Day 1&2: Explore Bale Mountains National Park
Take the morning flight to Bale Mountains. On arrival to Goba airport
you’ll be picked up by our team and drive to Sanneti Plateau. On this
two days we will make best use of our time in the Bale Mountains
National Park by driving through it and focusing on the high altitude
Sanetti Plateau, and later, if the weather (so notoriously fickle here)
is favorable, on the edge of the magnificent Harenna Escarpment.
As we enter the park, and start to climb up through the fine Hagenia
forest, we will look out for Chestnutnaped Francolins on the road and
Mountain Buzzards in the air. Then, ascending onto an open
moorland plateau where little lakes, extensive grasslands, and the
weird spikes of primeval-looking Giant Lobelias and Red-hot Pokers
provide a wonderful Afro-alpine habitat, we look for the characterful
Grass and Swamp Rats and the numerous other small rodents in this
area. These represent the main prey of the Ethiopian Wolf, and also
attract many species of birds of prey, as well as almost all of
Ethiopia’s vulture species. Wattled Crane and Montane Francolin are
two resident specialties, as are the endemic Rouget’s Rail, Spot
breasted Plover and Blue-winged Goose which may all be found here.
Our main aim, however, will be a sighting (or sightings) of the
endangered Ethiopian Wolf and
bizarre Giant Mole-rat – two of Ethiopia’s most special mammalian
endemics.
After spending the morning on the Plateau (and if the weather
permits), we will drive to the spectacular Harenna Escarpment
Where we will have our picnic lunch, alongside some remarkable
views. If the weather is dry and the road conditions favourable,
we will try and descend part of the escarpment to look at the
fabulous forests it supports. This outstanding feature, on the
southern side of the national park, presents a fascinating
environment and, provided that the weather is clear, some quite
amazing scenery. Lions, Hunting Dogs, Bush Duiker and Giant Forest
Hogs have all been encountered in this wonderful forest, though our
chances of seeing any of these rare mammals is somewhat remote! It
will be more realistic to set our sights on such primates as the
Eastern Black-and-white Colobus and Bale Monkey (a rarity in
Ethiopia) and such endemic birds as White-backed Black Tit,
Abyssinian Catbird, Black-winged Lovebird, Golden-backed Woodpecker and Black-headed Siskin. Returning across the plateau
and back down to the town of Robe, we will spend our nights there.
Overnight Tokuma Hotel.
Day 3: Visit Dinsho Then Flight Back To Addis
Morning after breakfast we drive to the park Headquarter then we
will do a short walk in the woodland part of the park. explore the
surrounding area and its wildlife. Sightings of Warthog, the endemic
Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, and Bohor Reedbuck are all
common within this area, as well as many Ethiopian and Abyssinian
endemic birds. On the afternoon transfer to airport for your flight
back to Addis.