Welcome to Woundu Tours Enterprise

Ethiopia is truly a tourist paradise–beautiful, secretive, mysterious and extraordinary. Above all things, it is a country of great antiquity, with culture and traditions dating back 3,000 years. The traveler in Ethiopia makes a journey through time, transported by beautiful monuments and the ruins of edifices built long centuries ago.

*Axum* the ruins of the ancient city of Axum are located close to Ethiopians northern border. They mark the location close to Ethiopians northern border.
They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopian.When the kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the eastern Roman Empire and Persia. The massive ruins, dating from between the 1st and the 13th century AD, include monolithic obelisks, giant steal, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles. Long after its political decline in the 10th century, Ethiopian emperors continued to be crowned Aksum.

*Lalibela* one of the eighth wonders of the world. this rock hewn church of Lalibela is medieval monolithic cave churches,cut out f soft red volcanic tuff-a
	“new Jerusalem” dating back to the 12th century – are situated in a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia ,642 kilometers north of Addis Abeba a major centre of Ethiopian Christianity, it remains a place of pilgrimage and devotion. One of Ethiopian historic places that no tourists should miss.

The castle of Fasil is emperor fasilidas founded as his capital in 1636 is the site of numerous castles like-palaces, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, was the residence of the Ethiopian emperor fasilidas and his successors.Surrounded by a 9000-metre –long wall, the city contains places, churches, monasteries, and unique public and private buildings.

Beside the famous palaces , in the royal compound , visitors should inspect the so-called bathing palace of emperor fasilidas, which is used for the annual Timkat, or epiphany, celebrations ;the ruins of the palace and ,abbey ,of the redoubtable eighteenth century empress Mentewab , at kweskwam, in the mountains just outside Gonder ,and the church Debre Birhan Sellasie ,with its remarkable ceiling decorated with winged angels.

The Sof Omer Cave:-this 16 km network of limestone caverns, which lies 100 km east of the bale range and at 1,300 m above sea level has been carved by the Web River in its descent from the bale highlands. The caves are named after Sheikh Sof Omar, a medieval Muslim leader who used them as a refuge, and they remain an important site of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Muslims though, their religious significance can be dated back to the earliest animist religions of the area .they can be entered from a crevice near the village of Sof Omar, from where a steep footpath leads past cathedral-like vaults supported by 20 m- high pillars to the subterranean watercourse itself.

*Lucy: -* The most ancient exhibit in the museum is the skull of Lucy or Dinquinesh- “thou art wonderful” –
to Ethiopia a hominid women of the species Australopithecus afarensis who would have lived in Hadar in eastern Ethiopia about 3.5 million years ago.When Lucy’s skull was discovered in 1974, it forced a complete rethink of human genealogy, by proving that our ancestors were walking at least 2.5 million years earlier than had previously been supposed.

The Ark of the Covenant: - In Axum’s Maryam Tsion church lies an artifact which, if it proved to be genuine, would add immense substance to the Ethiopian legends unfortunately only one person alive has ever seen this artifact. The Ark of the Covenant is, according to Ethiopian Christians, kept under lock and key in Maryam Tsion, and only the official guardians allowed to enter. There is no doubting the importance the legend of the ark plays in Ethiopian Christianity.

Tiya in the lower valley of the Awash River is among the most important of the roughly 160 archaeological sites discovered so far in the Sodo region. The site contains 36 monuments, including 32 carved steal covered with symbols, most of which are difficult to decipher. they are the remains of and ancient Ethiopian culture whose age has not yet been precisely determined

Simen mountain National Park:-
Size: 179sq km
Region: Gonder
Geographical location: -760 km north of Addis Ababa via Bahar Dar, Gonder
Altitude: - 1,900-4,430 m
Spectacular scenery; gorges and escarpments .just outside the park is Ras Dashen, Ethiopia’s highest peak at 4,543 meters. Walia ibex, Simien fox, gelada baboon, grey duiker, and klipspringer are among the twenty one species to be found in the park.
Camping at various sites.

