Nechisar National Park
Overview
Ethiopia Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Bradt guide to Ethiopia.
The stunningly diverse landscapes are Nechisar National Park’s biggest attraction. The main wildlife area is Nechisar Plains, where you can see plains zebra, Grant's gazelle and Swayne's hartebeest. Due to bad road conditions, a trip out here is quite a mission. A more popular excursion is a boat trip on Lake Chamo to the ‘crocodile market’, a popular sun-basking spot for big crocodiles.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
Although the park was once home to the usual array of savannah wildlife, most big safari animals have become locally extinct due to poaching. You’re likely to see olive baboon, warthog, guereza monkey and Guenther’s dik-dik in the forest patch around the hot springs. For a chance of seeing plains zebra, Grant's gazelle and Swayne's hartebeest you need to brave the bad road to Nechisar Plains.
Scenery
The twin lakes of Chamo and Abaya are divided by the mountainous Bridge of God. East of this are the Nechisar (white grass) Plains where most of the wildlife roams. The hot springs are a popular bathing spot with locals. The adjacent patch of groundwater forest (forest whose water supply comes from underground springs) is great for bird watching.
Weather & Climate
The weather and climate of Nechisar is comparable to that of Ethiopia in general. More info:
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Nechisar National Park is in the Dry season months from November to February. April, May, September and October are the wettest months and at this time the road to Nechisar Plains might become impassable.
Getting There
Nechisar is located on the outskirts of Arba Minch town, about 450km/280mi south of Addis Ababa. The road is good and the drive takes about 8 hours*. It is also possible to fly – there are daily domestic flights between Addis Ababa and Arba Minch. A good 4x4 is needed to visit Nechisar Plains, and a boat trip on the lake can be organized through your hotel.
*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.
Health & Safety
Please read our vaccinations and malaria page for Ethiopia, and our general wildlife viewing safety precautions page for more info:
