ETHIOPIAN WOLF & HONEY HARVESTERS
Arrive in Ethiopia on a charter plane transfer to Bale Mountains National Park. This park is a patchwork of terrain, taking in the Sanetti plateau, Harenna forest, Gaysay grasslands, and its fragrant juniper woodlands.
Across the plateau, you’ll track Africa’s rarest canid—the beautiful Ethiopian wolf. After a day of discovery, return to your boutique lodge in the forest, watching the sunset color the mountains.
Discover more of the park the next day, selecting your own routes through gorges and forests. Fly fish for trout in the rivers that crisscross the parkland, and swim in secluded waterfalls. Keep an eye out for the endangered mountain nyala, Bale monkey, as well as the vast array of endemic bird life.
As dusk purples the sky, join the honey harvesters deep in the Harenna forest. This indigenous community has an incredible knowledge of the local fauna as well as a long tradition of beekeeping. The honey harvesting takes place at night and with no protective clothing (a few stings are part of the process). The trees are climbed with a rope shimmying up the trunks to reach the hives higher up. You can sample the honey gathered fresh from the hive on the harvester’s descent.
PICK YOUR COFFEE & SIMIEN LODGE
Your cup of coffee the next morning will eschew modern conveniences as you procure it from the source. With a local guide, you’ll make your way to a wild coffee forest where you’ll learn how to pick beans and make your own coffee. If that wasn’t enough of a pick-me-up, a unique coffee ceremony will follow.
A cultural immersion follows with the Oromo people—Africa’s largest, single ethnic group. You’ll learn about how their traditional process of transhumance—known as Godantu—has allowed them to thrive in this wild region. That evening, in a forest clearing lit by candles, enjoy an atmospheric dinner listening to the sounds of the animals and birds amid the gathering dusk.
Your next destination—Simien Lodge—is reached by charter plane to Condar. This lodge is the highest in Africa and, as you’d imagine, the views are incredible. From here, you’ll trek into the Simien Mountains, marveling at its dramatic pinnacles and gullies, to encounter the unique Gelada monkeys. Then you’re on the road to Tigray—a scenic drive through northern Ethiopia.