Awash National Park:-
Size: 756sq km
Region: Shewa/Arsi
Geographical location: bordering the Awash River in the upper rift valley, 225 km west of Addis Ababa
Altitude: 750-2,007 m
The parks southern boundary is in part the Awash River one of the major rivers of Ethiopia in the middle of the park is the dormant volcano fantale, reaching a height of 2,007 m on its rim. nearby lake Basaka is the home to many water bird species. Forty six species including Beisa Oryx, greater and lesser Kudu, soemmerings gazelle, Swayne’s hartebeest, lion, hamadryads and Anubis baboon and their hybrids, defassa waterbuck, salt’s dik-dik. Campsite beside river. Very basic caravan lodge on edge of Awash gorge.

Gambella National Park:-
Size: 5,060 sq km
Region: Ilubabor
Geographical location:-west Ethiopian, 850 km west of Addis Ababa
Altitude: 400-768 m
The park contains forty one species many representative of neighboring Sudan and not found elsewhere in Ethiopia. Roan antelope, topi, elephant, buffalo, lelwel hartebeest, lion and giraffe are also present. The most important of the 154 species present here is the whale – headed stork, an unusual large – billed, tall bird seen standing in the swamps.

Abijatta shalla Lake National Park
Size: 887 sq km
Region: Shewa
Geographical location:-Rift Valley, 200 km south of Addis Ababa
Altitude:-1,540-2,075 m
The park of water covers 482 sq km. Lake Abijataa and the deep, steep – sided Lake Shalla, both of which are saline. Several hot springs bubble up by the shore and flow in to Lake Shalla. Thirty one species of mammal, including greater Kudu, Grant’s gazelle, warthog and so on.299 species, including six endemics .park created for the water birds, especially great white pelican, greater and lesser flamingo, cormorants.

Blae Mountain National Park:-
Size: 2470 sq km
Region: Bale
Geographical location: - south – east Ethiopia southern end f eastern edge of rift valley mountain chain 400 km from Addis Ababa.
Altitude: 1,500-4,377 m
The park was originally established to protect two of Ethiopia’s endemic species the mountain Nyala and the Simian fox (or jackal). They are sixty four species of mammals in the park. (Eleven of them endemic) including Menelik’s bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, grey duiker, warthog, serval cat, colobus monkey, giant molerat, African wild dog, bushpig giant forest hog, lion, anubis baboon. There are five endemics among the 392 species to be found in the park .self-catering lodge and campsite at park headquarter, camping allowed in park while trekking. Hotels in nearby Goba and Robe.

Mago national park: -
Size: 2,162sq km
Region: Gamo Gofa
Geographical location: 770 km south – west of Addis Ababa, touching east bank of Omo River
Altitude: 450-2,528 m
The park was setup to conserve the numbers of plains animals. East of the Omo River, and stretching south towards the chew Bahir basin, lies the Mago National Park, rich in wildlife with few human inhabitants. The vegetation is mainly savannah grassland and savannah bush, extending across an area of 2,160 square kilometers. Mainly grass savannah, with some forested areas around the rivers. Very dense bush makes for difficult game viewing Mammal species total 81, including hartebeest, giraffe roan antelope, elephant, lion, leopard and perhaps even rare black rhino. There is campsite by Neri River.

Nechisar national park
Size: 514 km
Region: Gamo Gofa
Geographical location: 500 km south –west of Addis Ababa, near Arba Minch
The park is an impressive swathe of white grass plains set against the backdrop of clearly defined, deeply cut hills and mountains. Seventy –eight square kilometer of the park is water-parts of Lake Chamo and Abyata. There are hot spring at the far eastern sector of the park .The park was established as a sanctuary for the endemic Swayne hartebeest –an endangered subspecies throughout Ethiopia. The 514 square kilometer park is situated in the rift valley, 2000 meters above sea-level between lakes Abaya and Chamo in south central Ethiopia. Although mainly open grassland, it also contains sparse areas of savannah woodland and highland forest. Eighty four mammal species occur, including hippo, zebra, buffalo, grater kudu, reedbuck, grants gazelle, lion and leopard. Campsite in forest near Kulfo River. Hotels in nearby town of Arba Minch.

