By Mette H. Sommer

About 225 kilometers east of Addis Ababa and about 6 hours of driving you will find the Awash National Park, a nature reserve, surrounded by beautiful mountains and grassland.

Oryx at the Awash National Park.
Oryx at the Awash National Park.

Not many foreign people do yet know about the fascinating experiences, which this area of Ethiopia offers, even though there are plenty of opportunities for visitors. First of all the park offers you the opportunity to watch the wild African animals in their natural habitat and the park is a place of residence for an exciting wildlife with spices such as oryx, gazelles, crocodiles, and baboons. Furthermore, a couple of native tribes live in the park, who like to greet you. But be aware that most of them do not want to be photographed, due to their conviction about the camera’s negative influence on the soul.

Besides the wildlife and the natives, the park also includes an amazing nature. You can see everything from dry trees and bushes at the grassland to more exotic palms close to the swamp. In the north of the park you can furthermore find hot springs, in which you can bath. But be careful; if you want to jump into the hot water, you should make sure you brought some cold water as well, because the spring is even hotter than the air, which means a higher risk for you to get dehydrated.

The park does also include many beautiful sights, such as waterfalls, rivers and mountains which all seems almost unaffected by the presence of man.

Read more at: The Reporter