In Ethiopia, natural beauty intertwines with culture. Old churches, hewn from local rock – the rumoured handiwork of an army of angels – are secreted into cliffs and underground tunnels. History and religious landmarks date back to the Lost Ark of the Covenant. Exotic nature lurks around every corner, most of all in the famed Simien Mountains, famed for trekking and wildlife, including the endangered Ethiopian wolf and the gelada baboon. An Ethiopia safari weaves history with culture, nature with religion. 

First up and probably the best known is the Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  This is a truly spectacular landscape of rugged peaks, deep valleys and precipices.  This is where you can see several extremely rare animals including the Walia Ibex (a species of wild goat endemic to the region), Gelada Baboons and perhaps even the shy Simien Fox.  At Bale National Park there is more endemic Afro-alpine scenery and the opportunity for some unsurpassed mountain walking and hiking.

Omo National Park is one of the most beautiful of Ethiopia’s wilderness reserves, bordered by the Omo River and home to a startling variety of wildlife, including 4 of the Big Five.  The scenery is just amazing as the river carves its way through 350km of the African Rift Valley.  Its path includes white-water rapids, soaring sheer canyons, hot-water springs, waterfalls and masses of wildlife – this is the African jungle of your dreams, and traversing this river is one of the world’s classic river adventures.

Awash National Park is another gem!  The Park offers some of the best bird-watching opportunities in the country with over 400 recorded species to be crossed off your checklist.  There is also a wealth of other wildlife to see here as well as hot-water springs and some sensational waterfalls. 

These are just a few of Ethiopia’s unspoilt and truly wild and wonderful National Parks.  Explore them at your leisure and then move on to visit some of this surprising country’s ancient rock-hewn churches, ruins and other cultural delights.