Bale Mountains National Park

The Bale mountains National Park is located next to the Bales Mountain making it one of the top tourist destinations in Ethiopia. It has been on the list of becoming a UNESCO heritage since 2009 because of the unique scenery it gives to all the people who visit the area. The Bale National park has over 1300 species and there are almost 23 of those that are endemic to the Park.

You will need a permit to access the different parts of the park and a tour guide who will take you through the park while explaining all that you will see in the park. The different itineraries that we have for you will enable you to get to the park with everything already settled from transportation, entry tickets to the park, accommodation facilities and food. We help you realize your dreams at a cost that is affordable to everyone.

Tourist attractions in the Bale National Park

There are several attractions in the Bales National Park and most of them are carried out depending on the weather and what the tourist want to do on their visit to the Park. Some of the tourist attractions that are found within the Bales Mountain National Park include the following:

Birding In Bale Mountains

Ethiopia is known to be a top birding destination because of the large number of birds that are found in the different parks and the Bales National Park is one of the top birding spots in the country. There are several birding routes that you can use when you visit the Bale National Park where you will be able to view the various bird species.

• The first birding route is the Northern route which passes through the Adellay forest. The Adellay forest covers over 42 kilometers squared. The vegetation in the area which act as habitats to the different bird species. Some of the bird species that can be seen in the Bale include the African dusky flycatcher, the black winged lovebird, the Abyssinian catbird, the cinnamon bracken warbler, the mountain thrush, the brown woodland warbler, the Abyssinian slaty catcher, the gold mantled woodpecker and the montane white eye bird.
• The central plateau can also be used when it comes to birding in the Bales Mountain National Park. The central plateau is surrounded by different ridges and trees which makes it easy to spot the different birds in the park and some of the bird species that can be seen include the common greenshank, the Wattled crane, the common sandpipers, the spot breasted plover, lanner falcon, tawny eagle, peregrine falcon, ringed plover, the augur buzzard, the greater spotted eagle and the black eagle.
• The northern part of the Bales National Park is located on a hill and it is one of the best places where one can go and see the different birds some of which include the yellow fronted parrot, the cinnamon bracken warbler, the African dusky flycatcher, the black winged lovebird, the Abyssinian catbird, the Abyssinian thrush, the brown woodland warbler and the gold mantled woodpecker.
• The other route that can be used for birding passes through the grasslands and is known as the Gaysay grasslands that are found near the northern part of the park and it has several bird species that habitate in the grasslands and the wetlands that are in the park. The bird species that you will see when you use this route include brown rumped seedeater, white collared pigeon, Abyssinian longclaw, the little grebe, the Wattled Ibis, the streaky seedeater, breasted plover, the yellow billed waxbill, the chestnut naped francolin, the Ethiopian Cisticola, the white collared pigeon, the rouge’s tail, the common waxbill and the black headed siskin.
• The Angeso forest is one of the best places to carry out birding from. It is located in the southern part and has numerous bird species that habitate in the area and these include the streaky seed eater, the Tacazze sunbird, the yellow crowned canary, the brown rumped seed eater, the Rouget’s rail, the Malachite sunbird and the chestnut naped francolin.

Hiking through the Bales National Park

Due to the presence of the mountain and the Rift Valley, the Park has several trekking routes that you can use for your trekking. When you look at the different statistics it is believed that 200 people trek through the National Park per year which means it is a top destination for those that love trekking.

The best time to visit the Park and do some trekking is during the dry season because during the wet season the commonly used treks become a bit slippery making it hard for treks to take place. And as you are heading out for trekking, make sure that you carry appropriate clothes and shoes for the trek and you not that you will not be allowed to access any of the routes if you do not have a tour guide with you and a trained armed guide who will give you protection. There are several camos and hotels where you can stay after the trek and these provide good accommodation and food.

Wild animals in Bales National Park

The Bales National Park has a variety of animals that habitate in the park and these can be viewed properly during the dry season. When it comes to the dry season the animals in Bales move around in search of water and food which makes it easy for them to be spotted unlike during the rainy season. Some of the animals that are in Bales National Park include Menelik’s bushbuck, the Ethiopian wolf, Rouget’s rail and many more others. Many people visit the Bale to see the rare Ethiopian wolf which is the only wolf that can be seen on the African continent and the only place to find them is in Ethiopia.

Visiting The Villages, African Cultural Experience

Previously there was a bit of settlement near the national park but at the moment there are permanent villages that surround the Park. Their settlement has led to the reduction of the Park because they keep on encroaching the park and cutting down the trees so that they create room for farming and settlement. This has reduced on the wild life that lives in the park since they no longer have habitats where to stay. This does not mean that the locals living in the villages have a lot to offer from their diverse culture, food and their way of life.

Visit the villages and get to know more about their cultural practices, their local delicious food and enjoy your stay in the evening as you listen to the different stories that are told by the old people in the villages. There are also several shops located in these villages where you can buy the various decorated items that are made by locals and these will act as souvenirs for you and your family.

Activities that can be carried out in the Bales mountain National Park

Besides other tourist attractions and activities that are carried out within the Bales National park, there are several other activities that you can carry out in the surrounding areas of Bale. The different places that you can visit which are in the same vicinity with the Bales National park include the:

• The Sof Omar limestone caves

The Sof Omar caves are considered to be the largest Islamic site in Ethiopia. Many people go there to worship and explore them and also get to know more about the caves and get to know more about the caves through the different stories that are told by the tour guides.

• Explore the great rift valley

The Bales Mountain National Park is located in the Rift valley which gives most people a chance to visit it and enjoy all that the Great Rift Valley has to offer from lakes, rivers, Mountains, wild life and not forgetting the escarpments that provide a good backdrop for photos. And you can also pack a picnic basket which you can enjoy with your family or friends.

How to get to the Park

Different routes can be used to get to the park and see all the wonderful things that it has to offer. The location of the Pak makes it a bit hard to get there but you can either hire out a van to take you there or you can use the easier way of using a tour van which will ensure secure transportation of you and your friends to and from the Park.

A visit to the Bales Mountain National Park will give you a chance to understand more about the biodiversity of Ethiopia where you get to see all the beauty that the country has to offer. The park is not hard to access but note that when you go during the wet season, you will find that the roads are not as passable as they are during the dry season and therefore you need to be careful while driving there.