Must-see attractions in Southern Ethiopia

The main settlement in this area is the colourful village of Kibish. Set in a bowl in the forested hills, it is a fascinating place populated by the…

More than any other park in Ethiopia, this national park is known for its wildlife, but it’s a very beautiful place, too. As you approach from Dodola,…

With its mountainous backdrop, Lake Awasa is a lovely sight. You could easily spend a few pleasant hours strolling the lakeshore trail at the end of town,…

Lake Awasa’s fishermen head out in their little wooden boats in the afternoon and return the next morning laden with tilapia and catfish. The men are…

Omo National Park has long been one of the most remote parks in Ethiopia and travelling here can be incredibly tough – but never less than fascinating…

The main wildlife-watching circuit crosses the Bridge of God to the park’s namesake savannah, but the road is so atrocious that many tour companies prefer…

Around 100km east of Robe, the fast-flowing Web River runs through a deep gorge and then cuts straight through a limestone hill. Though underground for…

West of Lake Langano lie the twin lakes of Abiata and Shala, which form part of the national park. Identical twins these lakes are not: Shala’s 410-sq-km…

Hayzo is one of the few Southern Nations’ villages that has succeeded in turning the influx of tourists into a positive experience for all concerned. You…

Senkelle was established to protect Ethiopia’s endemic Swayne’s hartebeest, and though the population of around 700 is a far cry from the huge herds of…

Although by Ethiopian standards wildlife is fairly abundant in this dramatically beautiful 2162-sq-km park, there’s no chance of an East African-safari…

Where the Kulfo River empties into Lake Chamo you’ll find oodles of crocodiles sunning themselves. Both the size of the congregation and the size of the…

Shashemene’s Rastafarian community, known locally as Jamaica, straddles the main road just north of town. It’s readily distinguished by its tri-coloured…

This bizarre crater lake is about 800m across and 600m below the crater rim – it is so dark in colour that it looks like an oil slick amid the ruddy rocks…

Covering an area of 2496 sq km, this wildlife reserve was originally created to protect Ethiopia’s endemic Swayne’s hartebeest. Hartebeests have since…

High above the town, this venture provides a very brief introduction to Konso culture, but it’s the excellent collection of totemistic waga that makes it…

Spanning the narrow yet mountainous ‘Bridge of God’ that separates Lakes Chamo and Abaya, Nechisar National Park ranks among the most scenic national…

The World Heritage–listed Tiya Stelae Field is an important stelae cluster at the south end of Tiya village, about 35km after the turn-off to Adadi. Tiya…

Arba Minch, which is Amharic for ‘Forty Springs’, is named after the innumerable little springs that bubble up right at the base of the ridge below the…

Divided by the lyrical ‘Bridge of God’ from Lake Chamo, beautiful Abaya is Ethiopia’s second-largest lake. Its peculiar reddish-brown waters are a result…