Easily accessible from Addis Ababa, 756-sq-km Awash National Park is one of Ethiopia’s most visited parks. Awash National Park is home to a diverse range of plains wildlife and offers tremendous birdwatching opportunities, with over 400 species recorded here. Located at the southern tip of the Afar Region, this park is 225 kilometers east of Addis Ababa.

The south boundary of the park is formed by the Awash River which swings north soon after leaving the park and eventually disappears into the Afar (Danakil) region. However, the ongoing incursions by Kereyu pastoralists have done little to help wildlife numbers. Nevertheless, it’s a must for birders and the volcanic landscape of blister cones and fissures is interesting and beautiful.

Situated in the Great Rift Valley and in the Lake Langano recreational areas, the Abijatta Shalla lakes National Park attracts numerous visitors. Using Lake Langano as your base, it is an easy trip to visit the National Park. The park compresses two different terminal lakes but they are very different in character.

Abijatta is shallow at about 14 meters with a mysterious fluctuating water level. The Lake is surrounded by gentle, grass covered slopes and acacia woodlands.

Lake Shalla by contrast, surrounded as it is by steep, black cliffs and peaks that reflect in its waters, is the deepest lake of the Rift Valley 260 meters. , It is exceptionally beautiful, with shores that give a scent of mystery with their hot sulphurous springs that bubble up and flow into the lake. There are over 400 bird species recorded here in the park, almost half the number recorded for the whole country.

Bale Mountains National Park is an area of high altitude plateau that is broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, beautiful seasonal tiny alpine lakes and cascading mountain streams that descend into deep rocky gorges on their way to the lowlands below, Covering a wide range of habitats and ranging in altitude from 1,500 to 4,377 meters. The park is inhabited by endemic species like the gelada baboon, mountain Niyala and the endangered Ethiopian wolf.

The BMNP covers the largest area higher than 3000m above sea level in Africa. The highest peak in the BMNP, Tullu Dimtuu, at an altitude of 4377m (asl), is the second highest peak in Ethiopia.

The Simen Mountains National Park in northern Ethiopia is an exotic setting with unique wildlife and breath-taking views on a landscape shaped by nature and traditional agriculture. The natural beauties of this region have always filled visitors from Ethiopia and abroad with awe. Gentle highland ridges at altitudes above 3600 meters above sea level (asl), covered with grasses, isolated Giant Heather trees (Erica Arbore) and the bizarre Giant Lobelia (Lobelia rhynchopetalum) are found on the high plateau that ends abruptly at 1000- to 2000-m deep escarpments. The park is of global significance for biodiversity conservation because it is home to globally threatened species, including the iconic Walia ibex, a wild mountain goat found nowhere else in the world, the Gelada baboon and the Ethiopian wolf.

Gambela National Park is Ethiopia's greatest wildlife show-in-waiting, and being difficult to get to doesn't change that. The large conservation area contains many species not found elsewhere in the country, such as the Nile lechwe and the white-eared kob. Roan antelope, topi, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, and the unusual whale-headed stork are also to be found here. The animals are thought to be concentrated in the southwestern parts of the park – the swampiest and hardest-to-reach area.

Located about 782 kilometers south of Addis Ababa and on east bank of Omo river. This park divided by the Mago River, a tributary of the Omo, into two parts. To the west is the Tama Wildlife Reserve, with the Tama River defining the boundary between the two rivers. To the south is the Murle Controlled Hunting Area, distinguished by Lake Dipa which stretches along the left side of the lower Omo.

Most easily accessed from the town of Jinka, Mago National Park is mainly savannah, with some forested areas around the rivers. It was set up to conserve the large numbers of plains animals in the area, particularly buffalo, giraffe, and elephant. Also seen here are topi and lelwel hartebeest, as well as lion, leopard, Burchell's zebra, gerenuk, and greater and lesser kudu. The birds are also typical ofthe dry grassland habitat, featuring bustards, hornbills, weavers, and starlings. Kingfishers and her-ons feed in and around the Neri River, which provides an alternative habitat.

Nechisar National Park is situated south of Addis near the town of Arba Minch, in between Lakes Abaya and Chamo. From the town on the ridge of land that divides Abaya and Chamo there are commanding panoramic views all around, including both lakes.

And ranks among the most scenic national parks in East Africa. It contains diverse habitats ranging from wide-open savannah and acacia woodland to thick bush and sections of riparian forest. Animals to be seen are Bushbuck, Swayne's Hartebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Grant's gazelle, Guenther's Dik-dik, Greater Kudu, Crocodile, Anubis Baboon, Grey Duiker. Birds seen include Red-billed Hornbill, Grey Hornbill, Fish Eagle, Kori Bustard, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill. A backdrop of hills and mountains combine to make this one of the most attractive national parks in Ethiopia.

Omo National Park, the largest in the country, with an area of 4,068 square kilometers. It is a vast expanse of true wilderness, adjacent to the Omo River, which flows southwards into Lake Turkana and is one of the richest and least-visited wildlife sanctuaries in eastern Africa. Although an airstrip was recently built near the park headquarters on the Mui River, this park is not easily reachable.

The Omo and Mago parks are extensive wilderness areas and wildlife can be prolific: large herds of eland and buffalo, elephant, giraffe, cheetah, lion, leopard, and Burchell's zebra. Lesser kudu, lelwel hartebeest, topi, and oryx are all resident species, as well as deBrazza's and colobus monkeys and Anubis baboon. The 306 bird species recorded include many that will be familiar to East African visitors.

Yangudi Rassa National Park is located in the northeastern part of the country in Afar region, some 365km from Addis Ababa on Djibouti road. The headquarter is situated in Gewane, There are truly few places on Earth that blend culture and nature as incredible as the one from Afar. Yangudi Rassa National Park lies in the warm Afar region holding next to the massive Mount Yangudi. Sandy semi-desert and wooded bush and grass cover the majority of the park’s area.

Sof Omar Cave is the longest cave in Ethiopia at 15.1 kilometers long. Around 100km east of Robe, the fast-flowing Web River runs through the cave. The cave is venerated by area Muslims due to Sheikh Sof Omar Ahmed reputedly taking refuge here in the 11th century. There’s a pilgrimage every November. If you walk through you’ll cross the river seven times, either wading or swimming. It takes about two hours. You can also ride a four-passenger boat. From August to October the water is usually too high to get through, though the beautiful rock formations near its mouth can be seen any time.

Lying 100m and more below sea level, the Danakil Depression is about the hottest and most inhospitable place on earth. In fact it’s so surreal that it doesn’t feel like part of earth at all. If you want genuine, raw adventure, few corners of the globe can match this overwhelming wilderness.