Abijatta-Shalla Lakes National Park

The park takes in two very different lakes. Abijatta is shallow, alkaline and rich in the algae that flamingos feed on, so greater and lesser flamingos gather on it in numbers along with pelicans and waders, though its level has fallen substantially because of water extraction for a soda ash works and irrigation, which has changed the shoreline and the bird numbers. Shalla is the opposite: over two hundred metres deep, one of the deepest lakes in Africa, dark and steep-sided, with hot springs bubbling along its shore and islands used by breeding pelicans. Ostrich and gazelle occur in the acacia scrub between them. The park has suffered from settlement and grazing inside its boundaries, which is visible.

What you actually see

• Flamingos on Abijatta - flocks feeding on the shallow alkaline water.
• Shalla's depth - a dark steep-sided lake of over two hundred metres.
• Hot springs - thermal water bubbling on the Shalla shore.
• Acacia scrub wildlife - ostrich, gazelle and warthog between the lakes.

When to go

October to March for the roads and bird numbers. Flamingo concentrations vary with water level and algae, so they are not guaranteed. Midday heat on the open shore is severe.

Honest expectations

The park is in poor condition, with settlement, grazing and firewood cutting inside it and Abijatta's level much reduced; visitors expecting a well-protected reserve will be disappointed. Roads inside are rough. A scout is compulsory and charged. Birds are often distant.

Nearby

Lake Langano lies east; Lake Ziway is north.