2 Days Wenchi Crater Lake

Looking for two days trip outside Addis Ababa? Taking a trip to Wenchi Crater Lake is a nice choice for spending your weekend vacation. Wenchi Crater Lake is 155 km west of Addis Ababa, between Ambo and Weliso. An extinct volcano, the top of which is 3380 meters above sea level, is a crater that contains a large lake, hot mineral springs, waterfalls, beautiful valleys and farmland. There is an old monastery with a church situated on one of the lake islands.

Start your morning by making a hundred and half kilometer drive to West of Addis Ababa. Wenchi Crater lake lies at around 3000m (10,000 feet) above sea level in the crater of an extinct volcano in the Oromia region. After paying entrance, parking fees and purchasing the obligatory guide at the office, you drive uphill for a kilometer to reach the departure point. You have the option of hiking the 4 km to the lake shore on your own or descending on horseback. The downhill trek is full of varied greens on the hillsides and the lake’s surface. After an hour and a couple of villages, a field opens to the shore and a small dock. You will have the opportunity for mule riding, hiking and a boat trip.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 3 for key species. A total of 150 bird species has been recorded at this site, five of which are Ethiopian endemics, and many more are Afrotropical Highlands biome species. Of interest among the biome species are Bostrychia carunculata, Agapornis taranta, Tauraco leucotis, Lybius undatus, Zoothera piaggiae, Pseudoalcippe abyssinica, Parophasma galinieri, Parus leuconotus, Oriolus monacha, Corvus crassirostris, Poeoptera stuhlmanni, Onychognathus tenuirostris, Cinnyricinclus sharpii, Cryptospiza salvadorii and Serinus nigriceps. Chilimo forest supports populations of many other important birds including Accipiter melanoleucus, A. tachiro, Buteo buteo, B. oreophilus, Aquila pomarina, A. verreauxii, the poorly known Kaupifalco monogrammicus and the forest specialist Stephanoaetus coronatus.

Non-bird biodiversity: The endemic Tragelaphus scriptus meneliki occurs. A significant number of Afro-montane endemic tree and shrub species occur at this site, along with the Ethiopian endemics Erythrina brucei, a tree species which occurs in more open and inhabited areas, and the shrub Acanthus sennii.