Wildlife journeys
Ethiopia’s far western lowlands, where the Baro runs brown and wide and herds of white-eared kob cross the grass plains.
Paused while Gambela is under official travel warnings.
Length 04 days
Chebera Churchura
Tracking elephants on foot with park scouts through the forests and grasslands of Ethiopia’s least-visited national park.
Length 03 days
Arba Minch
Crocodiles basking on Lake Chamo, zebra on the Nechisar plains and Dorze weavers in tall bamboo houses, from a base above two lakes.
Overview
Each dry season, very large herds of white-eared kob and tiang move between South Sudan and Gambela National Park, one of the largest land mammal migrations on Earth, mapped by aerial surveys only in recent years. Gambela town sits on the Baro River, a world away from the highlands: hot, flat, green, and closer to the Nile than to Addis Ababa.
The days pair the park’s open plains with time among Anuak and Nuer communities, always with a local guide and always by invitation. It is remote, the heat is real and the hotels are simple. This route is paused for now; we will reopen it when it is safe.
Itinerary
Your guide meets you at Bole International Airport for the flight west to Gambela, where the air turns hot and heavy as you step off the plane. After lunch you walk the Baro riverbank as fishermen bring in their nets and the light goes gold over the water.
The Anuak have farmed and fished along the Baro for generations. With a local guide you visit a village near town, see the river gardens and the grain stores, and learn how the year turns on the flood. Ask before any photograph and pay any fee to the person directly.
You drive west into the park with a scout from the park office, through tall grass, wetlands and scattered woodland. Expect kob, tiang, waterbuck and a long list of birds; the swamps hold shoebill, though sightings are never promised.
A second day in the park, timed for early and late light, when the kob gather on the open plains. On the way back you stop in Nuer cattle country near Itang, where herders move their long-horned cattle to water, if the families welcome visitors.
A slow breakfast by the river before the flight back to Addis Ababa. We transfer you to your hotel or your international flight.
Itineraries can change with weather, road and flight conditions. We will tell you promptly if they do.
Gallery
Photo: Unsplash
Good to know
Dress code: Light, loose clothing that covers shoulders and knees, in neutral colours for game drives.
This tour follows the Strict policy. Days are whole calendar days before departure.
| When you cancel | What you get back |
|---|---|
| 30 or more days before departure | 50% refund |
| Fewer than 30 days before departure | No refund |
A non-refundable USD 150 per traveller (domestic flights) is deducted before these percentages are applied.
Questions
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