Wondo Genet Hot Springs
ወንዶ ገነት
A forested hot spring area on the hillside southeast of town, with outdoor thermal pools, and birdwatching and colobus monkey spotting on forest trails.
Wondo Genet means 'Paradise of Wondo.' It lies on the eastern wall of the Rift Valley, about 25 km southeast of Hawassa, at around 1,800 meters above sea level. Natural hot springs rising from the mountainside are channeled into several open-air pools and baths. In the time of Emperor Haile Selassie, a palace was built here, and today hotels and a government resort run the springs, where visitors can pay to soak. The area retains a patch of mountain primary forest, rare in southern Ethiopia, and forest trails offer sightings of black-and-white colobus monkeys, baboons, and many endemic birds. Nearby is the botanical garden of the forestry college. The trip from Hawassa takes about 40 minutes by hired car or minibus, making it suitable for a half-day outing; for a quieter experience, you can stay a night at a hotel on the mountain. Weekends draw many locals, and pool hygiene varies, so bring your own slippers and towel.
Opening hours
About 07:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Shashamane Rastafari Community
- Gudumale
- Mount Tabor
- Amora Gedel Park
- Hawassa Fish Market
- Lake Hawassa
- Abijatta-Shalla Lakes National Park
- Lake Langano