📍 East Shewa, Oromia
Two Rift Valley lakes, a hot spring shoreline and one of Ethiopia's richest bird counts.
Still in the immediate vicinity of Lake Langano and to the west of the highway lies Abijata Shalla National Park. The park is renowned as a birdwatcher's paradise, with some 360 or more species to be found. The bulk of it is covered by the two lakes, Abijata and Shalla, and from July through September each year the lakes are covered in thousands of flamingos. Although not in abundance, several mammals live here too, including hyaena, jackal, baboon, Grant's gazelle, warthog and ostrich.
A fine strip of land separates the two lakes, and walking along it at higher elevations gives the best views. Lake Shalla is the deepest lake in the country and is ringed by majestic hills that make for stunning sunsets, while Lake Abijata is a very shallow low-lying lake with vast expansive shorelines filled with birds.
A beautiful hot spring bubbles from the ground on the shores of Lake Shalla, and with the right vehicle you can visit nearby Chitu Lake, a small crater lake that holds by far the largest concentration of flamingos in the area.
Official park entrance and conservation permits are arranged for you, and a certified wildlife and birdwatching guide travels with you along with an armed park scout.
The route covers the Lake Abijata shoreline for flamingo and waterbird viewing, the isthmus viewpoints between the two lakes, and the bubbling hot springs and sunset overlook on the shore of Lake Shalla.
With the right vehicle the trip extends to Chitu crater lake, where the densest flamingo colony in the area gathers.
Not included: personal binoculars and specialist photography permits, tips for rangers and scouts, and your accommodation and drinks.
Travel with community-owned guides who know every trail and story. Your visit directly supports conservation and local livelihoods across the region — part of what makes Oromia’s abundance possible.
