Sakatia island, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Sunset view from Mont Passot over lakes and Sakatia island, Nosy Be, Madagascar

There is a good paved road to the top of the Mont Passot. Importantly – google maps shows that there are two roads up to Mont Passot which is not exactly accurate. The good paved road starts not too far from Andilana and we took that one on the way to Mont Passot on our scooter. We then thought to take the road that goest to Dzamandzar on the way back. At the top it starts as a paved road but then progressively turns into a dirt track and then I am not even sure if one can call it a trail even (picture below). At some point we thought we would be lost as sun was setting but we made it back with the last rays of light.

Road from Mont Passot to Dzamandzar, Nosy Be, Madagascar

To see lemurs and chameleons we went to Lemuria Land. It is a plantation and distillery for ylang-ylang and other essential oils and a nature park. It borders Lokobe reserve. We were planning to go to Lokobe reserve but it was not possible to do it within an afternoon and with all the superb diving, whales and whale sharks we left Lokobe for the next time.

Black lemur female, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Black lemur female, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar

In Lemuria Land they have several species of lemurs. The park feeds lemurs and you can feed them too. It is not exactly full wilderness experience, but on another hand lemurs live around the island and even in our resort one morning a lemur came over expecting to get a banana treat.

Black lemur male, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Black lemur male, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Sifaka, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Mdagascar
Ring tailed lemur, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be , Madagascar

They also have a collection of panther chameleons at Lemuria Land.

Panther chameleon, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Panther chameleon, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Panther chameleon, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Panther chameleon, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Panther chameleon, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar
Panther chameleon, Lemuria Land, Nosy Be, Madagascar

All in all Nosy Be was a surprise. For some reason we totally did not expect diving to be so amazing. Corals look more like you would see in Red Sea than Kenya, Zanzibar or Mozambique. On some level it also looks a little like Philippines with its mountainous volcanic islands and outrigger boats. Nosy Be is about as far south of equator as Anilao is north of the equator at about 13″ latitude so maybe that has something to do with it too. Or maybe that it is still quiet and not overrun by industrial scale diving as in Thailand or Indonesia.

We are told August through November is the best time, December through March is cyclones, after that water is warm and fish life is excellent, but visibility not good. Go!

Blue Nile falls in Ethiopia

Blue Nile falls in Ethiopia known as Tis Issat (Smoke of Fire) or Tis Abay (Smoke of the Nile) are about 30 km downstream from the lake Tana – the source of Blue Nile. We visited in September 2017 – the end of the rainy season when water level is the highest and the falls are at their most impressive. The falls are a worthy day trip from Bahir Dar – a city on lake Tana and a capital of Amhara region.

Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia
Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia

We went to the falls on Saturday – a market day – and it was the market day ahead of Ethiopian new year celebrated on September 11 (Ethiopia has its own calendar with 13 months in it). Bahir Dar is the capital of the region and the main commercial center and market town.  With the new year’s market on, some of the main roads in the city were closed so we had to drive around through back roads which are not sealed.  

Back street roads after rains, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
Back street roads after rains, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

It’s being the end of the rainy season some of the roads looked more like rivers. So the trip to the falls took us a bit longer than expected 1.5-2 hours but also gave a glimpse of life in the town off the main street. Once we reached the main road, we saw a constant flow of people heading to the market in Bahir Dar from surrounding villages. Men herding goats, sheep and cows and women carrying sacks of grain or baskets with chickens and all sorts of other produce on their heads.

people walking to the market, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

The road to the falls runs through picturesque fields with mountains in the distance. After the rainy season the fields were bright emerald green. And all along the way we saw farmers walking down the road to do their holiday buying and selling. The Blue Nile falls may be one of the major tourist attractions in the area but the road to them is still a work in progress. Reportedly during the dry season it is not an issue but after heavy rains parts of it are barely passable and 4×4 is essential.

view on the way from Bahir Dar to Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia
on the way from Bahir Dar to Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia
Blue Nile falls sign, Ethiopia

The starting point for the track to the falls is the village of  Tis Abay (also called Tis Issat) – both of which are the names for Blue Nile falls – so basically  the Blue Nile falls village. Being a market day, it was very busy and took us a while to get through the main street with all the shoppers sharing the road with vehicles.  We picked up our guide – advisable not because it would be difficult to find the way to the falls but to avoid harassment along the trail by unofficial guides and locals – and set of for the falls.

