Bale Mountains National Park

The Bale Mountains National Park, located 400 km southeast of Addis Ababa, hosts the second highest mountain range in Ethiopia. The landscapes are diverse, rugged and wild, and the vegetation of the African mountains is magnificent. At an altitude of 4,000 metres is the immense plateau of Sanetti, overlooked by the majestic Mount Tullo Deemtu (literally translated as “red mountain”) which, at 4,377 metres above sea level, is Ethiopia’s second highest mountain. This undulating plateau is marked by numerous glacial lakes and swamps and is surrounded by ridges and volcanic peaks.

The Bale Mountains are ancient volcanoes, particularly popular with bird lovers due to the dozens of endemic species that are found there. Indeed, the park is a birdwatching paradise and has been rated “4th Best Birdwatching Site in Africa” ​​by the African Birding Club.

This National Park does not just delight bird lovers, however, the Bale Mountains are home to many different animals, including endemic species such as the Abyssinian Wolf, the Menelik Guib and the rare mountain Nyala, of which there are only 1,000 individuals. In autumn, colourful wild flowers dominate the landscape.

South of the Sanetti Plateau, at a lower elevation, is the Harenna Forest, a large and dense wooded area that accounts for 3% of the remaining bamboo forest in Africa and is home to extraordinary bird life and the rare Vervets of Bale.