Lake Chamo and the crocodile market
A shallow bay where very large Nile crocodiles and hippos gather. Filmed from a boat with a guide; superb long-lens and low-angle material, and a genuine safety brief is essential.
Filming location · Oromia, Sidama and South Ethiopia
Filming in The Rift Valley Lakes
If a production needs strong Ethiopian material without a week of travel, this is where we send it. Three hours south of Addis you are in acacia savannah beside a lake full of pelicans; eight hours and you are watching six-metre crocodiles from a boat with the Nechisar plains behind you.
Short answer
The Ethiopian Rift Valley lakes run south from Addis Ababa in a chain that includes Ziway, Langano, Abijatta-Shalla, Hawassa, Abaya and Chamo. They are among the most accessible filming locations in the country, reachable by road in a single day, and they carry exceptional birdlife including flamingos, pelicans and hundreds of resident and migratory species. Nechisar National Park between Lakes Abaya and Chamo offers savannah, zebra and the Bridge of God isthmus, and Lake Chamo holds some of the largest Nile crocodiles in Africa. Wildlife authority permits and park scouts are required for the protected areas.
- Region
- Oromia, Sidama and South Ethiopia
- Altitude
- 1,200 to 1,700 m
- Nearest airport
- Hawassa and Arba Minch airports, or by road from Addis Ababa
- Best time
- October to March; November to February for peak birdlife
- From Addis Ababa
- 3 to 8 hours by road depending on the lake
What to film here
Nechisar National Park
Savannah between Abaya and Chamo, with Burchell's zebra, greater kudu and the Bridge of God isthmus separating the two lakes. Requires park permits and a scout.
Abijatta-Shalla National Park
Alkaline Lake Abijatta draws flamingos and pelicans in numbers, with hot springs on the shore and the deep crater lake of Shalla alongside.
Hawassa lakeshore and fish market
The morning fish market on the shore, with marabou storks and pelicans working the catch. One of the most reliable and immediate sequences in the country and easy to arrange.
Lake Langano and Ziway
Langano's brown water is the one Rift lake widely considered safe for swimming, with lodges that make a comfortable unit base. Ziway's islands hold monasteries and large concentrations of waterbirds.
From our shoots
Nearby and related
Other Ethiopian locations
Start a production
Filming in The Rift Valley Lakes?
Send your dates and shot list. We will come back with the permit route, the access position, realistic travel times and an itemised cost — usually within a working day.