Ethiopia
Wildlife and Culture In and Out of the Great Rift Valley
January 23 to February 10, 2011

Grevy's Zebra

Ethiopia is one of Africa's premier birding destinations due to its extensive species list with around 850 birds including over 20 endemics. Our trip is timed during the winter migration when large numbers of European birds are funneling through Ethiopia to points farther south. The highlands, which dominate the country, are bisected by the Great Rift Valley and fall away to arid desert and bushlands in the north, south, and east, and to moist woodlands in the west. Ethiopia's diverse landscape of mountains, savannas, forests, marshland, and lakes support many bird species as well as an intriguing list of mammal species, such as Gelada Baboon and other primates, Beisa Oryx and other antelopes, and the very endangered Abyssinian Wolf. We will explore Awash National Park plus Lake Langano and other lakes in the Great Rift Valley. Unique areas include Lalibela's rock-hewn churches, the forests around Wondo Guenet, the highlands at Debre Libanos, Bale National Park with its high biodiversity, and the Senetti Plateau above tree line.

At a Glance

Companion Safari: Extend your stay in Africa by adding Tanzania and Kenya with Doug and Gail immediately after this safari.

Cost: $5,150 per person, double occupancy, not including airfare. Review cost details.

Leaders: Gail and Doug Cheeseman with resident guide Solomon Berhe.

Size: 10, not including leaders.

Days: 19

Conditions: A non-smoking safari for people who are very interested in wildlife (mammals, birds and reptiles) and spending the maximum time in the field.

Update: This itinerary was updated in January 2010. View the plain text version, great for printing!

Synopsis:

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Detailed Itinerary

January 23 - 24, Sunday - Monday Flights to Addis Ababa and afternoon birding
We will make arrangements for all our transfers from the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa to the Ghion Hotel and will be met on arrival by our Ethiopian agents. Plan to arrive by Wednesday morning, January 24, or earlier in Addis Ababa to transfer to the Ghion Hotel, where we may refresh after our long journey. Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and is situated at an average elevation of 2,355 meters or 7,800 feet.

Wednesday afternoon, our destination is 30 kilometers west of Addis Ababa to the Menegasha Plain and Gafersa Reservoir. It's a wide open plain where the endemic Wattled Ibis and other resident birds there will give us a great introduction to Ethiopian birding in this bird rich habitat. By the reservoir among the Wattled Ibises, there will be many other waterbirds, maybe the endemic Blue-winged Goose, certainly the ubiquitous Egyptian Goose, also landbirds, such as the endemic White-collared Pigeon and another endemic, the Ethiopian Cisticola, plus raptors and Palearctic migrants. Other possible endemic birds are Abyssinian Longclaw, the exquisite Rouget's Rail (more likely in Bale National Park), Black-headed Siskin, Thick-billed Raven and Black-winged Lovebird. We'll enjoy a welcome dinner together this evening.
Lodging: Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa

January 25, Tuesday: Debre Libanos
Head northwest out of Addis Ababa until we are onto the broad extensive Solulta Plain, a grassland much converted to agriculture, which is part of the Ethiopian plateau. During the two-hour drive, we'll pass some good habitats on the way and may stop for such birds as Botas Wheatear, Thick-billed Raven, Black-tailed Lapwing, and Abyssinian Wheatear.

Debre means "mount" and from the town of Debre Libanos, situated on a cliff over 2,000 meter high the view below will make you think of the Grand Canyon. The gorge itself is a little-known wonder of Ethiopia with a dramatic view down the canyon. The river seen in the distance eventually flows into the Blue Nile. Birds love the thermals here and we should immediately see some large vultures and eagles "thermaling", plus small passerines that live along the edge of this precipice. Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, White-billed Starling, Mocking Cliff Chat, White-winged Cliff Chat, and Ruppell's Chat love these rocky habitats. The small restaurant on the edge of the overlook is a great place to see birds. The owner has been known to attract drifting Lammergeiers by placing bones on the edge of the cliff. This vulture, rare elsewhere, is often seen here. It feeds on bone marrow and easily gets to the marrow by dropping bones from high above the rocks. Scavengers, such as Yellow-billed Kites, also gather here. We will see many species, maybe beauties like Blue-breasted Bee-eaters and special raptors like Verreaux's Eagles whose wings are designed for hunting along cliffs.

