The Rift valley is endowed with many beautiful lakes, numerous hot springs, warm and pleasant climate and a variety of wildlife. It is considered as one of the most ideal areas for cultural and nature expeditions in Africa.

The Rift Valley in the south of Ethiopia is much less visited, and therefore perhaps more rewarding. The chain of lakes and parks are home to many hundreds of species of birds, proof of Ethiopia's claim to be one of the best countries for ornithology in the world.

This is the hotest spot on the planet`s outer surface.

Dallol volcano is located in the Danakil Depression in NE Ethiopia offers an opportunity to see the first signs of a new ocean basin forming. South of Dallol, the crust is cut into rectangular salt slabs and transported up into the highlands a near endless procession of camel caravans. The salt canyons south of Dallol Mountain are some of the most impressive geological features in the area. It looks like another planet because there are lots of colorful rocks in each meter. It’s quite like a science fiction.

Not far from Dallol in the Danakil Depression north of the Great Rift Valley, the only volcanic crater below sea level has remained silent since 1926 as the seabed it will one day occupy gradually widens.

Another impressive natural phenomenon of this region is Erta Ale, an active shield volcano in the Afar Region of northeastern Ethiopia. It is the most active volcano in Ethiopia. Erta Ale is 613 meters tall, with a lava lake, one of only five in the world, at the summit. It is notable for being the longest existing lava lake, present since the early years of the twentieth century. It is located in the Danakil Depression.

The Sof Oumar cave system, 120 km east of Goba in Bale region, is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground caverns in the world. Formed by the Web River as it changed course in the distant past and carved a new channel through limestone foothills, the 16 km cave system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty.

The dry, cool caves contain many marvels of natural architecture, including soaring pillars of stone 20 meters high, flying buttresses, fluted archways and tall airy vaults. Finally the river itself is reached, flowing through a deep gorge. You can explore the caves on foot, without special climbing equipment, but proper precautions have to be taken.