NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
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Established in 1966, which is the first National park in Ethiopia registered under the proclamations number, with an area of about 756 square kilometers, the Park is the oldest protected area in Ethiopia dedicated to conserve the large population of Beisaoryx, wetlands and hot springs. Much of the Park, located within the northern extreme of the Main Ethiopian Rift and the southern margin of the Afar rift, is a monotonously plain area at an average elevation of 900 m.a.s.l. Notable features of the Park include the Awash River along with the spectacular valley. The National park is hold more than 400 bird species.
Dire Dawa is a smaller but beautiful upcoming tourist destination that is worth a visit. You will be surprised by some of the unique things to do and places you can explore at this hidden destination. Dire Dawa (Amharic: ድሬ ዳዋ?, Oromo: Dirre Dhawaa, lit. “Place of Remedy”, Somali: Dirre Dhabe, meaning “where Dir hit his spear into the ground”, Arabic: ديري داوا) is one of two chartered cities (astedader akabibi) in Ethiopia (the other being the capital, Addis Ababa). It is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura. Dire Dawa lies in the eastern part of the nation, on the Dechatu River, at the foot of a ring of cliffs that has been described as “somewhat like a cluster of tea-leaves in the bottom of a slop-basin.” At a latitude and longitude of 9°36′N 41°52′E / 9.600°N 41.867°E, it is the second largest city in Ethiopia. The city is an industrial centre, home to several markets and the Aba Tenna Dejazmach Yilma International Airport. Haramaya University is 40 kilometres (25 miles) away.
The Simien Mountains National Park, with an area of 412 square kilometers, was established in 1969 to protect the endangered endemic Mammals of Walia ibex (Capra walie) and the Ethiopian wolf. The Park was one of the first four natural heritages sites in the world to be inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1978. The Simien Mountains National Park could be visited for the spectacular landscape of breathtaking views of the grandiose Mountains and jagged mountain peaks and for many to climb to the summit, sharp precipices, impressive waterfalls, deep valleys, endemic mammals and birdlife, and idyllic tranquility and beautiful scenery. SMNP is characterized by an Afro-Alpine ecosystem dominated by grassland meadows and over 1,200 species of flowering plants and over 200 bird species.
Nech- Sar National ParkLocated at about 500 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, Nechsar National Park is a vast white grassy plain and bush land, The Park, located within the southern part of the Main Ethiopian Rift, was established in 1974. It is situated close to the beautiful Town of Arba Minch, nestled between Lake Abaya (second largest lake in Ethiopia) and Lake Chamo that are separated by a narrow isthmus made up of a volcanic dome known as the “Bridge of God”. The “Bridge of God” between the two lakes is covered with luxuriant wet forest dominated by Ficussy camorus that grows to 30 meters tall.
Omo National Park is situated in the lower Omo Valley of southwestern Ethiopia at about 900 kilometers from Addis Ababa. With an area of 4,068 square kilometers, the Park, an awesome site of true wilderness, Omo National Park has remarkable features which include part of the Omo River with its bounty wildlife species and possibilities for white-water rafting, and the Maji Mountains (1,541 m.a.s.l), as well as Sharum, Sai and Illbai plains. The banks of Omo River are lined with tall trees, while as one goes away from the River, open grassland interspersed with woodland and bush land becomes common.Omo National Park is home to over 80 species of mammals which include herbivores such as African cape buffalo, eland, greater and lesser kudu, bushbuck, waterbuck, hartebeest, Oryx, Burchell’s zebra, African elephant, giraffe.
Mago National Park is located in the Southern Rift Valley, about 800 kilometers southwest of Addis Ababa towards the border with South Sudan and Kenya. Patchy grasslands, woodland, bush land and scrub on the sides of the hills, wetlands and riverine forests dominate Mago National Park. The largest trees are found in the riverine forest beside the Omo, Mago and Neri Rivers. The magnificent physical features of the Park include Mago Mountain, and Omo River. Features of tourist attraction outside the Park include the colorful life styles of the Hammer, Mursi, Aeri, Karo, Kwegu, Male and Banna people that give rewarding stays.
Ethiopia is home to an impressive number of species of birds that vary from residents, that stay all year around, to breeding birds, that spend a good part of the growing season in Ethiopia to raise their young, migrants who pass through Ethiopia with the seasons, to wintering birds who like to spend a good part of the winter in Ethiopia to escape colder conditions up north. While many species of birds are relatively common as they are part of the ecosystems of the state, it is always a thrill to stumble upon a rare bird or vagrant, that does not really form part of any the Ethiopia ecosystems. Maybe it got lost during its travels between its summer and winter residence or it was displaced by bad weather.
Among the species of the Check list of the birds of Ethiopia you can find waterfowl and wading birds, a large suite of song birds, raptors, game birds, swifts and nighthawks, etc., many of which occupy several ecosystems simultaneously, as they fly to and from forests, meadows, shorelines of waters, cities and and urban green spaces. At Birdlist, we have developed a coding system that can help you predict when you may expect a certain species, with a code for seasonality, such as resident, nesting, wintering, etc. A code for abundance will give you a clue on the likelihood that you may actually see a certain species of bird. As we progressed with the coding, we realized that there should be a differentiation in the coding for “common”, such as less common, common and very common birds.The following are the endemic bird of Ethiopia: Blue-Winged Goose (Cyanochencyanopterus, Degodi Lark (Mirafragillettidegodiensis), AbyssinianLongclaw(Macronyxflavicollis), Ethiopian Siskin(Serinusnigriceps), Yellow-Throated Seedeater (Crithagraflavigula), Erlanger’s Lark(Calandrellaerlangeri), Abyssinian Catbird (Parophasmagalinieri),Stresemann’sBushcrow(Zavattariornisstresemanni),White-TailedSwallow (Hirundomegaensis), PrinceRaspoli’s Turaco (Tauracoruspolii).
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