Paradise Whydah
©Anne Lucky

A very special endemic of the Ethiopian Highlands, Gelada Baboon is found in the grasslands near the Debre Libanos Monastery. This striking primate forages by grazing on grasses. The Debre Libanos Monastery is situated on the site of one of the earliest Christian centers, a sacred site for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. There is also a small highland forest and the monastery garden where we may have time for a short bird walk to look for Banded Barbet and White-cheeked Turaco. Then return to Addis Ababa for overnight at the Ghion Hotel. This evening dinner will be on our own to allow a wide choice at one of the ethnic restaurants close to the hotel.
Lodging: Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa

January 26, Wednesday: To Nazret (Adama) via crater lakes at Debre Zeyit
Today we will head south for about 45 kilometers close to the town of Debre Zeyit among five crater lakes, including Hora and Kruftu. Hora is a popular park with the residents of Addis Ababa to come for swimming and boating and has a circular walk around it. The thick reed-fringed edges along the lake shores and at Cheleleke Marsh are wonderful for waterbirds, including herons, pelicans, jacanas, kingfishers, plus lovely sunbirds, waxbills, and other passerines. Greyish Eagle Owl and Rufous-breasted Wryneck have been encountered here. We should keep an eye out overhead for Steppe Eagle and other raptors. We may walk at the Hora Crater as well and see the Oromo Tree Shrine. This large tree is a sacred site of the traditional Oromo religion in Ethiopia so it will never be cut down, despite a lot of deforestation in the area, and is therefore quite prominent. We'll stay this evening in the third largest town in Ethiopia, Nazret (now named Adama in the local language, but still Nazret on most maps) about 100 kilometers southwest of Awash National Park where we head tomorrow.
Lodging: Adama Maconnen in Nazret (Adama)

January 29 - 30, Saturday - Sunday: Awash National Park
Continue on to Awash National Park up the Great Rift Valley, situated about 200 kilometer east of Addis Ababa. This national park is in the upper Great Rift Valley and is mainly acacia woodland and savannah, the best savannah in Ethiopia, low in elevation, but arid. This was the first national park in Ethiopia, established in 1966. Mt. Fantelle, a dormant volcano at 2,007 meters high, creates an impressive scene dominating the savannas.

We'll travel north to Filoha Hot Springs through thick acacia bush where we might see Lesser Kudu, Salt's Dik-dik (mainly crepuscular), Helmeted Guineafowl and other species. The last huge lava flows from Fantelle, over 200 years ago, left basalt fields that are prominent. Beside the base of one of these cliffs is the fascinating Filoha Hot Springs. Aside from the hot springs, picturesque pools with Doum Palms all around attract a wide range of water birds and fish-eating Nile Crocodiles. Filoha Hot Springs is also the site of the Hamadryas Baboon Research Project and is featured in the BBC's recent primate series, Life. Watch this amazing video of unusual Hamadryas Baboon behavior showing how aggressive they can be toward each other. We will see Hamadryas Baboons, as a number of clans visit the area regularly throughout the day and normally spend their nights on the cliff, where they are protected from predators. Defassa Waterbuck come to Filoha to drink at sunrise and sunset. Warthogs are omnipresent. Aside from wildlife in and around Filoha are large piles of rocks, probably bunkers, built by Italians during their occupation of Ethiopia, a reminder of the war years that Ethiopia suffered through. The hot springs are also used by the local Afar, located in this picturesque spot surrounded by palms. We will also see Metahara Lake, where we should spot crocodile and certainly some interesting birds. The lake is in a unique setting of black lava rock that also spilled out from the nearby dormant Fantelle Crater about 200 years ago. This barren, hostile basalt is the haunt of the very drab, but endangered and localized Sombre Rock Chat.

