Great Adventure Trips

Ethiopia

Ethiopia Historic Discovery Safari

Ethiopia's landscape is splendid, the people are welcoming, the sense of history is tangible and you won't have to worry about crowds of tourists when you are on an Ethiopian tour. Ethiopia is just about the only country in Africa never to have been colonized, and its people have a proud tradition of fighting for their independence. The pride is justified. Much of the fascination of Ethiopia lies in its myriad historical sites, the obelisks and stele of Axum, the churches and coptic monasteries in the Tigre, in the Lake Tana isles and in the Lalibela: the African Jerusalem with its monolithic churches. In Ethiopia there are also nine national parks, two of which include the mountain groups of the Simien and the Bale, while the others lie in the Rift Valley towards Kenya. The unforeseeable wild landscapes are surely the main attraction of these parks, where many of the animal species are protected, and some of them are endemic to the area. The proximity of Ethiopia to the Equator and the variety of its habitats make it one of the richest countries in Africa in wild bird life.

Ethiopia has two main seasons, the dry season which lasts from mid-September to the end of May, and the rainy season which goes from June to August, with an average temperature of 25° C. The best time to do and Ethiopia tour is from September to May.

Highlights
Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, 11 churches in Lalibela, Gondar, Semein Mountains, Axum, Dire Dawar, Harar, Lake Tana

DAY 1: Addis Ababa
Arrive at Addis Ababa, where you will be and transferred in to your hotel.
Overnight: Ghion Hotel

Day 2 - Addis - Bahir Dar BLD
We fly to Bahir Dar and visit the famous Blue Nile Falls. In the afternoon we enjoy a boat trip on Lake Tana to visit the island monasteries of Azwa Mariam and Ura Kidane Mihret.
Overnight: Tana Hotel

Day 3 - Bahir Dar - Gondar BLD
This morning we leave Bahir Dar and drive 185km to Gondar. After lunch we explore this wonderful city. Gondar, founded by Emperor Fasilidas around 1635, is famous for its many medieval castles and the design and decoration of its churches - in particular, Debra Berhan Selassie which represents a masterpiece of the Gondarene school of art.
Overnight: Goha Hotel

Day 4 - Gondar - Simein Mountains National Park BLD
We head north to the Simein Mountains National Park and visit the breathtaking mountain range and one of the endemic mammals of Ethiopia - the Gelada Baboon or the bleeding heart baboon.
Overnight: Simein Lodge

Day 5 - Simein Mountains National Park - Axum BLD
Drive through the remarkable Tekezze Gorge to the earliest capital of Ethiopia - Axum. On our way, visit the villages of the Tigre people. The African nation's historic route begins in the ancient city of Axum, which dates to about 100 B.C. This capital city was the first place in Ethiopia to adopt a new religion -- Christianity. According to the Old Testament, The Queen of Sheba was born in Axum, but travelled to Israel to meet King Solomon. They had a son named Menelik, who later became the first emperor of Ethiopia. Menelik brought the original Arc of the Covenant back to Ethiopia from Israel
Overnight: Yeha Hotel

Day 6 - Axum BLD
We enjoy a full day sightseeing tour of Axum, which includes visiting the Stele Park, the Archeological Museum of Axum, the St. Mary of Zion Church, the palace and tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel (6th Century AD) and the palace of the Queen of Sheba (9th Century BC)
Overnight: Yeha Hotel

Day 7 - Axum - Lalibela BLD
In the morning we fly to Lalibela and after lunch we visit the first group of churches of Lalibela that are found north of a small stream called River Jordan. The small town of Lalibela in Ethiopia is home to one of the world's most astounding sacred sites: 11 rock-hewn churches, each carved entirely out of a single block of granite with its roof at ground level.
Overnight: Roha Hotel

Day 8 - Lalibela BLD
This morning we walk or ride on the back of a mule to the hill top semi monolithic church of Asheton Mariam (13th Century AD). Here we enjoy a birds eye view of the surrounding area.
Overnight: Roha Hotel

Day 9 - Lalibela - Addis Ababa BLD
After breakfast we fly back to Addis Ababa and h take a short city tour to visit the National Museum of Addis Ababa - where the fossil remains of the oldest hominid (Lucy - 3.25 mil years old)- is kept at, and Mercato - the largest open-air market in Africa.
Overnight: Ghion Hotel

