Abijata-Shalla Lakes National Park is located in the Rift Valley region of Ethiopia, approximately 200 kilometers south of Addis Ababa, and spans around 887 square kilometers — named after its two prominent alkaline lakes, Lake Abijatta and Lake Shalla. In 2026, the park remains Ethiopia’s premier wetland birding destination, where thousands of flamingos feed and breed in Lake Abijatta and crater lake Chitu, flocks of pelicans can be seen on Lake Shalla, and many smaller migrant waders flood the park from November to March. The national park sprawls across 887 km², of which 482 km² is covered by water — Lake Abijatta, Lake Shalla, and Lake Chitu. Visitors should enter the park with realistic expectations: the birding is genuinely world-class, but large mammal sightings are limited due to ongoing human encroachment, and internal tracks require a 4×4 vehicle to navigate.
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| Activity | Duration | Difficulty | Approx. Cost (USD) | Best Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flamingo Watching at Lake Abijatta | 2–4 hours | Easy | Park fee only | October–February |
| Pelican Viewing at Lake Shalla | 2–3 hours | Easy | Park fee only | Year-round |
| Hot Springs Visit (Lake Shalla) | 1–2 hours | Easy | Park fee only | Year-round (best early morning) |
| Mount Fike Trek | 3–5 hours | Moderate | $5–15 guide fee | October–March |
| Horakello Stream Birding | 1–3 hours | Easy | Park fee only | November–March |
| Lake Chitu Flamingo Walk | 2–3 hours | Easy | Park fee only | October–February |
| Boat Ride on Lake Shalla | 1–2 hours | Easy | $10–20 per person | Year-round |
| Park Headquarters Museum Visit | 30–60 min | Easy | Included | Year-round |
Flamingo Watching at Lake Abijatta
As Abijatta-Shalla is mostly a birding destination, the best time to visit is from October to February when large flocks of flamingos congregate in Lake Abijatta — this is also when Palearctic migrants arrive, and rainfall is very low. Abijatta itself is very alkaline but shallow, so flamingos can be seen scattered over most of its surface, and especially along the windward edge where their algal food source concentrates. You can approach quite closely, but beware of treacherous deep mud if the lake is low. Both greater flamingos and lesser flamingos thrive on Abijatta, Lake Chitu, and Shalla for algae-feeding and breeding areas. Early morning visits are best for photography, when the light is low and the birds are actively feeding. Park at the northern shore near the Horakello entrance and walk along the shoreline on foot. Keep well away from the lake’s soft edges — care must be exercised when driving vehicles out to the edge of this lake, as the thin crust of dried mud on the surface can give way without warning.
Great White Pelican Viewing at Lake Shalla
Shalla’s islands are used as breeding sites by many birds, and is home to the continent’s most important breeding colony of great white pelicans. The pelican breeds in its thousands — up to 12,000 pairs in the course of a year — on a small island, Tulu Island, in Lake Shalla. The four islands in the center of Lake Shalla are the favored nesting grounds for a variety of birds, with great white pelicans notable among them. White-necked cormorant, African fish eagle, Egyptian geese, and numerous plover and heron species are also common here. Lake Shalla is nearly devoid of fish, and most birds will fly to neighboring Lake Abijatta to feed. Pelicans are present year-round on Lake Shalla, making this a reliable sighting regardless of the season you visit. View the breeding islands from the lake’s western shore at Gike, which is the best site for bird watching and camping.
Birding at Horakello Stream
The stream between Lakes Langano and Abijatta is a strong birding hotspot. Fresh water flows into Lake Abijatta through the small Horakello stream. The stream mouth is a source of relatively fresh water, much frequented by water birds for drinking and bathing. This makes the Horakello entrance one of the most productive spots in the entire park for a broad range of species. Pied kingfishers, sacred ibis, African spoonbills, and various plover species concentrate at the freshwater inflow. European waders and passerines visit from October to March, making November through March the prime window for ticking both resident and migrating species. You can walk this area on foot from the main gate without needing to drive further into the park’s rough interior tracks.
Hot Springs at Lake Shalla
There are numerous hot springs along the southwest and eastern shores of Lake Shalla. The springs vary considerably in size and temperature, with the largest and hottest discharging over 50,000 liters of boiling 97°C water. Revered traditionally for their medicinal uses, the hot springs provide visitors with a well-needed rest after wandering the surrounding area. Colder early morning visits to the lake are particularly rewarding, with the constantly active hot springs mixing with the cold air and sending a thick mist out onto the lake. The steaming shoreline is also one of the park’s most photogenic features. A track from the Dole area leads south to the Shalla shoreline, where the dramatic black cliffs, jagged peaks, and steamy shoreline speckled with bubbling hot springs create a stark contrast to the open shores of Abijatta. Bring water-resistant sandals if you plan to walk close to the vent fields.
Trekking Mount Fike
The altitude of the park ranges from 1,540 to 2,075 meters, the highest peak being Mount Fike, situated between the two lakes. Mount Fike is located between the two lakes and is well suited for trekking, with a viewpoint that takes in three lakes, including Langano. The climb from the valley floor to the summit takes roughly two to three hours each way, passing through acacia and scrub woodland before reaching open rocky terrain near the top. On a clear day, the panoramic view over both Abijatta and Shalla is the best available vantage point in the entire National park. Hire a local guide at the park headquarters before setting out — they know the unmarked paths and can identify birds along the route. The trail is dry and manageable throughout the October-to-March dry season.