The southern park border is the Awash River, the lifeline for the region. The river is 1,200 kilometers long and empties into the desert to the east; it does not make it to the ocean. The waterfall here is high and wide at the head of the impressive Awash Gorge. We'll have excellent views from the overlook beside the waterfall into the gorge, which is also where our lodge for these two nights is located. A lack of investment has kept the park quite undeveloped and we will stay in a very new eco-lodge, Awash Falls Lodge. The lodge has twelve comfortable chalets built by an elephant researcher and recently opened. The falls have been described as a "scaled-down version of Victoria Falls". They are certainly one of the natural wonders of Ethiopia and little known to the rest of the world. Rising thermals and updrafts, as at Debre Libanos, bring birds of prey and several species of swifts up along the gorge, suddenly appearing overhead. Above the waterfall a narrow band of dense riverine forest sustains Black-and-White Colobus, Vervet Monkeys, bee-eaters, hoopoes and barbets, all attracted by ficus and tamarindus trees, the dominant trees upstream of the falls.

The imposing Awash River Gorge borders the grasslands of the Illala Sala Plain, where we will hope to see some very interesting mammals. Awash National Park is known for mammals (75 species or more), as well as being excellent for many birds (about 460 species). Among the mammals are Beisa Oryx, Soemmering's Gazelle (a localized species very similar to Grant's Gazelle), Gerenuk, possibly the endangered Grevy's Zebra, Warthog, Olive Baboon, Salt's Dik-dik, and Lesser Kudu. If we are very lucky, we may find Striped Hyena, Spotted Hyena, and Wild Cat, although rarely seen in the daytime. Lion and Leopard are also rarely seen. Black-backed and Golden jackals, the diurnal Black-tipped Mongoose and the nocturnal White-tailed mongoose also might be encountered, plus Abyssinian Hares on the savannahs and Rock Hyrax on the cliff, the prey of the Verreaux's Eagle. Waterbirds are abundant on Lake Beseka and the riparian woodlands make this one of Ethiopia's premier birding destinations. The climate here is quite hot and dry, but perfect for up to six species of bustards, Egyptian Vulture, Somali Ostrich, other enchanting non-passerines, including Secretary Bird, nightjars, hornbills, Northern Carmine Bee-eater that we will hope to see glistening in the early morning sun, Pygmy and Woodland kingfishers, and passerines like Red-winged Larks that are difficult to find in East Africa. Many Cliff Swallows fly along the Awash Gorge. The six species of bustards are Black-bellied, White-bellied, Buff-crested, Kori, Hartlaub's and Arabian, but the latter two species are quite rare. Of the 40 plus species of reptiles in the park, the most likely to encounter are Leopard Tortoise, Nile Crocodile, Nile Monitor, and skinks.

While at Awash we will drive 80 kilometers to the east of the national park to bird at Bilen Springs. There is an eco-lodge here run by members of the semi-nomadic and formerly famously fierce Afar tribe, some of whom are now very much into the economics of the modern world. This is as far east as we will go into these sun-baked and beautiful aridlands. It is about a five-hour drive if we came straight here from the green highlands of Addis Ababa to Bilen Springs. The birding is excellent here at Bilen Spring, a large marshy area full of reeds with open grasslands and bush country beyond. The British explorer Walter Thesinger mentions Bilen Spring in his travel book of Ethiopia, written 70 years ago. We will see the Afar with their unusual hairstyles and traditional dress often with a hunting knife at their waist.
Lodging: Awash Falls Lodge in Awash National Park