Tis Abay village near Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia

The falls are an easy walk and we reached the first view point in about half hour stopping frequently taking pictures. Parts of the trail got quite muddy and slippery after the rain so it is a good idea to have proper shoes and definitely not advisable to try to do it in flip flops. The walk starts by crossing a stone bridge built by Portuguese in 1626 – presumably the oldest stone bridge in Ethiopia.

Portuguese bridge near Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia
on the hike towards Blue NIle falls, Ethiopia

Walking up the hill we could hear the waterfall’s roar and once up the hill the first view of the falls was spectacular. The volume of water has declined in recent years since part of the river was diverted to hydropower plant and in dry season there is very little of water trickles through. When we were there in September at the end of the rainy season though there was plenty of water plunging down the cliffs with spray reaching across the gorge and you could understand why the local name for the falls was Smoke (of the fire or of the Nile).

Blue Nile falls or Tis Issat, Ethiopia

We walked along the falls enjoying the beautiful scenery.  There were very few tourists around I think we only saw two or three other small groups mostly couples or families. Instead we saw many locals going to and from market, herding their cattle, fetching water or just going somewhere. As in most places in Ethiopia cattle is pretty much everywhere – including right in front of the waterfalls. Giving the place a very un-touristy feel.

Blue Nile Falls, Ethiopia

We walked down at the other end of the falls,  got properly drenched by the spray and had to give up on getting the up-close photo of the falls. The option for return was to either walk back the same way or proceed further, over suspension bridge and by ferry back to the village. We went for the latter option and crossed over the suspension walking bridge – this one Swiss built in the late 20th century – sharing the bridge with a few goats and giggling local girls.

Suspension bridge, Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia
Suspension bridge, Blue Nile falls, Ethiopia

Once on the other side we walked through the fields to the little ferry boat that took us across the Nile back to Tis Abay village.  We then walked through some backyards and alleys of the village to get back to our car for the return drive to Bahir Dar. By this time the rain started but we made it back without getting stuck.

Backstreets of Tis Abay village, Ethiopia
Backstreets of Tis Abay village, Ethiopia

It was a nice trip and waterfalls are definitely worth it.  Lack of infrastructure and the fact that the falls are not fenced off into a park only for visitors adds to the uniqueness of the adventure.  Most likely things will be changing and there might even be hotels around the falls once the road is improved.  In the mean time there is a way to see one of the major waterfalls in a very un-touristy way – a rare chance. It is also good to combine with visiting monasteries and watching hippos and birds on Lake Tana using Bahir Dar as a base.

Road from Tis Abay to Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

More Ethiopia trips

Lake Tana hippos and birds, Ethiopia

fisherman and pelican, lake Tana, Ethiopia
fisherman in a papyrus boat and pelican, lake Tana, Ethiopia

Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the source of Blue Nile. The city of Bahir Dar is a good base to explore the lake with its monasteries and to visit Blue Nile falls. A boat ride towards the marshes near the source of the Nile is good to see hippos and birds. It is possible to arrange your own boat from the hotel or to go on the one departing from the pier – a more crowded option. On the lake it is still possible to see fisherman in traditional papyrus boats usually accompanied by pelicans.

hippos, lake Tana, Ethiopia
hippos, lake Tana, Ethiopia

Hippos tend to hang around around the western shore where Blue Nile flows out of Lake Tana. You cant quite go on a boat from the lake to Blue Nile it seems as the area is shallow and covered in marsh. People live all around the lake. Having seen hippos mostly in national parks it is quite incredible to see hippos and all sorts of exotic birds right next to people’s houses or groups of people waiting for a boat to take them to town.

hippos, lake Tana, Ethiopia
hippos, lake Tana, Ethiopia

Bird life on the shores of the lake is spectacular. We are not exactly bird watchers but given the amazing diversity of bird life in Ethiopia combined with a rather sad situation in its mammal kingdom (cattle excluded), we have started developing interest in birds. Lake Tana does not seem to be part of the standard bird watcher circuit going mostly south of Addis Ababa along the Rift Valley lakes where it is more likely to see rare endemic species of interest to pro bird watchers. But for us newbie pretend birdwatchers with a greater interest in how large or colorful the bird is than how rare or endemic it is – Lake Tana was perfect. On the boat ride to see hippos we saw several African fish eagles – including in action catching fish, pelicans being fed by a fisherman, cormorants catching fish, and lots of Egyptian geese.

