AWASH NATIONAL PARK

National Park protects a semiarid tract of Rift Valley floor inhabited by dry-country antelope such as the handsome Beisa oryx and magnificent spiral-horned greater kudu.

A bird checklist of almost 500 species includes Arabian bustard, African swallow-tailed kite, northern carmine bee-eater, Abyssinian roller and the endemic yellow-throated serin and near-endemic rock chat.

Scenic highlights include the spectacular crater of Fantelle Volcano and peculiar Lake Beseka set amidst stark black volcanic rubble at its base, as well as the surging waterfall at the head of the Awash Gorge and a field of palm-lined hot springs regularly frequented by Hamadryas baboons.

A dusk visit to Aga Edu Cave might reveal some of 20-plus spotted hyenas that have their dens there.