Omo national park
Size: 4,068 sq km
Region: Kaffa
Geographical location: 870 km south –west of Addis Ababa, of west bank of Omo River.
Altitude: 440-1,183 m
the largest in the country with an area of 4,068 square kilometers, is vast expanse of true wilderness situated in remote south western Ethiopia it is adjacent to the Omo river which flows southwards into lake Turkana, and is one of the richest and least visited wildlife sanctuaries eastern Africa. Eland .Oryx, burchells zebra, Lelwel, hartebeest, buffalo, giraffe, elephant, waterbuck, kudu, lion, leopard and cheetah still roam within the parks boundaries. Campsite on Mui River.

Yangudi - Rassa National Park:-
Size: 4,730 sq km
Region: Harerge
Geographical location:-500 km north east of Addis Ababa, on Awash-Assab road
Altitude 400-1,459 m
Temperature very high, as in Awash National Park. Very little rain falls as the area is semi-desert. thirty six species of mammal, including wild ass, grevy‘s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa Oryx, hamadryads baboon, soemmering’s gazelle, and salt dik-dik.Hotel in Gewane.

Yabelo National Park:-
Size: 5,000 km2
Region: Sidamo
Geographical location: - North of Addis Ababa,

The Yabelo national park is dry acacia savannah and juniper forest. small numbers of Swayne’s hartebeest are present in the sanctuary, as are other savannah species such as Burch ell’s Zebra, grater and lesser kudu, Grant’s gazelle and a variety of small predators. The savannah is also home to two localized endemic bird, Streetman’s bush cow and white-tailed swallow.

The Rift valley:-much of Africa’s volcanic activity s concentrated along the immense 5,000 kilometer long crack in the earth’s surface known as the valley. it is the result of two roughly parallel faults between which, in distant geological time the crust was weakened and the land subsided the valley walls daunting blue grey ridges of volcanic basalt and granite rise sheer on either side to towering heights of 4,000metres the valley floor between 50 kilometers of more across encompasses some of the worlds last true wilderness. Ethiopia is often referred to the ‘water tower’ of the many rivers that pour off its high tableland ,and a visit to this part of the rift valley studded with lakes, volcanoes and savannah grassland offers the visitor a true safari experience.

Lake Tana and the Blue Nile: - majestic and mysterious Lake Tana, one of the fabled sources of the Nile, lies south – west of the Simian mountains. Long hidden from western geographers and explorers. The attraction of the Blue Nile falls are the thirty-seven islands scattered about on the on the 3,000 square kilometer (1,860-square-mile) surface of Ethiopians largest body of water, Lake Tana. Some twenty of these islands shelter churches and monasteries of significant historical and cultural interest. The White Nile originated in east Africa’s Lake Victoria, while the Blue Nile pours out of Ethiopian’s Lake Tana. The two rivers merge into the Nile proper at Khartoum in Sudan. Plunging more than 2,000 meters in its 800-kilometre course from Ethiopian to the plains of the Sudan, the Blue Nile begins its journey with a thundering 50-metre cascade over Tissisat falls, 30 kilometers downstream from the point where it leaves Lake Tana. The falls are approached on foot from the nearby village of Tissisat; meaning “water that smoke” the region is home for many people.

Lake Zwai: - Is found south of Addis Ababa, some 160 kilometer away, lies Zewi, the northernmost and largest lake in the chain. It is filled with fresh water and extends over 434 square kilometers. The lakes average depth is four meters .its extensive aquatic vegetation attracts water bird.

Lake Langano:-is two hundred and ten kilometers south of Addis Ababa, the brown and copper colored lake langano beckons. It is a popular resort for swimming, aquatic sports, sunbathing, camping – and bird watching.

Lake Awasa:-when it comes to lacustrine peace and serenity, Lake Awasa – lying just south of the town of Sashemene and close to the town of Awasa is peerless. A gentle chain of mountains and a low plateau surround the lake, opening to a wide, low bay in the south.

Lake Abaya and Chamo:-the two southernmost links in the chain of Ethiopians rift valley lakes –abaya (551 square kilometers) and Chamo (1,160 square kilometers) – are also the lushes in vegetation, richest in wildlife and, too many, the most beautiful. The lakes support numerous species of fish, including Nile perch and tiger fish, and hordes of hippos and crocodiles.