African fish eagles, lake Tana, Ethiopia
African fish eagles, lake Tana, Ethiopia
pelicans, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
pelicans, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
pelicans, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
pelicans, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
cormorant fishing, lake Tana, Ethiopia

There is a nice path along the lakeshore about 2km long where you can find all sorts of birds. It is a very nice walk even if you are not keen on birds and we even saw some velvet monkeys along the path.

lakeshore path, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
lakeshore path, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
Velvet monkey, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Velvet monkey, lake Tana, Ethiopia
hornbill, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Silvery-cheeked hornbill, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Pied kingfisher, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Pied kingfisher, lake Tana, Ethiopia
African paradise flycatcher, lake Tana, Ethiopia
African paradise flycatcher, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Variable sunbird, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Variable sunbird, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Black-winged lovebird, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Black-winged lovebird, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Double-toothed Barbet, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
Double-toothed barbet, Lake Tana, Ethiopia
Village weaver, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Village weaver, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Speckled mousebird, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Speckled mousebird, lake Tana, Ethiopia
Egret, lake Tana, Ethiopia

And after all the walking it is nice to stop at one of the cafes along the lake shore for a beverage and to enjoy the sunset. With Blue Nile falls, lake monasteries, birds, hippos and just chilled out lake side atmosphere Bahir Dar is excellent for a long weekend away from Addis or a 2-3 day stop on an Ethiopia trip.

More Ethiopia trips

Amboseli safari, Kenya

Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli, Kenya
Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli, Kenya

Amboseli National park is famous for the beautiful views of Kilimanjaro and lots of animals especially during the dry season. We went in early March at the very beginning of the rainy season (the rain started the week we travelled) and saw lots of elephants, wildebeest, hippos, giraffes, lions and amazing variety of birds. Mount Kilimanjaro was hiding behind the clouds but you could almost always see part of the snow covered top.

elephants, Amboseli, Kenya
Family of elephants, Amboseli, Kenya
Baboons, Amboseli , Kenya
Baboons, Amboseli , Kenya
zebras, Amboseli, Kenya
Zebras, Amboseli, Kenya
secretary bird, Amboseli, Kenya
Secretary bird, Amboseli, Kenya
grey crowned crane, Amboseli, Kenya
Grey crowned crane, Amboseli, Kenya
spoonbill, Amboseli, Kenya
Spoonbill, Amboseli, Kenya

We drove to Amboseli from Nairobi. On the way to the park it took us about 4 hours. Mombasa road is very busy with all the traffic going between Mombasa port and the rest of Kenya and countries further inland. On the way back, because of the heavy rains we hit a massive traffic jam about 60km out of Nairobi. All the trucks and cars were at a standstill. We ended up taking a detour and the journey back took us more than 6 hours.

One day Mombasa road expansion will be finished and then driving to Amboseli from Nairobi would be a reasonable option but until that day it seems the best would be to fly. Also, once the road is expanded, driving to Amboseli from Mombasa and combine Amboseli and Diani beach would be a nice option.

Access road to Amboseli park after unusually heavy rain, Amboseli, Kenya
Traffic jam on Mombasa road, Kenya

Diving in Diani Beach, Kenya

Diving around Diani beach in Kenya we saw lots of octopi, turtles, sting rays, schools of reef fish, dolphins and coral in good condition.

Logistics

Diani Beach is about 30km south of Mombasa on the Indian ocean coast of Kenya. It takes about 2 hours to get from Mombasa airport to Diani including the ferry (you stay in the car when it goes on ferry). The place you stay at can help arrange pick up from the airport. Accommodation is a mix of large hotels and lots of smaller bed&breakfast and self catering options.

Diani beach, Kenya
Diani beach, Kenya

The main white sand beach stretches for miles. Along the beach there are several huge abandoned hotels as it seems that unrest in Kenya a few years back scared off tourists. But things are definitely picking up especially during the good weather season that goes from November through March. April through October has rains and sea can be rough.