Sacred Ibis ©Anne Lucky

January 29 - 30, Saturday - Sunday: Langano Lake
On Saturday drive through the national park with some early morning stops, then back to Nazret south stopping at Lake Ziway all the way traveling in the Great Rift Valley, to Lake Langano, situated among the Arsi Mountains rising to 4,000 meters above the valley, about 250 kilometers from Awash National Park. We'll bird on the way. At the lake we will see an abundance of waterbirds: herons, gulls, and ibises, plus many woodland birds, including owls and nightjars. The scenery will not be neglected and we will visit the viewpoint for Lake Abbiata and Lake Shala. These two lakes are three kilometers apart. Shala is a crater 266 meters deep with small volcanic islands scattered across it surface. Abbiata is a large shallow pan that attracts many birds liking brackish, shallow water, such as flamingos. Lake Langano is surrounded by rocky slopes with tall acacia savanna and mixed scrub, so we'll have a good variety of habitats to bird. On Tuesday, we'll have the day in this lake district of the Rift Valley and we'll visit the scenic Senkele Swayne's Hartebeest Sanctuary, where the habitat supports this rare mammal, the Swayne's Hartebeest. We might see Oribi that also like this rocky habitat. Our hotel for these two nights is fairly simple but is beautifully situated lakeside with great birding on the premises. Lake Langano is about 300 square kilometers and up to 45 meters in depth. Many woodland birds enhance the hotel grounds with views of the 4,000-meter-high Arsi Mountains as a beautiful backdrop. In the evening, we will look for several species of owls and nightjars around the hotel, including Greyish and Verreaux's eagle-owls, African Scops-owl, Northern White-faced Owl, and Freckled Nightjar.
Lodging: Bekele Mola Hotel beside Lake Langano

January 31 - February 1, Monday - Tuesday: Bale National Park and the Senetti Plateau
Leave early Monday on the road to Goba and the legendary Bale Mountains, the home of the Abyssinian Wolf, which is elusive, but quite possible to encounter on the Sanetti Plateau. We'll cross over the dusty plains in the uplands of central Ethiopia and up through some dramatic scenery to the high fir forests and the peaks of the Bale Mountains above with their grassy alpine pastures. We'll enter the national park where small roadside pools usually harbor Blue-winged Geese and Spot- breasted Plovers. Mountain Nyala is a big attraction here along with several other large mammals, such as Bohar Reedbuck, bushbuck species, Warthogs, and possibly Serval. We should encounter Rouget's Rails, an endangered endemic protected in this park, and some species of francolins, both Chestnut-naped and Moorland, especially when we reach the Sanetti Plateau at 4,000 meters. The road levels out on the plateau, up with the Alpine Chats that like to perch on the tops of Giant Lobelias, but stays under 4,300 meters, the highest all-year road in Africa.

We will spend all day on Tuesday in this scenic park, which has wonderful biodiversity. The 2,200-square-kilometer national park protects the higher reaches of the Bale Range, including Mt. Tullo Deemtu, which is 4,377 meters high and is the second highest peak in Ethiopia. On the moorlands, we will get excellent views of raptors, waterfowl and a number of alpine species. We will find Moorland Chat, Red-billed Chough, Wattled Crane, Ruddy Shelduck, and Golden, Tawny, Steppe, and Verreaux's eagles. There is excellent forest above Goba where we will find forest endemics Abyssinian Catbirds with their lovely Nightingale-like song singing in chorus hopefully and White-backed Black Tit that has a distinctive call, plus many other forest species. The plateau will be the best place to view the endemic and extremely rare Abyssinian (Ethiopian) Wolf. Another great place to look for birds is in the gardens of our hotel, the Goba Wabe Shebele, where we will return in the late afternoon. The great biodiversity of Bale includes arable and grass plains at Arsi, rocky ravines on the lower mountain slopes and small pools surrounded by wet grassland in the basins of the mountains, hagenia-juniper forest at Dinsho and surrounding the Sanetti Plateau, plus the high rocky moorlands with Giant Lobelias and tall heath-like vegetation up on the Sanetti Plateau itself. The main habitats protected by Bale are juniper and hagenia woodland in Afro-montane forest and Afro-alpine moorland. The juniper-hagenia woodland lies at elevations between 2,500 to 3,300 meters. Lichen-covered rocks among the heathers and tall standing lobelias create wonderful photographic opportunities. We should see mole rats, the main prey of the Abyssinian Wolf. In fact, they are specialized on catching this very cautious rodent. The best possible experience would be to see a wolf hunting Giant Mole Rats that come out of their burrows to forage with their huge incisors on vegetable matter. They are also called Big-headed Mole Rat. This species is endemic to Bale National Park and has mottled golden fur. The moorlands of Bale are known as having the most extensive high ground area in Africa. Mountain Nyala range even higher in the Bale Province, but this rare, hunted antelope we will probably not encounter. This park provides the best habitat for the Abyssinian Wolf, also sometimes called the Simien Wolf after its scientific name, Canis simensis, as it also occurs in the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia, but its best population is here in Bale National Park. It is closely related to Gray Wolves and Coyotes. Only about 500 are estimated to still exist. There is an interesting conservation project for this rare canid in Bale National Park. A good account of its biology can be found at the following link on the Internet: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_simensis.html There are a few Klipspringers to spot as well in the rocky areas of the park. If there is time, we may descend down into the Hagenia Forest below the plateau, a great place to find Abyssinian Woodpecker.

