Village - Ethiopia

VE 006B, 11 days, Debre Libanos, Jemma and Jara Valleys, Ankober and the escarpment, Guassa (Menz), Bilen (Awash)

Day 1: Depart Europe with Ethiopian Airlines.

Day 2: Arrive Addis Ababa and transfer to Ghion Hotel. Visit to Entoto National Park. See Day 2 of VE 001B for the rest of this day's activities.

Day 3: An early start on the road north, through the Sululta Plain and on to Debre Libanos. See Day 3 of VE 002B for information about this day's activities. Rather than return to Addis Ababa, we turn east off the main road for the Jemma and Jara River valleys. We will spend the night in a flycamp.

Day 4: The Jemma and Jara River valleys hold a substantial population of the rare Harwood's Frankolin. We will also look out for Ruppell's Chat, and can expect to see: Vinaceous Dove, Foxy Cisticola, Speckle-fronted Weaver, Lesser Blue-eared Glossy Starling, Black-faced Firefinch, Stone Partridge, White-billed Starling and White-throated Seedeater. We set off back to Addis Ababa mid afternoon. o/n Ghion Hotel.

Day 5: An early morning start with picnic lunch for Debre Berhan and Ankober, which were capitals in the 14th and 18-19th centuries respectively. Debre Berhan is 120 km from Addis Ababa, while Ankober is a further 48 km from the main road. There are spectacular views from the escarpment of the Rift Valley below. Ankober is the only site for the Ankober Serin, found on the steep cliffs of the escarpment. Ruppell's Chat has also been seen here, and we can expect to see Smith's Francolin, Yellow-throated Serin, White-billed Starling, Black-winged Love Bird, Lammergeyer, Mountain Buzzard, Peregrine, Red-breasted Sparrow Hawk, Alpine Swift, Crag Martin and Blue Rock Thrush. Wildlife recorded in the area includes: Leopard, Colobus and Vervet Monkeys, Gelada Baboon, Menelik's Bushbuck, Klipsringer and Rock Hyrax. o/n Hotel Helen, Debre Berhan.

Day 6: We drive north and turn left off the main road to Guassa, an area characterised by hills and valley bottoms interspersed with swamps and open areas of montane and Afro-alpine Grassland. Here we can expect to see substantial numbers of Spot-breasted Plover, Rouget's Rail and Abyssinian Longclaw. We should also see Abyssinian Catbird, Black-headed Siskin, and Blue-winged Goose. This is one of the last habitats in northern Ethiopia for the world's rarest canid, the Simien Wolf. Other wildlife species seen here include Grey Duiker, Klipspringer, Leopard, Common Jackal, Abyssinian Hare and various rodents. We start our journey back to Addis Ababa mid afternoon. o/n Ghion Hotel.

Day 7: We head south this morning, making some stops along the way, first at Chelekleka Marsh, on the outskirts of Debre Zeit (46 km from Addis Ababa), where we can expect to see: Ferruginous Duck, Little Grebe, Cattle Egret, Lesser Flamingo, Egyptian Goose, Spur Winged Goose, Red-knobbed Coot, Ruff, Pintail, Garganey, Northern Shoveller, Southern Pochard, Pygmy Goose and White-backed Duck, then at Green Lake (Maccoa Duck, Cape Teal, Red-billed Duck, possibly White-winged Cliff Chat and Red-breasted Wry Neck).

We will take lunch at Nazret (110 km from Addis Ababa). On our way to Awash, we will stop at Beseka Lake (200 km) for Yellow-billed stork, Spoon-billed Stork, cormorants and crocodiles, arriving at Village Ethiopia's lodge at Bilen late afternoon, in time for some birding in the small indigenous forest nearby. o/n Village Ethiopia, Bilen.

Days 8 and 9: The species found here are those found in the adjacent Awash Park, see Day 9 of VE 001B for a short list, and we will spend two days exploring the different habitats of the area, the plains, cliffs, wetlands and riverine forest by the Awash. Camel trekking can be arranged to some of these sites - one gets a great view from on top of a camel, and can also get closer to birds and wildlife. The Afar communities (with whom there has been consultation as a continuous process about Village Ethiopia's development) provide another focus of interest. A large hot spring near the lodge is a great place to freshen up at the end of the day. o/n Village Ethiopia Bilen.

Day 10: We return to Addis Ababa, with lunch in Nazret and birding stops along the way, arriving Addis Ababa late afternoon. o/n Ghion.

Day 11: Transfer to the airport for mid day departure.

For those visitors arriving on Lufthansa or Alitalia:

Departure (from Europe) and arrival will be on Day 1. On Day 2 a full rather than half-day will be spent with picnic lunch in the Entoto National Park. (If clients wish, we can visit the Entoto National Park on horseback.) On Day 10 we can make a more leisurely return to Addis Ababa. On Day 11 there will be a morning excursion to Gefersa reservoir, some 20 km west of the city, where we can expect to see Rouget's Rail, Abyssinian Longclaw, Blue-winged Goose and Black-headed Siskin. Rest of afternoon at leisure (day rooms will be hired). Souvenir shopping can be arranged. Depart late evening.