v2.webp){kind=logo}
- Bridge of God (Nechisar Plains and Isthmus): The park takes its name from the white grass of the plains (“nech sar” means white grass), and the narrow isthmus of land between Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo is the park’s signature landscape. You stand on a ridge with two lakes, one reddish-brown with silt and the other bluish-green, spread on either side of a thin neck of forest and savanna.
- Nechisar Plains: Open grassland where Burchell’s zebra graze in loose herds, with Grant’s gazelle and Swayne’s hartebeest also seen. The plains are the best place for watching wildlife, and the grass shimmers pale in the dry season. Walk or drive with a scout, who knows where the animals gather.
- Lake Chamo Crocodile Market: A stretch of Lake Chamo’s northern shore where Nile crocodiles, some of them huge, haul
- Bridge of God (Nechisar Plains and Isthmus): The park takes its name from the white grass of the plains (“nech sar” means white grass), and the narrow isthmus of land between Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo is the park’s signature landscape. You stand on a ridge with two lakes, one reddish-brown with silt and the other bluish-green, spread on either side of a thin neck of forest and savanna.
- Nechisar Plains: Open grassland where Burchell’s zebra graze in loose herds, with Grant’s gazelle and Swayne’s hartebeest also seen. The plains are the best place for watching wildlife, and the grass shimmers pale in the dry season. Walk or drive with a scout, who knows where the animals gather.
- Lake Chamo Crocodile Market: A stretch of Lake Chamo’s northern shore where Nile crocodiles, some of them huge, haul out on the sand in dense numbers. Boat trips from Arba Minch run out here, and you also pass hippos blowing in the shallows and fish eagles on the dead trees. The boat ride is the usual way to see it.
- Lake Abaya Shoreline: The larger of the two lakes is colored a distinct rusty red by suspended clay. Seen from the park’s ridge, it makes a strong contrast with Chamo. Few visitors reach its shore, so you get quiet and big skies.
- Groundwater Forest at Arba Minch (Forty Springs): Just outside the park gate, tall fig and mahogany trees grow over clear springs that feed a stream. Colobus and vervet monkeys move through the canopy, and the shade and the sound of water are a welcome change from the dry plains. A short, easy walk from the town.
- Swayne’s Hartebeest and Bird Watching: Nechisar protects one of the last populations of Swayne’s hartebeest, an endangered antelope with a lyre-shaped set of horns. Over 300 bird species have been recorded, including the Abyssinian ground hornbill and the white-winged cliff chat, so bring binoculars.
- Hot Springs and Lakeside Camping Spots: Small thermal springs and wooded shoreline clearings within the park give a sense of remoteness. They are a good place to unroll a tent and listen to the hippos and the night chorus of the savanna.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.
Omo Valley Tours from Jinka
3-Day Arba Minch & Konso: Culture, Wildlife & Local Tour
3 days around Arbaminch and Konso Adventure Tours Life Time
5 Day Private tour to the Omo Valley Tribes and Adventure Tour
3 Days Arba Minch and Konso Tour: Nature and Culture Adventure
6 Days Omo valley Tribal Tour (Starts Arba Minch End Jinka)
3 days, Arba Minch and Dorze
6 days private Sight Seeing Tours.
6 Days Omo Valley Cultural Tour
Best Backpacking
.jpg)
Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.