Menagesha Suba Forest

Menagesha Suba covers the slopes of Mount Wuchacha west of the capital and is often described as the oldest conservation forest in Africa: Emperor Zara Yaqob is recorded as having ordered juniper seedlings planted here in the fifteenth century after the original forest was cleared, and the area has been protected in some form since. It holds tall East African juniper and podocarpus with an understorey of hagenia and hypericum, and colobus and vervet monkeys, bushbuck, duiker and a good bird list including endemics such as the Abyssinian catbird and black-winged lovebird. Marked trails of a few kilometres run through the forest and up toward the crater rim, and camping is possible. It is the closest genuine forest walk to Addis Ababa.

What you actually see

• Old juniper stands - tall trees from the long-protected woodland.
• Colobus monkeys - black and white troops in the canopy.
• Endemic birds - catbird, lovebird and other highland species.
• Marked trails - walking routes up toward the crater rim.

When to go

October to March for dry trails and clearer weather. Birds are active early in the morning. June to September brings heavy rain and mud, though the forest is at its greenest then.

Honest expectations

The access road is rough in its final stretch. Facilities are basic: a gate, a campsite and little else. Trails are marked but lightly maintained. Wildlife beyond monkeys and birds is rarely seen. It gets busy with day-trippers from the capital at weekends.

Nearby

Addis Ababa lies east; Wenchi crater is further west.