Abijatta-Shalla Lakes National Park is in the southern Oromia region of Ethiopia, about 200 km south of the capital of Addis Ababa.

Understand

Landscape

Thousands of flamingoes create pink carpets in the blue bays of the lake; great white pelicans soar in from Lake Shala to enjoy the fishing and execute their fantastic ballet; pied kingfishers hover and dive; fish eagles protect their territory with their eerie cry; cormorants and darters fill the dead acacia trees silhouetting strange and beautiful shapes against the sunset. Here are tall marabou stalks and sacred ibis. Snipe, stilt, avocet dwell sometimes in the hundreds of thousands, the black heron searches the shallow water in the shadow created by his black umbrella.

Flora and fauna

Warthogs, ostriches and flamingoes are common.

Climate

The National Park and this part of Ethiopia as a whole can be visited during the rainy season: dirt roads in the area not that slippery, even at the end of July or the beginning of September.

Get in

By car

Routes through Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park Modjo ← Ziway ← N Highway 6 S → Shashemene → Awasa

From Addis Ababa, Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park is 210 km via Modjo, using the Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway (3 hours 15 minutes drive), or it's 228 km via Butajira (3 hours 45 minutes drive).

The 1 park entrance is in between the two lakes, on national Highway 6, 47 km south from Ziway and 41 km north from Shashemene.

Fees and permits

Ethiopian National Park fees Entrance fees: Ethiopians - 20 birr Children <12years old & Ethiopian students of any age - 10 birr Residents - 50 birr Non-resident foreigners - 90 birr camping fees - 10 birr/person As of September 2015.

Sleep

Lodging

No lodge exists inside the park. The possibilities within less than 1 hour's drive are to find hotels in Ziway or Shashemene or to go to one of the expensive resorts of Lake Langano. The closest town, Bulbula, doesn't seem to have any hotel.