Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to charcoal and replacing much of it with villages and farm fields. Despite the destruction,
a short visit remains enjoyable.
A typical visit lasts about two hours and starts with a walk through the fenced land
around the headquarters where semi-tame ostrich, gazelle and warthogs (almost certainly
the only nonwinged
wildlife
you'll encounter) live. Then you drive (or walk) 5km to an
overlook
of the two lakes, followed 3.5km later by a spread of gurgling sulphurous
hot
springs
on the northeast shore of Shala where locals wash clothes and bathe. Another
7km takes you to the shrunken shore of Abiata to look for
flamingos
, which have in-
creased dramatically since the fish die-off (because they feed on algae) and can be seen in
flocks of thousands, especially from October to February.
At Shala's southwestern shore there's a second hot spring and a stunning, pint-sized
crater lake. Looking 80m down from the rim to
Lake Chitu
and spotting its 2000 or so
semiresident flamingos is a sight worth the effort. The south shore is accessed via
Aware
or
Aje
, but admission can only be paid at the main park entrance and at Horakelo.
Camping
(per tent Birr40)
is permitted anywhere in the park, though there are no facil-
ities and you must have the scout with you. Don't leave your camp unattended.
Getting There & Around
The main park entrance, where the headquarters is, lies right along the highway. Buses do-
ing the Addis Ababa-Shashemene run can drop you off, as can many minibuses.
For driving inside the park, a 4WD is essential.
LEPHIS
Up against the Duro Mountains north of Shashemene is the lovely and relatively pristine Lephis Forest, home to
Menelik's bushbuck, mountain nyala, leopard, spotted hyena, warthog, black-and-white colobus and olive baboon.
The rich birdlife includes the beautiful white-cheeked turaco and Abyssinian oriole. As an incentive to protect the
remaining forest from the axe, the
Lephis Ecotourism Cooperative
( 0928-828530)
, based in Lephis village,
has begun
trekking
trips, either on horseback (must book in advance) or foot. The project is new - this author was
their first walk-in customer - and has some things to work out still, but everything seems promising.
