Day 8: Flight Gondar to Addis Ababa and drive to Awash
Sunday 15th February 2015
Gondar – Addis Ababa – Lakes Chelekleka and Beseka - Awash Falls In order to see the very best that Ethiopia has to offer, it is necessary to travel some significant distances and today was taken up with a flight back to Addis and then the long drive south-east to the Awash Falls Lodge. It was a long day but thankfully it was broken up with stops at two beautiful Rift Valley lakes. Lake Chelekleka was teeming with thousands of birds! There were huge numbers of Common Cranes and both Greater and Lesser Flamingoes. In the shallow pools we had very close views of a wonderful range of waders: Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Spur-winged Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, Ruff and Collared Pratincole. The watersides were thronged with storks, egrets and ibis, as well as our first Hamerkops. The saline Lake Beseka lies close to the Awash National Park and here we had our first views of Nile Crocodiles; several were hauled out on the lakeside just where Abiy said they would be! Soon afterwards, we left the main thoroughfare and headed along a rough road to the Awash Falls Lodge. As the sun set, we had our first look at some of the typical birds of the open acacia woodland, like Helmeted Guineafowl and Crested Francolin. We arrived at the lodge in darkness but quickly checked in and had a late dinner in the open dining area, around the fire, with the sound of the falls in our ears – it was very atmospheric!
Gondar – Addis Ababa – Lakes Chelekleka and Beseka - Awash Falls In order to see the very best that Ethiopia has to offer, it is necessary to travel some significant distances and today was taken up with a flight back to Addis and then the long drive south-east to the Awash Falls Lodge. It was a long day but thankfully it was broken up with stops at two beautiful Rift Valley lakes. Lake Chelekleka was teeming with thousands of birds! There were huge numbers of Common Cranes and both Greater and Lesser Flamingoes. In the shallow pools we had very close views of a wonderful range of waders: Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Spur-winged Lapwing, Kittlitz’s Plover, Common Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Little Stint, Ruff and Collared Pratincole. The watersides were thronged with storks, egrets and ibis, as well as our first Hamerkops. The saline Lake Beseka lies close to the Awash National Park and here we had our first views of Nile Crocodiles; several were hauled out on the lakeside just where Abiy said they would be! Soon afterwards, we left the main thoroughfare and headed along a rough road to the Awash Falls Lodge. As the sun set, we had our first look at some of the typical birds of the open acacia woodland, like Helmeted Guineafowl and Crested Francolin. We arrived at the lodge in darkness but quickly checked in and had a late dinner in the open dining area, around the fire, with the sound of the falls in our ears – it was very atmospheric!