Diani beach, Kenya
Diani beach, Kenya

There is a couple of dive shops on the beach. We dove with Diani Marine which runs a solid professional operation. The boat goes out for two dives and comes back around lunch time. We were in a self-catering accommodation nearby but one can also stay at Diani Marine. Generally the area around Baharini shopping center is quite convenient as there are several nice restaurants and supermarket all within a walking distance. There are quite a few tricycle taxis to get around or one can hire a motorbike.

Baboons on the road, Diani beach, Kenya
Baboons on the road, Diani beach, Kenya

Other than beach and diving, there is a kiteboarding scene including an annual competition and kiteboarding school. There is also a very cool colobus conservation center. The Center rehabilitates and returns to the wild former pet monkeys and those that get injured in traffic accidents. You get to see at the center but also all around colobus, Sykes, velvet monkeys and yellow baboons.

Colobus monkeys, Diani beach, Kenya
Colobus monkeys, Diani beach, Kenya

Diani beach is a quieter less crowded option than Zanzibar with fewer tourists, nice beach, good food options and very good diving. It is also easy to combine Diani stay with a safari in one of Kenya parks but for some reason this does not seem to be happening on the scale that Tanzania have managed to organize. We have gone to Amboseli with stunning views of Kilimanjaro and Tsavo East and West are also good options.

Serengeti Safari, Tanzania

Herd of zebras in Serengeti, Tanzania
Herd of zebras in Serengeti, Tanzania

Serengeti national park covers about 15,000 square kilometers bordering Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya in the north. Serengeti is most famous for the migration of more than a million wildebeest accompanied by zebra, gazelles and assorted antelopes. It has one of the largest populations of wild life anywhere in the world. Endless grassy rolling planes are perfect terrain for safari. Binoculars and 200m plus camera lens helps.

Elephants in Serengeti, Tanzania
Elephants in Serengeti, Tanzania

We left Lake Manyara for Serengeti early in the morning, passing through Ngorongoro conservation area, getting to the Serengeti gate at about lunch time and then heading to the west part of the park reaching at sunset time. Migrating animals were meant to be in the west of the park at the time of our trip in late May.

The drive through Ngorongoro conservation area is stunningly beautiful. As you descend from the crater Serengeti planes open up and you pass small Maasai villages where you can stop for a somewhat touristy experience. We saw quite a few giraffes on the way moving between Serengeti and Ngorongoro.

View to Serengeti planes descending from Ngorongoro, Tanzania
View to Serengeti planes descending from Ngorongoro, Tanzania
View  to Serengeti planes and giraffes descending from Ngorongoro, Tanzania
View to Serengeti planes and giraffes descending from Ngorongoro, Tanzania

As we drove through the planes towards Serengeti gate we encountered the tail of migrating herds of wildebeest and zebra. Rains were late this year and animals were still on their way to the west. It is incredible sight – as far as you can see all the way to the horizon there were animals.

Migrating herds of zebra and wildebeest on Serengeti planes, Tanzania
Migrating herds of zebra and wildebeest on Serengeti planes, Tanzania

We then came across a cheetah sitting 2 meters away from the road and watching intently a herd of impala. We waited hoping she would go hunting but she was not in the mood.

Chita near Serengeti national park, Tanzania
Chita near Serengeti national park, Tanzania

On we went and came across lions who just finished their lunch as evidenced by fat bellies of chilling out lions and meatless carcass next to them. Seeing endless herds of wildebeest and zebra, a cheetah and lions before even reaching the gate of Serengeti was very impressive.

Lion on Serengeti planes, Tanzania
Lion on Serengeti planes, Tanzania
Lion, Serengeti, Tanzania
Lion, Serengeti, Tanzania

After the gate there is a large resting area where most vehicles going in and out of the park stop, get permits sorted out and eat boxed lunch. The resting area is at the foot of a hill from which you get a nice 360 view of the planes. From here we continued on what now was a “proper” game drive since we were inside of the park, towards our lodge in the west. All along the way we saw herds of impala, wildebeest, zebra, gazelles, all sorts of birds, troop of baboons and even jackals. We made it to the lodge just in time for sunset. Sleeping in the tented camp to the purring of lions nearby was surreal.

Driving through Serengeti, Tanzania
Driving through Serengeti, Tanzania
Baboons in Serengeti, Tanznania
Zebras in Serengeti, Tanzania
Zebras in Serengeti, Tanzania
Black backed jackal in Serengeti, Tanzania
Black backed jackal in Serengeti, Tanzania

The next day we went for game drives all around western section returning back to the lodge for dinner.

