This is not a recent visit but the message I am sending is timeless. Lake Shala in Ethiopia's Rift Valley is a fantastic tourist destination. When I used to visit as a boy in the late 50's early 60's it was fairly safe. We just used to load up our Volkswagen with camping kit and drive off. The water was warm I think it was sourced from a volcanic mineral spring. the bird life especially flamingo was fantastic. If you are feeling adventurous give it a try.

The view from Abiatta-Shala National Park over Lake Shala and Lake Abiatta is stunning. On your way in to the National Park, you can get an informal guide who walks you around and you can see antelope, warthogs and ostritches. It's quite sad because the lakes are stunning (but as they are salt-lakes, there are no fish to feed the people living there), so is the scenery - breath-taking in fact - but the land is eroded, trees are being cut down and the land is bare and the people that live there are really suffering which was visible all around.