Travel Ethiopia: Rift Lakes, BALE Mountains, Harar

Please contact us for the price of the stay

Level: Discovery

Difficulty:

We start the trip in the modern and lively capital Addis Ababa, where we will visit the museums and the heights, before taking the road to the Great Rift Lakes; we will stop in Ziway, Langano and Awassa, where fishing is very important. Then we will discover the mountainous landscapes of the Bale Mountains where we will try to approach some of the endemic animal species. We will stop at Wendo Genet where we will appreciate the hot springs, before going to Harar and Dire Dawa (we will even spend a night in a surprising "hostel" in the old town...).

   Ethiopia 
Central - South East
  Mountains & Lakes
  Itinerant stay
  13d/12n

This trip assumes that travelers fly internationally to Addis Ababa and back. The domestic flight Dire Dawa to Addis Ababa is included in the tour package.

 

DAY 1 

Arrival in Addis Ababa - Transfer to Abegaz Hotel

Program according to arrival time

Evening meal at Addis Jewel of India

Night: Abegaz Hotel in Addis

 

DAY 2

Morning: walk on the heights of Entoto-visit of the museum and imperial palace- Entoto Mariam Church- Haile Gebre Selassie Sports Complex

Lunch at the Taitu Hotel - one of the oldest establishments in the city

AfternoonVisit to the National Museum (Lucy) and the Red Terror Martyrs' Museum - Shiro Meda Traditional Clothing Market

Evening meal at Habesha 2000 with Ethiopian dance show

Night in Abegaz Hotel

 

DAY 3

Departure to Lake Ziway via Butajira, Enseno

Morning: drive and visit to the monolithic church of Adadi Maryam

Lunch in Ziway at Kuriftu Castle

Afternoon : Boat trip on Lake Ziway

Evening meal and night in Bethlehem Hotel du Lac Ziway

 

DAY 4

Departure for Lake Langano (40 kms)

Morning: Visit Shala and Abiata Lakes after drive and transfer to hotel

Lunch at Simbo Beach resort in Langano

Afternoon: swimming on the Langano lake, one of the only lakes in the country allowing swimming

Evening meal and night at Simbo Beach Resort in Langano

 

DAY 5

Departure for Lake Awassa - 60 kms

Morning: Trip to Lake Awassa - Walk to the market

Lunch at Luwa Bar in Awassa

Afternoonexcursion to Mount Tabor

Evening meal and night at Lewi Hotel Piazza in Awassa

 

DAY 6: 1st day at the Neem farm

MorningJourney by 4×4 from Awassa to Robe (BALE Mountains) via Dodola-240 kms 4h30

In Dinsho buy tickets for the BALE MOUNTAINS National Park

Lunch in the Gaysay Prairie (before Dinsho)

Afternoonexcursion on the site to meet Nyalas, monkeys and Ibis

Evening meal and night at the Siko Mendo Hotel in Robe

 

DAY 7

Morning and afternoon: Excursion to the Sanetti plateau in search of the Abyssinian wolf and to the Tullu Deemtu peak at 4377 m

Lunch: picnic

Evening meal at Harena Coffee in Goba

Night at the Siko Mendo Hotel in Robe

 

DAY 8

Morning: 4×4 journey from Robe to Wendo Genet- 230 kms -3h50

Lunch on the way or at Wendo Genet

Afternoon: natural hot water pool bath

Evening meal and harmedt at the Resort Hotel in Wendo Genet

 

DAY 9 Maskali Island

Morning: 4×4 from Wendo Genet to Awash - 340 kms - 5h30

Lunch on the way or in Awash

Afternoon visit hyena burrows and hot springs of Filwoha

Evening meal and night at Buffet d'Aouache in Awash

 

DAY 10 

Morning: 4×4 drive from Awash to Harar-280 kms - 5h30

Lunch on the way

Afternoon: walk in the new town of Harar visit of the brewery - In the evening show of the Hyenas meal

Evening meal at Fresh Touch in the old town

Night in an amazing traditional guesthouse in the old town: Anisa Abdella Guesthouse

 

DAY 11 

Morning: visit of the old town of Harar with its colourful houses - Arthur Rimbaud Centre - coffee shop - market

Lunch at Fresh Touch in Harar

AfternoonBabillé elephant sanctuary (32 kms road to Jijiga) - drive to Dire Dawa in the late afternoon

Evening meal at African Village in Dire Dawa

Night at the Selam Blue Hotel in Dire Dawa

 

DAY 12 

MorningVisit of Dire Dawa: big market of Kafira - visit of the old Ethiopian Railway Company

Lunch at Selam Blue Hotel in Dire Dawa

AfternoonVisit to the Lega Oda cave with its cave paintings

Evening meal at Paradisio Restaurant in Dire Dawa

Night at the Selam Blue Hotel in Dire Dawa

 

DAY 13

After breakfast transfer to Dire Dawa airport to return to Addis to catch the flight home.

 

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