We will walk from the park headquarters into the reserve, as well as walking along the track in places that Solomon chooses en route to the headquarters. For each overnight, we'll drive to Goba, about 40 kilometers from the Dinsho Headquarters in Bale National Park, to stay at the Wabe Shebele Hotel, which has recently been sold by the state into private ownership and is being remodeled. The Wabe Shebele River is a good place to find African Black Duck that likes fast flowing mountain streams lined with willows. In the town of Goba, Somali Crows, very glossy black crows with stout bills, are plentiful but this is as far west as they range.
Lodging: Goba Wabe Shebele Hotel in Goba

February 2 - 3, Wednesday - Thursday: Wondo Guenet
Wednesday we head west back through the park and down across the dusty plain to the main Rift Valley road in the town of Shashemene, then head to Wondo Guenet Resort, about 20 kilometers south of Shashemene, which is situated in a forested area with a hot spring pool. We will search for important endemic birds, such as the Yellow Fronted Parrot, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Abyssinian Groundthrush, Half-collared Kingfisher, and Crowned Eagle. The mature gardens of the hotels are super birding and at Wondo Guenet we also have access to forest trails and streams along the foothills of the Bale Highlands. The grounds right at Wondo Guenet at dawn are the best place to bird in the area, especially the large ficus that dominates the hotel and attracts Double-toothed Barbets, Black-headed Batis, and other birds that love fig trees. After breakfast on Thursday, we will spend all morning in the Wondo Guenet Forest on trails in the hills above that are still forested with mature trees and support Black-and-White Colobus, Bruce's Green Pigeon, Yellow-fronted Parrot, and many other forest species. If anyone prefers to relax in the garden instead of walking, there are plenty of birds attracted to the lodge and both Colobus and Vervet monkeys sometimes visit the trees at the lodge. Silvery-cheeked Hornbills often roost around the resort as well. Take a break after lunch during the hot part of the day, then walk to a hot springs on the edge of another forested area and to a quarry, where a pair of Half-collared Kingfisher are known to be resident. We may also want to walk down through the local village after lunch.
Lodging: Wondo Guenet Resort near Shashemene

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February 4, Friday: Yirga Alem
Today we journey about two and a half hours to lovely Aregash Lodge in Yirga Alem, one of the best lodges in Ethiopia. Have lunch after checking in and enjoying the birds from the terrace, as the lodge is situated right in the forest. Then we drive south as far as Tutu Fela and Tututi stelae fields (historical obelisks marking gravesites from 1,000 years ago) for a wonderful cultural experience. We can walk into the stelae fields from the road. Return north to Aregash Lodge. Our hosts are into feeding habituated hyenas before we have our own dinner. Our hosts will also present a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. We highly recommend that you read the Ethiopia Bradt Guide by Philip Briggs on page 498 and 499 about these stelae fields and about Aregash Lodge. They are fascinating!
Lodging: Aregash Lodge in Yirga Alem

