Ethiopia wildlife vacation

Planet

We are very familiar with the rare wildlife in Ethiopia and are deeply committed to its protection and conservation. Sadly, many of the protected areas in Ethiopia are poorly managed and only nominally protected, and the future of many of the species in Ethiopia remains uncertain. We are committed to managing all sightings in Awash, Aledeghi and the Bale Mountains ethically. We will never crowd a sighting, and will leave a sighting if the animal in question is in distress or behaving unnaturally. The final decision when it comes to leaving a sighting, or indeed remaining at a sighting, is made solely by the tour leader. As some of the wildlife viewing during this tour will be conducted in the hours of darkness, we will be particularly vigilant to ensure our activities do not disturb wildlife. We will never spotlight any young, vulnerable or injured animals, and we will never shine lights on diurnal animals.

This tour is designed to have an extremely low impact on the environment. Throughout much of the tour our overnight accommodation will be in the form of basic campsites. All refuse we create will be taken with us, and we will limit usage of fuel and water wherever possible. By setting up and taking down campsites as and when we need to, we are able to ensure our accommodation meets the needs of the group but has no extraneous impact on the environment.

People

It is vital to our mission that local people see a benefit from our visit, and ecotourism more generally. This ensures that genuine value is attached to wildlife and ecosystems by local communities, ensuring the long-term survival of these wilderness areas and their residents. The guides, cooks and drivers we use throughout this tour will all be Ethiopian and we insist that all of our local suppliers employ local people wherever possible. We ask that clients consider making gratuity payments to local people who have made their stay in Ethiopia more enjoyable.

We always ask that visitors to Ethiopia are respectful, patient and polite in all interactions with local people. Ethiopia is a melting pot of different cultures, traditions and ethnic groups - Ethiopian culture is not a monolith and your local guide will be careful to explain any local nuances in detail to our clients where appropriate. In some areas that this tour visits, such as Aledeghi, local conflict remains possible, and we always aim to be as transparent as possible about what is driving this and where our visit fits into this narrative.