Far south in Ethiopia's Great Rift Valley lie two marvellous lakes ringed by savanna plains and smoke; mountain crests. By far the largest of Ethiopia's Rift Valley lakes, the 551-square-kilometre waters of Chamo and the 1,160-square-kilometre surface of Abaya are considered by many to be also the most beautiful. Indeed, few places on earth can match the allure of their setting.

Much of this forms part of one of Ethiopia's finest national parks, Nech Sar, established as a sanctuary for the rare Swayne's hartebeest. From the town of Arba Minch on the ridge of land that divides Abaya and Chamo there are commanding views of the panorama all around including both lakes with Nech Sar on the eastern side and, to the west, the Huge range of mountains. Such is the outstanding beauty of this viewpoint it has long been known as the Bridge of Heaven. Equally poetic, Arba Minch -meaning Forty Springs in Amharic -takes its name from the bubbling streams which spring up amid the undergrowth .of the luxuriant forest which clothes the steep slopes beneath the town.

This region, more than 500 kilometres south of Addis Ababa, is one of Ethiopia's last great surviving wildernesses. But an international hotel at Arba Minch with high-quality service and facilities ensures the visitor enjoys the splendours of nature in comfort.

This is an ideal base from which to explore the forested land between the lakes, and the plains of Nech Sar beyond where the surviving herds of Swayne's hartebeest, once in abundance, and zebra and Grant's gazelle roam the high savanna.

There's an air of untamed grandeur about all this that lingers over the lakes and mountains. Alive with many species of fish -the fighting tiger fish, giant Nile perch, barbell, catfish and tilapia offering fine sport - Chamo and Abaya are an angler's paradise. In the reed-fringed bays of Chamo's sparkling aquamarine waters hundreds of hippos emerge at night to graze on the grassy shores. Chamo is also sanctuary for several thousand Nile crocodile, some reaching lengths of up to seven metres from snout to tip of tail.

Birds
Here the balance between predator and prey remains in equilibrium; bird life flourishes in equal proportion: hordes of yellow weaver birds flit constantly through the trees, and vividly-coloured kingfishers skim the lakes where Great White pelicans, storks; ibises, hornbills and cormorants plumb the waters for food. With piercing echoing cries, black, and white fish eagles swoop down from their tree perches to snatch up unwary fish in their talons.

People Around the Lakes
The shores and islands of Abaya and Chamo are populated by farming peoples such as the Ganjule and the Guji, both of whom also have ancient traditions of hippo hunting. The Guji ply the waters of lake Abaya in high-prowled ambatch boats similar to those depicted on the tombs of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs.

South-west of the lakes in the direction of Jinka, the traveller comes to the homeland of the Konso who practice an intensive form of agriculture on intricately-terraced hillsides. The Konso have a rich indigenous culture that finds expression in haunting music and dance, and in the weaving of beautiful thick cotton blankets.

Another distinctive people of the region around Lakes Chamo and Abaya are the Dorze, once warriors, who have now turned to farming and weaving. They produce the colourful toga-like robes known as shammas which are worn throughout Ethiopia. Though there's a large Dorze population around Arba Minch itself, their traditional homeland is further to the north around Chencha, high up in the Huge mountain range overlooking the lakes and the Bridge of Heaven.

Dorze  villages are classic example of simple architecture, unlike anything seen elsewhere in Ethiopia -towering beehive-shaped structures reaching up to 12 metres high, the interiors dark but spacious and airy with floors of pressed earth. The vaulted ceiling walls are covered with an elegant thatch of ensete (false banana) to form a smooth and unbroken convex dome. Each home stands in its own grounds surrounded by smaller but similar houses: guest house; cow-shed, kitchen and perhaps even a workshop for weaving or other work. 

Northwards from Chencha, leaving Lake Abaya behind -and with it the wilderness -the traveller eventually comes to the bustling market town of Sodo, which stands on the border between the regions of Gamo Gofa, Sidamo and Kaffa. This is one of Ethiopia's premier coffee-growing areas and, quite possibly, the original home of the coffee plant –where, the first trees grew wild before being cultivated and then, in the 14th century, taken to Yemen and from there across the world.