Karkaro Beach Cottages and Top Camp | Established Campground

March 12th, 2021 by info

Nice place, still 100birr per person. Easy accessable (dry season) for every kind of vehicle also for big rigs like trucks.

January 14th, 2020 by t_i_g_g_r

Friendly guard showed us the camping spot to the north end of the beach. A few local kids like to play in the water close by. Long drop toilet. Pigs roaming free. Beautiful variety of birds. Attempted to get tap water from kitchen at the restaurant but turns out they just pump the lake water up there. Restaurant seems to have very limited range of frozen foods - managed to get a tuna sandwich with chips! They initially told us to go to Sabana Resort 10 mins walk down the beach for dinner and breakfast. Much more upmarket place with much higher menu prices though so MAKE SURE YOU BRING YOUR OWN FOOD WITH YOU! Still 135 birr pppn.

September 30th, 2019 by patreon.com

Great place we loved it here. Camping is was 135 Bir pppn. No showers and 1 basic long drop toilet. Camp to the south if you can. There are lots of foot traffic on the north side by the wall.

June 18th, 2019 by Golandy

Nice campsite with great views over the lake. Very quiet. Long drop toilet (not squat but a toiletseat) was pretty decent and clean enough. Price is still 135birr pp.

The northern turn off with the small sign was dry, the southern turn off with the big sign (there’s a car on it!) was wet and muddy over the length of 700m, so I’d reckon the northern turn off is easier. We did both and both were fine with a Land Rover though. Both are quite narrow and with low hanging branches. I think it’s difficult to reach the campsite with a truck (especially the last part getting from the cottages to the campsite).

January 17th, 2019 by /blogs/15549

We did not stay here as the toilets and showers were extremely dirty , staff unhelpful and rude and when asked refused to clean the ablutions. Shame as the owner gives the staff the benefits from the camping .
Quite a good location , however Simba resort 10 kms south a far better option in our opinion .

December 18th, 2018 by Venturesome Overland

Camped here for 240 birr. Spot right on the lake and we were the only people there. Guard on the beach, which was interesting. Played some frisbee with local kids and had a quiet night. Cafe for western-style meals and coffee. Nice people and great views.

December 12th, 2018 by mantoco.com

This place is the same than Karkaro Beach Cottages and Top Camp! Please check also the comments there...

December 12th, 2018 by mantoco.com

This campsite is a real oasis right in the middle of the crowded and noisy ethiopian reality. You camp only a few steps away from the lakeshore with enough place to relax under many shady trees at the beach. You can swim in the water, it's brown from the soda but clean. However the toilet is still dirty, ask the stuff to clean it for you and hope they will do it. The water for the shower is the same as in the lake, so it's on you to make the long way up to the bathroom... Ben, the friendly american owner of the compound isn't really interested in supporting the campsite, his business are the cottages, so the benefit of the campsite goes to his stuff. Still 135 Birr ppn.
Enjoy your stay - there are not many places like this in Ethiopia!

November 26th, 2018 by Crocodileriver

Like in both descriptions of this place. Nice quiet place by the lake. Restaurant has dinner and breakfast options which you can book in advance. Toilet is dirty long drop...We did not use the shower (it does exist). Paid 135birr pp for camping.
Btw: don’t follow maps.me, follow the blue sign on the road! Final road to the beach is not big rig friendly!

December 17th, 2017 by Chris Ratay

Agree with others - tranquil place right on the edge of the lake. Use rocks to level the car. Price was 135pppn. Outhouse toilet is a bit rough, but otherwise good place.

October 2nd, 2017 by CMSMJ

Nice and beautiful campsite, although we think they should work on the facilities for camping for the price they charge. You might take a shower right after dinner because they're closer to the restaurant than the campingsite, but the staff told us that the water is only warm when the sun is shining.

Staff is very sweet and friendly, the price can differ a couple of Birr because they charge USD5,- pppn and look at the daily exchange rate.

We also ordered an hour before heading to the restaurant and the food was immediately ready ;-)

Coming from the south we turned right at a big sign stating the campingsite(road was full of mud pools) but when we drove further north the next morning, we saw a smaller sign and the road looked better. So if coming from the south: pass the huge blue sign and turn right at the small blue sign stating only the campsites name!

