A self-guided historical tour of Addis Ababa, Lalibela and Gondar.
My husband and I arrived in Addis Ababa Airport at 3:30 am. The concierge at the Zeist Lodge had promised that their driver would meet us there. We were very happy to see him waiting for us at that inconvenient hour.
The Zeist Lodge, a garden oasis of beautiful art and delicious food, was a wonderful choice for our first day in Ethiopia.
We had less than a week to spend, so the next day we were off to Gondar. This historical city has been called the "Camelot of Africa". Our guide described past glories of Kings and Queens and showed us the the European influences on the castles and local architecture.
Debre Berhan Selassie Church is Ethiopia's version of the Sistine Chapel, where painted wide-eyed angels hover on the ceiling and the walls are painted with scenes from the life of Christ, Mary, the saints and martyrs. Afterwards we stopped at a nearby cafe for some Ethiopian coffee, deliciously roasted in the open air.
In the evening we walked from our centrally located hotel (Lodge du Chateau) to the Four Sisters Restaurant, where we enjoyed a delicious buffet with Rift Valley Merlot (a local wine) and, of course, Ethiopian coffee.
The next morning our driver brought his niece and nephews along to drop them off at school. They were 5, 6 and 7 years old, and they got a chance to practice their English with us. Their English was so much better than my Amarhic.
Next it was off to Lalibela, a center of pilgrimage for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. The town is famous for its rock-cut monolithic churches. We toured Bet Madhane Alemm and the cross-shaped Church of St. George (Bete Giyorgis) where many white-veiled pilgrims generously shared their holy space with us.
At our room at the Top Twelve Hotel, we enjoyed the spectacular view of the valley below. Lalibela is 2,500 meters (8,200 ft) above sea level. As a sailplane pilot, I guessed that the area would be great for ridge soaring.
That evening we dined at the Ben Abeba restaurant, a Scottish-Ethiopian place whose unique, open air construction on a cliff's edge offered yet another mind bendingly spectacular view.
On our last night in Ethiopia, (in Addis Ababa) we visited Yod Abyssinia, where we had some traditional Ethiopian food (meat and vegetarian platters) and enjoyed a show that showed local history via dance. Visitors were invited to dance too, which the kids in the audience really loved.
One week was definitely not enough. On our next visit, I'd like to get to Axum to learn more about Ethiopia's history and visit the Bale Mountains National Park. But this was a great introduction.
Tittle: The trip of a lifetime Tour description Ibrahim from Luitours and Safaris has planned an
Tittle:
The trip of a lifetime
Tour description
Ibrahim from Luitours and Safaris has planned an unforgettable trip to Tanzania for us. We had only 4 days to visit Mikumi National Park and Udzungwa mountains but Ibrahim has it perfectly thought out and we got the maximum one can get. We didn't lose a minute and yet we enjoyed a relaxing journey! Communication with the Guide was very easy and punctual, complete and clear answer to every question. We are definitely going to book our next trip to Tanzania again with Luitours and Safaris.
Ethiopia is an amazing and very diverse country with a rich cultural background.
Ethiopia is a wonderful country. I visited only the north, where the wildlife is not as spectacular as in the south (or other countries I've visited, such as Namibia). That said, the Simien Mountains is the only place where I've watched fauna without feeling like an intruder. As we walked among the monkeys, they slowly began to accept us. We had the impression of belonging to their community! Also, the scenery is very diverse, and great for hiking. I loved being able to combine physical activity with animal watching. In most natural reserves, we never got out of the bus. I strongly recommend combining the mountain hiking with a visit to Lalibela, a very beautiful place.
Beautiful country, proud people, unique landscapes, amazing culture.
Highlights of the trip to Northern Ethiopia were the Danakil Depression, with amazing springs and salt lakes, and the active Erta Ale volcano.
These are among the most desolate places on the planet - no wildlife to speak of around these locations, although we did spot some wild ostriches and antelopes en-route. The terrain in these areas is very rugged, Jeep with a local driver were really needed.
Day treks to the Maryam Kurkor monastery and Abuna Yemata church were well worth the effort. On the way down from Abuna Yemata we spotted a group of monkeys in the distance - very impressive!