Lions in Serengeti, Tanzania
Lions in Serengeti, Tanzania
Crocodiles in Serengeti, Tanzania
Crocodiles in Serengeti, Tanzania
Giraffe in Serengeti west at sunset, Tanzania
Giraffe in Serengeti west at sunset, Tanzania
Sunset view in Serengeti west, Tanzania
Sunset view in Serengeti west, Tanzania

After the second night in the west we headed to the central section of the park. The bird life in the park is equally spectacular

Bateleur eagle in Serengeti, Tanzania
Bateleur eagle in Serengeti, Tanzania
Martial eagle, Serengeti, Tanzania
Martial eagle, Serengeti, Tanzania
Lilac-breasted roller, Serengeti Tanzania
Lilac-breasted roller, Serengeti Tanzania
Saddled-billed stork, Serengeti, Tanzania
Saddled-billed stork, Serengeti, Tanzania

After we crossed one of the rivers we suddenly had a hippo standing right in front of us in the middle of the road – a rare site. After staring at us for a minute it wondered off into the bush and back into the river

Hippo in Serengeti, Tanzania
Hippo in Serengeti, Tanzania
Monkey near the lodge, Serengeti, Tanzania
Monkey near the lodge, Serengeti, Tanzania

On the way to the central we came across a troop of baboons feeding on the white flowers looking hilarious.

Baboons feeding on white flowers, Serengeti, Tanzania
Baboons feeding on white flowers, Serengeti, Tanzania
Baboons holding a white flowers, Serengeti, Tanzania
Baboons holding a white flowers, Serengeti, Tanzania

In central part we saw a leopard in a tree with its half finished lunch of impala hanging on a branch. We came across a pride of lions chilling out on a rock outcrop. And saw plenty of elephants, buffalo, giraffes, wild hogs, zebras, gazelles, and all sorts of birds.

Leopard in Serengeti, Tanzania
Leopard in Serengeti, Tanzania
Lion in Serengeti, Tanzania
Lion in Serengeti, Tanzania
Elefants in Serengeti, Tanzania
Elephants in Serengeti, Tanzania
Elefants in Serengeti, Tanzania
Buffalo in Serengeti, Tanzania

We spent a night in the central part with stunning views of the planes around. Next day we headed back to the gate and towards Ngorongoro crater coming across migration on the way back again. Serengeti lived up to high expectations.

Wildebeest in Serengeti, Tanzania
Wildebeest in Serengeti, Tanzania
Zebras in Serengeti, Tanzania
Zebras in Serengeti, Tanzania

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Tarangire safari, Tanzania

Tarangire National Park

Tarangire national park is about the same distance to Kilimanjaro airport as Manyara but for some reason does not seem to feature as prominently on tourist itineraries. The park is located along the river Tarangire and attracts a lot of wildlife during the dry season. We were traveling at the end of May and rainy season was just starting. We only had one half-day game drive in the park but got to see lions, giraffes, all sorts of gazelles and excellent bird life.

Impala and red-billed oxpeckers in Tarangire, Tanzania
Impala and red-billed oxpeckers in Tarangire, Tanzania
Baboons in Tarangire, Tanzania
Baboons in Tarangire, Tanzania
Lion in the tree in Tarangire, Tanzania
Lion in the tree in Tarangire, Tanzania
Lion yawning in Tarangire, Tanzania
Lion yawning in Tarangire, Tanzania

We spotted a lion in a tree – similarly to Lake Manyara lions here climb in the trees which they do not do in most other places. We then came across three male lions resting on the road. We followed them as they went towards the river later. On the river we saw a big group of giraffes – apparently properly called a tower of giraffes. At some point we counted fourteen of them coming down to the water for a drink.

Three lions on the road in Tarangire, Tanzania
Three lions on the road in Tarangire, Tanzania
Giraffes in the river in Tarangire, Tanzania
Giraffes in the river in Tarangire, Tanzania

Tarangire was a nice end for our Tanzania northern circuit safari. Lake Manyara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire are each brilliant with lots and lots of wildlife. After spending all the time driving around we were also ready to head out to Zanzibar for some underwater time.

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