African Fish Eagle

February 5, Saturday: Aregash birding, Lake Awassa and Sabana Lodge at Lake Langano
This morning go out early to bird at Aregash Lodge before breakfast, then drive north and make some stops, such as at Lake Awassa to the fish market if we arrive there in time. The fish market locally known as "Amora Gedel" attracts birds coming in for easy pieces of fish at the local fishing boat landing site where fish is sold. This takes place at the edge of the lake in an acacia woodland and adjacent scrub with a large variety of birds. As we walk along the shoreline, we may encounter African Pygmy Goose, White-backed Duck, Hottentot Teal, African Fish Eagle, as well as other waterbirds, including Reed and Sedge warblers. Our final night in the Great Rift Valley will be back at Lake Langano, this time at lovely Sabana Lodge, a very new lakeside lodge.
Lodging: Sabana Lodge beside Lake Langano

February 6, Sunday: Return to Addis Ababa
After breakfast, depart north to Addis Ababa, stopping at a good birding location for lunch, perhaps at Lake Ziway for our last chance to bird the lake edges lined with sedges and reeds that support so many waterbirds. We'll look for the small species too at Ziway, such as Rufous-breasted Wryneck, Spectacled Weaver, sunbirds, waxbills, and swallows. Arrive back in Addis Ababa by about 6:00pm at the Hotel Ghion. Dinner will be on our own this evening.
Lodging: Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa

February 7 - 8, Monday - Tuesday: The rock hewn churches of Lalibela
Fly to Lalibela, departing just after breakfast if this early flight is offered. There is also a midday flight which would be our second option. Check in at the Hotel Jerusalem with lovely views from the balconies. Lalibela is at an elevation of 2,630 meters, situated on a hillside in the rocky mountains of the Lasta Range with steep escarpments. It was once the capital of the Zagwe Dynasty and the most famous of the rulers gave his name Lalibela to the town in the 13th century.

Up until now, all our destinations have been where the best wildlife is found, mainly birds and mammals. At Lalibela, there are some birds, but not many. Here the priorities are cultural. Lalibela is a Unesco World Heritage Site. The first group of rock-hewn churches, built between 1180-1220 AD are still active places of worship. They are sometimes called the "Eighth Wonder of the World". King Lalibela is credited with the construction of the twelve churches and chapels. The view is splendid and these 12th century monolithic churches hewn out of solid rock in the center of Lalibela include the following main sites.

Northern group consists of:

• Bet Medhane Alem
• Bet Maryam
• Bet Meskel
• Bet Danaghel
• Bet Golgotha
• Bet Michael and Selassie Chapel (rarely open to the public)
• Bet Giyordis (famous cross shaped church)

Eastern group consists of:

• Bet Amanuel
• Bet Merkorios
• Bet Abba Libanos
• Bet Gabriel-Rufael

Some of the churches are over ten meters high and are connected by subterranean tunnels. Each church is of a unique character, divided by many courtyards and trenches. There are hermit cells carved into many of the cliff walls and some contain fine ornamental carvings. The whole complex is very much a living church and is well attended and is a place of pilgrimage. An entrance ticket allows us to visit the churches in any order and return the next day to take advantage of photographing in different light. We are required to take off our shoes to explore inside the churches and a headlamp is good to be able to admire all the decoration, especially if there is a power failure. A flashlight or headlamp is also useful for passing along the tunnels connecting several of the churches. The churches are famous for their architecture and one can only wonder how long the churches took to carve. Each church has its own solid gold or silver cross, which the priest might hold aloft during our visit. The oldest cross is 800 years old and is in the Bet Medhane Alem Church, also the largest of all the churches. Four of the churches are true monoliths. The rest are excavated churches with different degrees of separation from the surrounding rock. Most of the churches stand north of the River Jordan that runs through Lalibela. Two churches are connected and entered by tunnels.