Day 10 - Addis - Dire Dawa - Harar BLD
Today we fly east to Dire Dawa and drive to the walled town of Harar, which was the Muslim Capital of Ethiopia in the medieval times. On our way to Harar, visit the villages of the Hararghe Oromo people. At Harar we visit the house of the famous French poet - Arthur Rimbaud who lived in Harar in the 19th Century, the cultural market of Harar where you can visit the people of Adere (Harari), Oromo and Amhara together, and in the evening drive to one of the gates of Harar to visit the 'Hyena Man' who feeds wild hyenas by hand.
Overnight: Heritage Plaza Hotel

Day 11 - Harar - Dire Dawa - Addis BLD
Drive 55 km to Dire Dawa visiting the largest Chat (Mild Stimulant) Market at Aweday. In Addis have time to make walks on the main streets to visit historical Monuments, and for shopping. In the evening, we will host you at one of the best traditional restaurants of Addis where you can see the folkloric dances of the Ethiopian people and taste their variety of meals.
Overnight: Ghion Hotel

Day 12 - Departure B
After breakfast your Ethiopian Discovery comes to an end. You will be taken to the airport for your onward flight.

Meal Key B - Breakfast L - Lunch D - Dinner

Group Size Maximum 14 people

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2011 Per Person Rate: 2-3 people: USD 2965 per person, 4-6 people : USD 2070 per person 7-14 people: USD 1865 . Single Supplement: UDS 555 Single person rate: USD 5690 (no single supplement needed)
**Flights: Due to airfare changes, the internal flight mentioned in this itinerary is not included in the tour costs. The following additional charges will apply for the domestic flights as per itinerary - USD 730 pp excl taxes.

PLEASE NOTE: Rates are subject to change

Included in the price: Accommodation and meals as per itinerary, entry fees, English-speaking guide, transport, mineral water.

Not included in the price: Visas, personal expenses and travel insurance, gratuities, optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary.

Tailor-Made Travel: This safari runs on scheduled dates throughout the year. We can tailor- make a private safari to meet your departure date, time period, group size and budget.

Pre and post tour accommodation and transfers can be arranged on request.

Transport:
You will be transported in a Minibus or larger buses dependant on group size. 4x4 vehicles may be used during rainy season. The interior is spacious with forward facing coach style seating. There is ample space inside the vehicle to store your daypack.
Accommodation:
The facilities in some of the areas that you will be visiting are sometimes basic. PLEASE COME PREPARED! Participants are usually very quick to adapt themselves to the conditions of the safari. It's all part of the adventure! Whilst we have been specific about which lodges or hotels we may use whilst on tour, please note that accommodation on tour could change from that stated. During 10 nights of your safari, you will stay in mid-range Lodges, Chalets and Tented Lodges. Accommodation is situated either in National Parks, on the banks of a river, or in other places of interest. Most accommodation options have a private bathroom with a shower and toilet, whilst others have shared ablutions available. Some properties are equipped with swimming pools and/or bar areas.
Spending money:
Clients are advised to bring enough money to cover the purchase of curios, and additional entertainment. US Dollars, Pound Sterling and South African Rand (ZAR) are the most practical and convenient currencies.
Meals:
Where your guides are scheduled to prepare food, they will make every effort to prepare nutritious and filling meals. If you have any problems with the food please discuss this directly with them. In Africa especially in the more remote areas, availability of foods and fresh products are often limited. This may result in the duplication of ingredients and meals. The vehicle will be well stocked with staple foods at the beginning of the trip. We try to maintain as much variety throughout the expedition as possible, restocking from stores and markets along the way. Whilst making no special provisions for vegetarians, we have found in the past that there is ample choice available. Our guides are also trained to cater for vegetarians.
Important: Please do not help yourselves to the food supplies on board as the menu for the tour is carefully planned and budgeted.
Discuss your specific food requirements especially in the case of dietary limitations with your crew. They will wherever possible accommodate your needs. Please remember also that your crew is working to a specified food budget, which can provide great quality and variety. We are confident that you will be impressed with our meals, but please realize there is a limit to what can be spent on food.
Drinks:
You will be expected to purchase all of your own drinks. Beer, cool drinks, bottled water, local wine and spirits, etc are usually readily available at reasonable prices. Bottled water is normally available in most large towns. Discuss this in detail with your guide, as this could affect your health.
Beware of dehydration and drink plenty of water. You will probably not be accustomed to African conditions and this can affect you severely.
First Aid:
Our guides are trained in basic first aid and the vehicle is equipped with a comprehensive medical aid kit. Preventative Malaria medication should be taken before the trip and throughout its duration, although it is advisable to consult a doctor prior to departure.
Luggage:
Maximum baggage allowance: 12 kg. as an overloaded vehicle is a danger to both the clients and the guide. This does not include photographic equipment and a small daypack. Please bring a backpack or soft barrel bag, not a suitcase. Don't bring too much clothing, as there are washing opportunities along the way. Please adhere to the allowance specified as space for luggage is limited.
Insurance:
It is compulsory for all travelers to have insurance covering their personal requirements, medical expenses and personal possessions. This is to be arranged before leaving home country.
Tipping
Tipping is obviously entirely at your discretion, and based on how you feel the service has been. Our guides do go to great lengths to provide you with an experience of a lifetime. They often go that extra mile to make that special moment. Remember also that it is hours of behind the scenes work that you may not be aware of that will make your tour really special. Please consider all of this when you decide on your tip. Guiding is a 24-hour job that requires dedicated effort. An indication of what is generally accepted and paid to the guides is:
Driver/guides /couriers: USD 2 to 3 per day per client; Trainees USD 1 per day National Parks Guides / optional activities: USD 1 to 2 per person
Bar staff/waiters: 10 % of bill if service is excellent
Visas:
The onus is on the client to organize all visas required for clients to visit Ethiopia prior to departure.
Weather
Ethiopia shows a wide climatic variation, ranging from the peaks of Bale, which receive periodic snowfall, to regular daytime temperatures of over 50 oC in the Danakil Desert. As a rule, the central highlands have a temperate climate and average daytime temperature of 16 oC. The eastern lowlands and the far south are dry and hot. Western lowlands are moist and hot. The southern Rift Valley, must of which lies at the relatively high altitude of 1500m, is temperate to hot and seasonally moist.

