The pictures in this post are shot by me near Lake Abaya, the biggest Ethiopian Rift Valley lake. You might have heard of East African Rift Valley, and the Rift Valley lakes in Ethiopia are the northernmost of the African Rift Valley lakes. This group of lakes in the East African Rift runs north-south through the continent, from Ethiopia in the north to Malawi in the south.
In central Ethiopia, the Great Rift Valley splits the Ethiopian highlands into northern and southern halves, and the lakes occupy the valley floor between the two highlands.
This is a beautiful region surrounded by green rolling hills, and itโs full of banana plantations, pineapple plants, and mango and guava trees. The local people live a pastoral life, herding cows and growing fruits.
Locals use these colorful tanks for carrying water. It was pretty hot when I was there, so I believe itโs not an easy job for the kids and women to carry the heavy water tanks in the scorching sun.
The closest big town is Arba Minch. Itโs known for its fish farms, and it also supplies fruits to the whole country. There is a university in this town which is well-known nationwide. The town is served by Arba Minch Airport. Some tourists fly directly here to travel in the south instead of first going to the capital city Addis Ababa.
Arba Minch is a good base to explore the amazing Nechisar National Park, where zebras ๐ฆ and gazelles roam the vast savannahs. 2 biggest Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes - Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo are also close by. I did a boat tour to these lakes and watched hippos, crocodiles and lots of water birds. Itโs also the gateway for going further south to the 2 national parks: Omo and Mago, where you can see the interesting wildlife and experience the unique tribe cultures.
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