NATIONAL PARKS SAFARIS ETHIOPIA

HIGHLIGHTS, WHERE THEY ARE AND HOW TO VISIT

 

 

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA

THE BEST ETHIOPIA NATIONAL PARKS TOUR to Omo for seeing wildlife and animals is lead by our National Parks biologist who knows all the mammals and birds.

 

Omo National Park Tour

The Omo River divides the National Park from Mago National Park, being on the west and east bank respectively in the lower Omo valley. The 406,800 ha park is about 140 X 60 km with major landscape elements being the Omo River, the Maji Mountains and the Sharum, Lilibai  and Sai plains, as well as three hot springs.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words. Most of our hundreds of pictures are favored in Google! Why? Because no other website has so many beautiful high resolution pictures, all taken by ourselves. Our pictures not only show you the beauty of Ethiopia, but they also show that we have been everywhere when we researched all parks for the Ethiopian Wildlife Autharity, photographing wildlife, plants, people and culture. Read our PDF report to the Government on Parks an Culture! So why consider booking our our Ethiopia Culture & National Parks modules? Because only we combine the culture of Ethiopia with its nature. We don't mislead you like many tour operators do. When the Blue Nile falls are dry.... we tell you. When fog clouds the lava lake of Erte Ale Volcano? We let you know. Just drop us a mail info@nationalparks-worldwide.com  and we will check it out for you.

Our tours take you to ALL famous cultural places of Ethiopia, and on top of that, you get to see up to 20 large parks accompanied by a conservation professional, not a mere guide. There is nothing similar on the market. Check out our tours in modules like: Historical Circuit; Danakil Depression; Eastern Route; Simien Mountains; Bale Mountains; Southern Parks Safari; Gambella; Addis Ababa. BUT WAIT: if you buy your international ticket with Ethiopia Airlines, they will sell the internal flights at a price that you can't even ride the bus for. But you MUST plan it all in one package and making changes may be very costly. So let us help you plan your entire trip and book your local flights for an incredibly low price after you booked your international flight with Ethiopian Airlines! Also: Ethiopia can be combined with other East African countries, we organize.

 

As the park is crossed by a number of rivers lacking bridges, access is rather difficult and therefore little visited. While much of the park lies at about 800m, at the southern border it drops off to 450m, while the highest peak in the Maji Mountains is 1,541 m. The Omo River is bordered by thick stands of riverine forests and dense shrubs vegetation. The rivers are bordered with gallery forests, while away from the rivers, the plains vary from extensive open grasslands interspersed with woody savannahs and shrubland vegetation.

 

The park has well over 300 species of birds belonging to the savannah ecosystem as well as riverine birds along the rivers, such as herons and egrets, kingfishers, barbets, chats and thrushes, woodpeckers, pigeons, shrikes, warblers and flycatchers.

 

Inhabitants of Omo National Park

Read all about Omo National Park, inhabited by tribes: Surma, Mogudge, Dizi, Bume and Mursi, while home to lots of large mammals and hundreds of birds.

 

The tribal peoples are pastoralists and hunter-gatherers, who impact wildlife populations of the park. The park has no overnight facilities, but there is a hunting camp along the high banks of the Omo, in Murle, which now serves as a basic safari Lodge. Even though the park's wildlife is depleted, it remains one of the more interesting national parks of Ethiopia for the combination of traditional peoples, basic wildlife and good birding.

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Hardly accessible tracks provide the only access to Omo National Park.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: As there is more water along the rivers, they are lined with gallery forests in Omo National Park.

Hardly accessible tracks provide the only access to the National Park.

As there is more water along the rivers, they are lined with gallery forests.

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  On more moist locations, the plains are covered with wooded savannahs of Omo National Park

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: Where water is less abundant, grassland savannahs cover the plains of Omo National Park

On more moist locations, the plains are covered with wooded savannahs.

Where water is less abundant, grassland savannahs cover the plains of the park.

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: The desert Rose, Adenium obesum, is a wonderful little tree whose trunc looks like a very small Baobab tree in Omo National Pakr

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: The beautiful flowers of the Desert Rose vary from dark to light pink. They bloom in September in Ethiopia

The desert Rose, Adenium obesum, is a wonderful little tree whose trunc looks like a very small Baobab tree.

 

The beautiful flowers of the Desert Rose vary from dark to light pink. They bloom in September.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: The succulent milkweed from the Dogbane family, Caralluma acutangula, is the darkest flower you will see in your life, being almost the tulip breeders ideal, a black flower. It occurs south of the Sahara from Senegal to Eritrea.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: Another great flower is this bright red thistle, which also blooms in September in Ethiopia

The succulent milkweed from the Dogbane family, Caralluma acutangula, is the darkest flower you will see in your life, being almost the tulip breeders ideal, a black flower. It occurs south of the Sahara from Senegal to Eritrea.

