Abijatta Shalla National Park

To the west of Lake Langano lie the twin lakes of Abijatta and Shalla, which form part of the Abijatta Shalla National Park. Identical twins, these lakes are not – Shala’s 410 sq km surface sits within a collapsed volcanic caldera, and depths exceed 260 m in some areas, making it the deepest lake in Ethiopia, while Abiata’s highly alkaline waters rest in a shallow pan no more than 14 m in depth.

A typical visit to this park allows visitors to observe gazelle, warthogs and other herbivores; however, it is the birdlife that makes this park an exceptional place, as it is a very important breeding location for the Great White Pelican plus there are semi-tame ostriches, lesser flamingos, and 144 water-bird species, which represents an enormous 70.6% of the total wetland bird species for the country.