What it is
A park covering the Sanetti Plateau above 4,000m, the Harenna Forest dropping away to the south, and moorland in between. The road across Sanetti is one of the highest all-weather roads in Africa. Roughly a long day's drive from Addis via Goba.
Why go
The Ethiopian wolf is the rarest canid in the world and only a few hundred survive; the Sanetti Plateau is where you are most likely to see one hunting rodents in the open. Mountain nyala, giant molerats, a long list of endemic birds, and horse-trekking on the Web Valley side. It is empty in a way the northern circuit is not.
When to go
October to March. It is cold: the plateau drops well below freezing at night and can take snow. Bale belongs to a southern loop rather than the northern historic route, so it does not slot neatly into a first two-week trip. Treat it as a second visit, or budget the extra days to do it properly.
Most people stay 3-4 nights.