Another great flower is this bright red thistle, which also blooms in September

   

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Burchell's Zebras in Omo National Park.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: Giraffes are a very rare sighting in Omo.

Burchell's Zebras in Omo National Park.

 

Giraffes are no longer present in Omo.

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: Lions are still present in Omo National Park.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Spotted hyenas are present in Omo National Park

 

 ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: Leopards  are present in Omo National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lions, Leopards and Spotted hyenas are still present in the park.

 

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: African Buffelos in Omo National Park.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  African Elephants still pass through Omo National Park.

African Buffelos in Omo National Park.

 

African Elephants still pass through the park.

 

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Being one of the most common hoofed animals in the parks, the Wart Hog can be seen frequently in national parks of Ethiopias.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  The Nile Lechwe Gazelle, wildlife in Omo National Park.

Being one of the most common hoofed animals in the parks, the Wart Hog can be seen frequently.

The Nile Lechwe Gazelle in Omo National Park.

   

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Noisy Helmed Guinea Fowl in Omo National Park

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Vultures are common everywhere in Ethiopia, including in Omo National Parks.

Noisy Helmed Guinea Fowl (left) always run ahead of your vehicle. Vultures (right) are common everywhere in Ethiopia.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA: Python in Omo National Park

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  The king of the river is the Hippopotamus in Omo National Park

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  One often sees African Spurred Tortoises crossing the grassland or roads of Omo National Park.

Not easily seen, Pythons (left above) are common predators on small hoofed animals and rodents.

 

The king of the river is the Hippopotamus.

 

One often sees African Spurred Tortoises crossing the grassland or roads.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  A base camp facility for Omo National Park provides basic amenities.

ANIMALS OMO NATIONAL PARK, ETHIOPIA:  Resting at the base camp of Omo National Park

A base camp facility for Omo and Mago National Parks provides basic amenities.

Resting at the base camp.

 

An Omo National Park Wildlife safari:

ETHIOPIA CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PARKS & TRIBES SAFARI TOUR

DISCOVER ETHIOPIAN NATIONAL PARKS with wildlife biologist of Ethiopian Park Service

8 days. Price: starting at $890.

Day 1: ADDIS ABABA - AWASSA, ± 275km

  1. Stop at Lake Ziway for watching wetland birds;

  2. Abyjata-Shalla Lakes National Park to watch Ostriches and wetland birds at alkaline Lake Abijatta, including potentially Flamingos;

  3. Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary to watch the Swayne's Hartebeest. In this small nature reserve one almost can see the extremely rare Swayson's Hartebeest of which less than 500 survive in the wild, all in Ethiopia;

  4. Spend the night in Awassa.

Day 2: AWASSA - YABELLO, ± 410km

  1. Proposed Megado Podacarpus National Monument to take a look at one of the nicest Podocarpus forests of Ethiopia trees up to more than 1m wide and 35m high.

  2. Yabello Wildlife Sanctuary to see the endemic Stresemann's Bushcrow and White-tailed swallows, Burchell's Zebras and other wildlife.

  3. Spend the night at Yabello Motel.

Day 3: YABELLO - KONSO, ± 220km

  1. Konso tribal villages at Mecheke, including Konso tribal king's house. Konso is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site for its traditional landscape with terraces, its uniquely structured villages and huts and for their famous wooden statues;

  2. New York Village, so called after the vertical erosion formations that in the minds of local people look like sky-scrapers. In fact they are hoodoo formations of quartz minerals similar to those in Brice National Park in the USA.

  3. Kanta Lodge, a beautiful brand new lodge in Konso style luxury sleeping cabins and restaurant.

Day 4: KONSO - BUSKA LODGE, ± 130km

  1. Drive to Turmi to visit the Hamar People.

  2. Birding at the floodplane of Chelbi Wildlife Reserve

  3. Spend the night at Buska Lodge

Day 5:  BUSKA LODGE - JINKA, ± 140km

  1. Early in the morning, drive to the Mursi village in Mago National Park. Mursi women wear clay lip plates that they make from locally dug clay. The men adorn themselves with clay;

  2. game viewing Mago National Park. While wildlife stocks in Mago National Park are down, it is still one of the better places to see extraordinary wildlife;

  3. Sleep at Jinka Resort Hotel.

Day 6: JINKA - ARBA MINCH, ± 275km

  1. Long drive until arrival at hotel in Arba Minch, overlooking Nechsar National Park.

  2. If we can get permission from the park we go looking for the mysterious Nechisar Nightjar.

Day 7: NETCH SAR PARK AND LAKE CHAMO EXCURSIONS

  1. In the morning drive to Netchsar National Park on the istmus seperating Lake Abaya and Chamo. There still is a herd of the endemic Swayne's hartebeests, Burchell's zebra are very common, greater and lesser kudus are frequently seen, as well as grants gazelle. Out of the more than 180 species of birds recorded, you have a good chance at seeing Secretary bird, Ground hornbill, different species of bustards, etc.

