Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Supposedly the road to the villages will be paved during the lifetime of this topic, but in
the meantime it takes about two hours to drive there. It's passable even when it rains,
though the Yilima River has no bridge and can occasionally run so high it strands 4WDs
for days at a time.
A possible, albeit extremely impractical option, if you plan to spend the night, is to use
the new bus service between Jinka and Hana Mursi, which passes within walking distance
of the villages. It leaves Jinka on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at about 4pm and re-
turns the next morning when full.
MAGO NATIONAL PARK
Although by Ethiopian standards wildlife is fairly abundant in this dramatically beautiful
2162-sq-km
park
(admission per person US$10, vehicle US$2, mandatory scout up to
12hr US$6, up to 24hr US$10)
, there's no chance of an East African safari-style experien-
ce. Poaching remains a problem and the thick acacia woodland dominating the plains
makes seeing what wildlife remains quite tough. About the only animals you can expect to
see along the northern road during most of the day are dik-diks, baboons and guinea fowl.
Wildlife watching is much better along the road to the headquarters and at the abandoned
airstrip 5km further on where you can expect to spot buffalo, Burchell's zebras, lesser ku-
dus, defassa waterbucks, gerenuks, black-and-white colobus, and (with some luck) one of
the 300 elephants. Lions, leopards, cheetahs and giraffes are rarely encountered. If you
make arrangements with your guide the day before you can leave Jinka very early and
spend several hours in the park before visiting the Mursi.
If you're serious about searching out
wildlife
, you'll need to overnight at the
campsite
(per tent US$4, tent hire 1-3 person US$10, 4+ person US$12)
near the headquarters and
Neri River. (There are no crocodiles, so bathing is safe.) There's a water pump and pit toi-
lets, and drinks can be bought at the headquarters. Tsetse flies are problematic: avoid
wearing blue or black, which seems to attract them.
Getting There & Around
Even though buses now pass through the park, they're of no use to visitors. The northern
road is graded, but a 4WD is needed for the really rough 12km drive to the headquarters
and campsite. Walking in the park is allowed and recommended. The ranger station at the
entrance to the park is usually closed in the morning, but it's routine to pay when leaving.