Lake Chitu Crater Lake Flamingo Walk
Lake Chitu, a small blue-green saline lake, is found south of Lake Shalla and is known for its blue-green algae. South of Lake Shalla, there is a small alkaline crater lake known as Lake Chittu. This small lake is the best site for bird watching, especially for flamingos. The diminutive Lake Chitu in the north of the park hosts thousands of pink flamingos in a tiny crater lake. The compact scale of Chitu means you can position yourself very close to the birds without the wide-open distances of Abijatta. Access is via the Chitu entrance on the southern side of the park, near Shashemene. The road to Chitu is rough and requires a high-clearance 4×4, especially after any recent rain.
Boat Ride on Lake Shalla
Boat riding on Lake Shalla is a popular activity. This lake, known as Ethiopia’s deepest, offers a unique way to experience its natural features. Despite its relatively modest surface area of 330 km², Shalla holds a greater volume of water than any other Ethiopian lake due to its mean depth of 86 meters and maximum depth of 257 meters. Local guides arrange boat access from the Gike site on the southwestern shore. A circuit around the breeding islands lets you observe pelicans, cormorants, and herons at close range without disturbing nesting areas. Lake Shalla is also suitable for water transportation to tour around the tiny islands and for connecting its western and eastern shores. Trips typically cost around $10–20 USD per person and last one to two hours. Confirm with park staff before booking independently — availability can be inconsistent.
Wildlife Game Drive
Visitors should have honest expectations about large wildlife. Due to human encroachment there is unfortunately not a lot of wildlife left in Abijatta-Shalla. Driving through, you might encounter a few skittish Grant’s gazelles or a troop of Anubis baboons, but not much else. The park officially lists 76 mammal species, including Grant’s gazelles, bohor reedbucks, oribis, common warthogs, greater kudus, caracals, honey badgers, colobus monkeys, aardvarks, spotted hyenas, klipspringers, and black-backed jackals — though most are rarely spotted in the field today. Species that were once abundant, such as lions, giraffes, waterbucks, buffalos, and Swayne’s hartebeests, were locally extirpated due to hunting or habitat loss. Your best chances for any mammal sightings are near the park entrance compound, around the lake shorelines at dawn and dusk, and along the acacia thickets between the two lakes. Warthogs and ostriches near the main gate are the most reliably seen mammals.
Park Headquarters Museum Visit
The park headquarters houses a small museum, which gives an excellent idea of the wealth of bird life in the park. This is a practical first stop before heading to the lakes, as the exhibits identify key species visually and explain the ecological relationship between the two lakes and the birds they support. Staff at the headquarters can also point you to current bird concentrations — flamingo and pelican positions shift depending on water levels and recent rainfall. For a quick overview of the bird and plant life in the region, the park headquarters is worth a swing-past before heading to the lake shores. The museum is free with your park entry ticket and is located on the main road between the Horakello entrance and the lakes. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.
Senkello Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary Day Trip
In association with Abijatta-Shalla Lakes National Park is Senkello Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary, some 70 kilometers from the town of Shashemene, and close to the Chitu entrance of the park. The sanctuary was established for this endemic subspecies of the hartebeest, which once roamed the plains of Somalia and Ethiopia in thousands but is now restricted to four small localities in Ethiopia. Senkello is genuinely one of the better-managed small protected areas in the Ethiopian Rift Valley and offers a more reliable mammal-viewing experience than the main park. The hartebeest can be seen in open grassland from the road. A half-day visit to Senkello pairs naturally with the Chitu entrance and southern approach to the main lakes.
Palearctic Migrant Wader Watching
A great number of the bird species that prevail in the lakes are the migrating wetland birds from the Palearctic, transiting during the northern winter months, making the area a draw for keen bird watchers. The lakes provide an important staging point for thousands of birds including Shoveler, Black-winged Stilt, Avocet, Little Stint, Ruff, and White-winged Black Tern. Keep an eye out for the migrant Mongolian plover and Pacific golden plover, which enjoy feeding in these waters. The November-to-March window is the most productive for Palearctic migrants. Serious birders should plan a full day at Lake Abijatta during this period, starting at the Horakello stream at dawn and working south to the main lake body by mid-morning when thermal activity lifts raptors.
Photography at Lake Shalla at Dawn
Early morning visits to Lake Shalla are particularly rewarding, with the constantly active hot springs mixing with the cold air and sending a thick mist out onto the lake surface. The steam columns rising from the shoreline vents against the dark cliffs of the caldera wall create a scene that is unlike anything else in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Wildlife photographers should time their arrival for first light at Shalla, then move to Abijatta by mid-morning when the flamingos are at their most active and the light is still usable. Early morning and late afternoon provide the best lighting conditions for wildlife and birds, and the clear, unpolluted skies also make this a good spot for night sky viewing. A 400mm or longer lens is practical for flamingo shots across the lake’s open water.
Visiting the Acacia Woodland for Passerines and Raptors
The habitat of Abijatta-Shalla National Park contains open grasslands, dry savannas, arid shrublands, and deciduous woodland dominated by Acacia trees, including umbrella thorn acacias, red acacias, gum acacias, and sycamore figs. This acacia zone between the lakes and the park boundary supports a different set of species from the waterbirds