Solomon will introduce us to several new cultural experiences while we are in Lalibela. We'll visit a Tej house, which is a separate bar beside the place where the tej (honey wine of varying potency) is made, as it has been made for centuries. Solomon will also take us to a cultural evening, which is arranged in a special room (not by the Tej house) and has dancing and music in traditional tribal costumes illustrating different tribal characters.
Lodging: Hotel Jerusalem

February 9 - 10, Wednesday - Thursday: Addis Ababa and flights homeward
By midday on Wednesday, fly back to Addis Ababa from Lalibela with time to have the afternoon in Addis Ababa with a dayroom at Hotel Ghion or overnight at the Hotel Ghion. Check in for flights homeward late this evening or early next morning. We can assist you with extra night hotel reservations, if needed. Many nice restaurant choices are available for dinner before going to the airport, if time permits. Once we know everyone's intended flight schedule, we can more easily adjust the itinerary at the end. Or, extend your stay in Africa by adding Tanzania and Kenya with Doug and Gail immediately after this safari.

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Costs

Costs, Payments and Cancellations: Upon receiving your deposit, we will send trip materials and travel insurance information. Until the final payment date, payments are refundable except for a cancellation fee of $150 per person. This fee may go toward another tour if reserved within six months of the departure date of the cancelled trip.

Not Included:

• Airfare - Please let us know if you need help arranging your own air flights. The fare round trip Addis Ababa/Lalibela is approximately $270 and from Washington-Dulles on Ethiopian Airlines to Addis Ababa is approximately $1,700 (quoted December 2009 and subject to change). If booking both together on Ethiopian Airlines, the round trip Washington-Dulles/Addis Ababa, including the round trip Lalibela, is approximately $1,800.
• The three dinners in Addis Ababa on January 25, and February 6 and 9 and any lunches in Addis Ababa are not included. All other meals are included. Food that is not on our set menu or buffet is not included.
• Gratuities - Tipping is, of course, discretionary, however we suggest budgeting a gratuity of approximately $10 per day per person for our resident guide, driver, and others assisting us who deserve a tip for their good work. Gail and Doug also contribute to the gratuity.

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To Make a Reservation: Please contact us to assure space availability and to let us answer your questions. Then, print our reservation form, fill it out, and post it to us in the mail with your deposit:

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris
20800 Kittredge Road
Saratoga, CA 95070

Toll Free: (800) 527-5330
Local: (408) 741-5330
Fax: (408) 741-0358
Email: info@cheesemans.com

Other Details

Gail and Doug Cheeseman

Leaders: Doug and Gail Cheeseman have found leading safaris to be a fresh way of blending a desire to observe nature with a wish to inspire travelers towards the values of conservation and education. Doug turned on biology majors with zoology and ecology at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, during his long career. Gail is an avid birder and naturalist, plus a meticulous coordinator of trip logistics. Gail and Doug have specialized in East African safaris since 1978 when they led their first safari to East Africa.

Solomon Berhe © Peter Nahun

Solomon Berhe has been a professional guide in Ethiopia for 13 years, leading tours for his own company and for other international bird and natural history companies. He has a detailed knowledge of bird identification and behavior and his skill in tracking down the more elusive species is exceptional. Solomon obtained a degree in science at Addis Ababa University that he puts to good use saving native habitats in Ethiopia and encouraging all who are interested in supporting beneficial development, including improving water quality and providing better equipment in schools. He has a wonderful personality that will shine during our tour.

Flights: Please let us know if you would like help arranging your own flights.

Arrival - Arrive in Addis Ababa (ADD) by the morning of January 24, if possible. You may need to depart by January 22 from home. Upon arrival, we will make arrangements for transfer to the hotel.