The cities we stayed at, Mekale, Adis Ababa and Axum, were less impressive, for me at least.
a beautiful and astounding environment for all
it was very beautiful, combining centuries old ruins with lust forests. the culture of the people in fascinating and i would encourage tourists to delve deeper into the local environment. A fascinating people for sure.
IN
Email Shrinidhi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lalibela, Aksum, Harar - must see architectural and religious centers in Ethiopia
My trip was mostly to see religious and cultural places in Ethiopia. Lalibela Aksum & Harar are most recommended places to see the ancient architecture and kingdoms of Ethiopia. Range of professionally managed accommodations are available at all destinations. The locals are the best mannered and most places are safe to travel alone. Ethiopia is a unique place in Africa, so take the plunge...
IN
Email Shrinidhi | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Lalibela, Aksum, Harar - must see architectural and religious centers in Ethiopia
My trip was mostly to see religious and cultural places in Ethiopia. Lalibela Aksum & Harar are most recommended places to see the ancient architecture and kingdoms of Ethiopia. Range of professionally managed accommodations are available at all destinations. The locals are the best mannered and most places are safe to travel alone. Ethiopia is a unique place in Africa, so take the plunge...
HU
Email Janos | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Fantastic place
I have travelled a lot, seen many countries, so it is not easy to surprize me. well, Ethiopia did it in the positive sense of the word. Knowledgeable, well edicated guide, fantastic scenery, huge variety of ethnics. Food was good, not outstanding, except their local one, the injera, that's tasty and interesting. From wildlife point of view you do not have the big fives, not big cats, but you have many indigenous species, ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala, gian ratmole, rock hyrax and it is a paradise for birdwatching. Accomodations are ok, you should not expect more in a country just opening for tourism. Often issues with electricity and internet, still fine accomodations.
SA
Email Phil Roberts | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A country with incredible unique wildlife and birdlife that as a avid birder was simply amazing
We arranged a private tour which used a Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD and our driver guide was excellent providing great insights into the local countryside, people and culture. The duration of the tour was 8 days which meant we were unable to visit some places such as the Simien Mountains. The 4WD helped access areas that mini-buses etc were unable to access. Local specialist guides were engaged in the specific areas we visited, who added a lot of value in finding and seeing the unique wildlife and bird life. The highlights were the endemic wildlife such as Ethiopian Wolf, Mountain Nyala and Menelik's Bushbuck and the endemic bird species such as Abyssinian Longclaw, White-collared Pigeon, Ethiopian Siskin, Wattled Ibis and Abyssinian Oriole. We also saw many bird species while driving between locations including Black-crowned Crane, Thick-billed Raven and three species of critically endangered vulture, in the same flock, feeding on a carcass: White Headed, Hooded and Ruppell's. Other wildlife highlights included Beisa Oryx, Salt's Dik Dik and Golden Jackal in Awash Falls National Park.
In general the accommodations were good and the food provided by them was also good and very plentiful. The staff in all locations were very friendly and could not have been more helpful. The costs of extras, where applicable, such as alcoholic drinks was also reasonable. Due to arriving in Addis Ababa in the early hours of the morning we stayed the first night there. The hotel was from an international chain, and the good thing we found was that all the hotels run a 24 hour shuttle service to and from the hotel. A couple of things we learned were to take care in checking accommodation prior to departure as some of the local hotels have problems with water etc. Also we found internet coverage was hit and miss. More importantly we found it was important to check and double check regarding allergies as one hotel in particular did not have a good process in place to address this issue.
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would recommend Ethiopia as both a unique and fascinating destination with charming people. We hope to return to visit the places we missed on our first visit.
Email robelmazd3 | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Not really a safari destination
There are a lot of cool endemic animals and the scenery is just mind blowing.the weather is great all year round but the accommodation is not good even for an African country.the food is not a typical African food it's truly different and a vegans heaven.transportation and tour guide is ok.and Ethiopia has its own unique calendar with 13 month and clock system were the daytime cycle begins at dawn 12:00 (6:00:00 AM EAT)
