Bale Mountain Lodge

Bale Mountain Lodge runs entirely on power from a 25kW micro-hydro plant on a nearby stream, with firewood sourced from sustainable plantations outside the park and biodegradable waste processed through a biogas system that fuels the kitchen. Eleven stone-and-thatch rooms sit in the Katcha clearing of the Harenna Forest, Africa's third-largest forest block, each with a wood-burning stove and private deck. The lodge opened in 2014 as the first in Ethiopia to negotiate covenants with a national park for its protection, and remains the only comfortable base inside Bale Mountains National Park itself.

Guided walks lead into the forest in search of endemic Bale monkeys, giant forest hogs and the rare Ethiopian wolf, of which more than half the world's population survives on the nearby Sanetti Plateau. Birdwatching, horse riding and honey collection with local beekeepers are also on offer, and a guided walk to the micro-hydro plant explains how the lodge generates its own power. Staff are trained and hired from the surrounding rural community, and dinner is served in a tukul-style dining room with sweeping forest views.