Departure - Depart from Addis Ababa (ADD) on the evening of February 9 or on February 10. We will help you make reservations for extra hotel nights if needed.

Internal Flights - The round trip flight between Addis Ababa and Lalibela on February 7 and 9 can be booked together with your international flights if you fly on Ethiopian Airways. We will book this round trip for you if you fly on a different carrier on your international flights and the cost will be approximately $200 round trip.

Travel Insurance: Emergency Medical Insurance is optional, but encouraged, for this tour. Read about travel insurance and our recommendations and requirements.

Lodging: We are going to Ethiopia for the extraordinary wildlife and culture, not for the lodging, so expect to stay at lodging with the best habitat for birds and culture. Some lodges are simple, but clean and very comfortable. A few have shared bathrooms, but many lodges have private baths. The food is simple and delicious.

Weather: Weather will be pleasant, although hot and dry at Awash National Park in the middle of the day, but very cool in the early morning and at Bale National Park cold, especially in the late afternoon and during the night at the high elevations. The highest lodging is at Goba near Bale P and is at about 3000 m or around 9000 feet. When we walk on the Sanetti Plateau at 4000 m (up to 12,500 feet), we will walk very slowly. Rain is not likely at this season, except maybe at Bale NP. Mosquitoes will not be a problem and there is very little malaria risk. We will be out birding at dawn when the bird and mammal action is at its best. We will do easy walks frequently, plus view wildlife from the comfort of our vehicle (a Costa bus). At Lalibela we will have mules and muleteers for carrying our camera gear or to ride on a mule between churches. Throughout the trip sometimes we will have picnic lunches and return in the mid-afternoon to our lodge for a break before going out for the good late afternoon light and action. At dinner Solomon will talk about the species encountered that day and go over what to expect the next day.

More Information: Mosquitoes will not be a problem and there is very little malaria risk. We will be birding at dawn when the bird and mammal action is at its best. We will do easy walks frequently, plus view wildlife from the comfort of our Costa bus. At Lalibela we will have mules and muleteers for carrying our camera gear or to ride on between churches. Throughout the trip we may have picnic lunches. We also may return in the mid-afternoon to our lodge for a break before going back out for the good late afternoon light and action. At dinner Solomon will talk about the species encountered that day and go over what to expect the next day.

Non-smoking Policy: We have a strict non-smoking policy - smoking is not permitted at any time or any place during our tours.

Mailing List: If you would like to be on our mailing list or request information, please use our online information request form or contact us to give us your name, address, email address and phone number. Please note we will never share your personal information with anybody!

Responsibility: Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris, Saratoga, California, act only as agents and shall not be responsible or become liable for any delay incurred by any person in connection with any means of transportation, nor for the loss, damage, or injury to person or property by reason of any event beyond the control of the agency or default of such agency suppliers. We reserve the right to cancel the tour prior to departure in which case full refund will constitute full settlement to the passenger. No refund will be made for any unused portion of the tour unless arrangements are made at the time of booking. All rates are based on current tariffs, exchange rates and fuel prices and are subject to adjustment in the event of any change therein. By sending your initial deposit, you agree to accept our payment schedule as a contract. If payments are still outstanding two weeks after the due date, your space may be forfeited. Baggage is at the owner's risk.

Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris is registered as California Seller of Travel #2063050-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris is a participant in the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation (TCRC). In event of a client canceling where a refund is applicable in accordance with the schedule above, or in the event that CES needs to cancel the trip, all payments for transportation or travel service not provided to the client shall be promptly refunded, unless the client instructs us otherwise in writing. All client payments are deposited into a trust account in accordance with California law. If for any reason a valid refund is not forthcoming, the client may request reimbursement from the TCRC within six months of the scheduled end of the tour. Please feel free to ask us for more information.

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All material © Cheesemans' Ecology Safaris.
All photos © Doug or Ted Cheeseman, unless otherwise credited.
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