Awash (Ethiopia)
According to Shoppingpicks, the city of Awash is located 200 km east of Addis Ababa on the banks of the Awash River above a deep canyon. It was formed in 1917 at a railway station built on Ethiopia ‘s only railway line, linking the country with Djibouti.
Near the city is the Awash National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park was founded in 1966. It is located on an area of 827 sq. km. around the extinct volcano Fentale (2007 m). The southern border of the park runs along the Awash River. The territory of the park is occupied by arid flat areas with steppe communities – acacia savannahs. 46 species of animals live here, including wild pigs, East African antelopes, Somali gazelles, Kudu forest antelopes, tiny dik-dik antelopes only 40 cm high and weighing up to 6 kg, baboons, zebras, servals, cheetahs, leopards, endemic colobus monkeys, giant tortoises. Crocodiles and hippos are also found in the waters of the Awash River. There are about 350 species of birds in the park: ostriches, secretary birds, Abyssinian hornbills, Abyssinian rollers and turacos. There are many trails in the park that are best traveled with a guide. During the safari, you can see not only a variety of animals and birds, but also picturesque waterfalls on the Awash River, the hot springs of Filvoha, which form lakes surrounded by palm trees, and the caldera of the Fentale volcano. There are also rafting trips along the Awash River. There are campsites for staying in the park. To the north of the Awash
National Park along the Awash River near the borders with the arid desert Danakil is another national park – Yangudi-Rasa. The name of the park was given by the Yangudi mountains stretching here and the Rasa plain. The area of the park is 4730 sq. km. The park was created to protect a rare animal species – the wild donkey. Giraffe gazelles, East African antelopes, desert zebras and hamadryas also live here. Somali tribes and tribes of the Afar people live in the park.
A little east of the Yangudi-Rasa Park, on the southern border of the Danakil Desert, is the city of Asaita. From here you can go on a journey through one of the driest hot deserts on the planet, where the lowest point of the continent is located (116 m below sea level). The Danakil Desert is known for its lunar-like landscapes: lava fields stretching here, among which cone-shaped and shield volcanoes rise, and salt lakes in which salt is mined. On the territory of the desert are the most active volcano in Ethiopia, Erta Ale (near the village of Dodom) and Dalol volcano , covered with a salt dome (near the village of Khamedela). Southeast of the city of Asaita is a group of 20 salt lakes, the largest of which are Gummare and Abbe. This is a great place to watch flamingos.
Gambela (Ethiopia)
Gambela is located in the western part of Ethiopia in the valley of the Baro River. The city was founded in 1907 by order of Emperor Menelik II as a river port and trade center on the way from the Ethiopian highlands to Sudan and Egypt.
You can go to Gambala in order to visit the nearby Gambala National Park. The area of the park is 5060 sq. km. These places are occupied by meadows and wetlands. It was for the protection of vast wetlands and their inhabitants that GambelaPark was created. Here you can see numerous antelopes (waterbucks, swamps, kobs), buffaloes, elephants, giraffes and lions and several dozen species of wading birds. It is worth noting that Gambala National Park is the most unpopular among tourists, as there is a risk of malaria infection and the park is one of the least developed in the country.
Goba (Ethiopia)
The city of Goba is located on the slopes of the Bale Mountains at an altitude of 2743 m in southern Ethiopia. Every week on Wednesdays, a market opens here where you can buy honey, wickerwork and cotton shawls. Bale National Park is located 10 km from the city.. The park was created in 1970 on an area of 2400 sq. km. It covers the highest areas of the southern part of the country. Altitudes within the park range from 1500 to 4377 m. Here is the second highest point in the country – Mount Tullu Demtu (4377 m), as well as Mount Batu (4307 m). In the northern part of the park, mountain plains stretch, in the central part – the Sanetti plateau with altitudes of more than 4000 m, where the largest population of the rarest Ethiopian wolf (red jackal) lives, and in the southern part of the park there are moist forests of Kheren, where reptiles, lions, leopards are found. and various species of antelope, among which a rare species of mountain antelope – nyala. The administrative center of the park is located in the village of Dingsho. All hiking trails start from here. While traveling in the park you will see mountain valleys, gorges, waterfalls, forests and a wide variety of animals. The rivers of the park are perfect for fishing, because rainbow trout and trout are found here.
From Goba you can also go to the village of Sheikh Hussein, where the shrine of Ethiopian Muslims is located – the tomb of Sheikh Hussein, who spread Islam in this region, and to the 1.5 km long limestone caves of Sof Omar, which were formed under the influence of the waters of the Weyub River.