September 17th, 2017 by ingeborgvandenban

Great, quiet and idyllic place on the lakeshore. Nobody around. Stayed for two nights, you only hear the small waves (if its windy) and the birds! Very basic longdrop and squat toilet and shower, but its a shower ;) Follow the sign from the main road to get there. Use some rocks to make your vehicle level. Costs 120 birr pppn.

June 9th, 2017 by s.gilles

Very nice camp site! We also had dinner at the cafe/restaurant we enjoyed. We told the guys in the afternoon what we wanted to eat and on what time, so everything was prepared when we arrived.
We also make friends with a dog. He guarded our car the two days we stand there. 😊

May 2nd, 2017 by Rens Koster

Paid 110 birr for one person one night. Very quiet.

April 27th, 2017 by twopermobile.wordpress.com

Stayed on the Road until we sah the sign pointing to the cottages. An the end of the dort Road turn left. Will lead you directly to the entre gate. Nice place directly am the beach. Fire place there as well.

March 1st, 2017 by judith_wilfred

Nice campsite at the lake, fire-pits. Okay-isch clean long drop toilet. Ground is not really level. Proper sitting one at the restaurant. Food tastes okay, but we had our main served in three rounds; first the fish as it was already done, than our potatoes and only after checking they still had to prepare our vegetables! So be very clear on your order and that everything is written down. Cold beers.

However a very rude man at the gate when we left in the morning!!!

Shower seems to be somewhere, but a long way from the camping. Still 110birr or $5,-pppn.

January 27th, 2017 by dennis.vangerven

Camping directly at the lake, basic toilet and shower, price 110 birr. They serve a good meal

December 14th, 2016 by facebook.com/wheelieadventurous/

Nice owners, American but grew up in Ethiopia. Food is great and beers are cold. Nice spot on the lake with armed guards. Nice.

December 14th, 2016 by vfeely86

Sadly this place is €70 per night for the cottages not 500birr as previously mentioned.
Gorgeous spot though and the camping is a good deal at 220birr for 2 people
Take the road where there is a big sign for the camp- the first road from the north is not possible in a car but the others is fine

November 18th, 2016 by familie.vosseberg

Tried to reach the Cottages with a truck coming from north and ended on a terrible sandroad with deep holes - not possible! There is a sign further South at the main road, perhaps then you can reach it - we did not try it again...

April 30th, 2016 by jasper.harms

Nice spots with shade along the beach of Lake Langano (which is Billharzia free!). Only long-drop toilet - although we were told there should be showers as well. We paid 100 Birr pppn.

April 24th, 2016 by trekgreatamerican

We stopped here in route to Bale. Was much nicer than we expected. The cafe has really good food, try the talapia fish. Camping is 100bir pp, and the big cottages with great views are 500bir. (250 pp). The camp site we stayed in has a fire pit, bin and is well kept. There is a security guard that keeps locals away. The toilet is a long drop but was clean, and the showers that I never used are a long walk. But there are showers now. I see they are building a hotel/ apartments on the property. I loved this place and would love to stay longer. Huge variety of bird life, and we heard a hyena in the night.

February 17th, 2016 by melcowpland

Campsite for overlanders on Langano Lake. Lots of tree cover. Facilities are limited (drop toilet only). There is a cafe that serves up great pancakes in the morning.

December 28th, 2015 by jmi

Lovely place to camp ! Pitch your tent on the beach, few meters from the water.
No shower, but the lake is safe for swimming !
Cheap restaurant

June 6th, 2015 by Suena viaja vive en ktm

Nice campsite for Ethiopian standards.
Area is clean, with shadows, close to the lake riverside.
Birdsongs and family ducks around.
Basic letrine toilet, not shower.
But nice restaurant and cheap, relaxing and excellent views (they have pork sausage, dificult to find and Ethiopia).

July 1st, 2012 by tincaninafrica.com

A lovely campsite right on the shores of soda Lake Langano (in which you can swim as the soda ash content kills bilharzia – and crocs)! A quiet night on our own with a nice campfire with wood supplied by the friendly guard and some very tame little weaver birds and finches eating out of one’s hand the next morning.

June 1st, 2012 by ourafricanfootprint.com

Lovely camping spot