  2. In the afternoon we go on boat ride along the western shore of Lake Chamo to watch African Crocodiles, Hippopotamus and a large variety of wetland birds.

  3. Return to the hotel at night and if permission granted again look for the Nechisar Nightjar.

Day 8: ARBA MINCH - ADDIS ABABA, ± 505km

  1. Return to Addis Ababa. Alternatively you have the option to fly back to Addis Ababa at additional costs for the flight, which we would recommend as it is a long ride back to Addis Ababa.

The price of this WILDLIFE SAFARI ETHIOPIA starts at $890.

ALL ETHIOPIA MODULES

 

Ethiopia modernizes and changes more rapidly than any other country in Africa. Many features may not be there anymore in the near future. If you want to see it the way it was for thousands of years, see it now before it has changed forever! Compose your own once-in-a-lifetime Ethiopia-Africa-Adventure from our affordable modules:

Famous Ethiopia Historical Circuit

Simien Mountains trek or car visit

Danakil Depression and Erte Ale Volcano Expedition

Awash Babile Harar Safari Tour

Ethiopia Central and Southern Parks & Tribes Safari Tour

Bale Mountains National Park and Sof Omar Caves Tour

Gambella National Park Safari

Addis Ababa City Tour & Airport Transfer

All Ethiopia modules and prices together

We designed our itineraries in such a way that you can compose a 1 to 4 weeks journey from different modules that can show you the entire country or just the parts that interest you, all depending on your personal preferences, available time and budget. Email us on your interests and we can discuss a custom program with you by phone (we have phone lines from the USA and Europe) or skype. So, weather you have a great ethnic affinity, are a birdwatcher or want to go on safari, contact us and we work out a customized program that focuses on YOUR interests.

Blue Nile Falls, EthiopiaSt. George Church, LalibelaStellas, Axum, EthiopiaTukuls, Lalibela, EthiopiaElephant bull, Babile, EthiopiaEthiopian Wolf, Bale National Park

Gelada, Simien Mountains National ParkFacilides Bathroom, Gondar, EtiopiaWabia Ibex, Simien MountainsChurch, Lake Tana, EthiopiaErica trees, Bale Mountains National Park.Facilides Castle, Gondar, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport is home of Ethiopian Airlines, featuring Africa's youngest fleet of the latest intercontinental jet airplanes - including 2 Dreamliners - as well as short-distance Bombardier turboprops for affordable and reliable in-country flights servicing all major cities of Ethiopia. The best airline of Africa, will fly you non-stop from the USA and Europe to Addis Ababa. Take our 1-week Ethiopia Cultural Monuments Tour and then continue for your Kenya or Tanzania safari - or any other East African capital - thus completing your journey. IF YOU BUY YOUR INTERNATIONAL TICKET FROM ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, YOU WILL GET MOST INTERNAL FLIGHTS FOR $40 - $70 PER LEG! BUT CHANGING AFTERWARDS IS EXPENSIVE, SO WORK OUT A SCHEDULE WITH US TO GET A FABULOUS DEAL FOR FLYING THROUGH THE COUNTRY IN STEAD OF SPENDING ENDLESS TIME ON THE ROAD!!!

 

ANIMALS & WILDLIFE ON OMO NATIONAL PARK TOUR, ETHIOPIA

What makes us different from so many other tour operators?

Just look at the quality of our high resolution pictures. We took them all ourselves. We have thousands of high resolution pictures on this website, that you can see enlarged by clicking on them. These pictures show that we have been everywhere in the country of your interest and really know the details. We are professional explorers and biologists with MSc and PhD.

 

National Parks Tours Worldwide, a social responsibility and conservation company, is a brand name of the World Institute for Conservation & Environment, registered in the Netherlands with headquarters in the USA.

 

Phone USA:

(++)(1) 304 - 901 - 0718

 

Phone Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

(++251) (0) 911 440 915

 

Email:

info@nationalparks-worldwide.com

 

Skype: ecotravelworldwide