Information on the areas visited

Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a country of northeastern Africa. Ethiopia's landscape is splendid, the people are welcoming, the sense of history is tangible and you won't have to worry about crowds of tourists. Ethiopia is just about the only country in Africa never to have been colonized, and its people have a proud tradition of fighting for their independence. The pride is justified. Much of the fascination of Ethiopia lies in its myriad historical sites, the obelisks and stele of Axum, the churches and coptic monasteries in the Tigre, in the Lake Tana isles and in the Lalibela: the African Jerusalem with its monolithic churches. In Ethiopia there are also nine national parks, two of which include the mountain groups of the Simien and the Bale, while the others lie in the Rift Valley towards Kenya. The unforeseeable wild landscapes are surely the main attraction of these parks, where many of the animal species are protected, and some of them are endemic to the area. The proximity of Ethiopia to the Equator and the variety of its habitats make it one of the richest countries in Africa in wild bird life.

History & Background: Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Sub Saharan Africa. The earliest evidence of Ethiopian history was in around 1000BC when the Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon. Unique among African countries, the Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule throughout the twentieth century, with the exception of the Italian occupation of 1936 – 1941 . In 1974 a pro- Soviet Marxist-Leninist military junta , the Derg , deposed Emperor Haile Selassie , who had ruled since 1930 , and established a one-party socialist state. The ensuing regime suffered several bloody coups , uprisings, wide-scale drought , and massive refugee problem. It was eventually defeated in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces under the name Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In 1994 a constitution was adopted leading to Ethiopia's first multiparty elections in the following year.

Addis Ababa
In the Ethiopian capital live five million people, from who three million arrived since the 1991 revolution. The city was only founded in 1887, and was nearly abandoned due to lack of fuel wood until the introduction of eucalypts to the area. It's a huge, sprawling place, with very few street signs, although the main shopping strip, Churchill Ave, is labeled.
The city's Ethnographic Museum is an ideal place to start learning about Ethiopia's rich ethnic diversity. It has an impressive array of religious crosses, triptychs and murals, as well as Haile Selassies's bedroom and bathroom. The National Museum is much smaller, but it does have the fossils of 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', perhaps our earliest ancestor.
Africa Hall is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and was designed as a monument to African independence. Its huge, richly coloured stained-glass windows, by Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle, portray the history and diversity of Africa's peoples. If you'd like to see more of Tekle's work, visit the Giorgis Cathedral, built in 1896 to commemorate Ethiopia's victory over the invading Italians. Addis Ababa's Mercato is the largest market in East Africa. It's a sprawling mess of open-air stalls, where you can buy everything from vegetables to gold jewelry.
Bahar Dar
Bahar Dar sits on the southern shore of the 3600 km2 Lake Tana. Nothing much happens in Bahar itself, apart from a bustling Saturday market, but there's plenty to see in the surrounding area. Lake Tana is scattered with islands, many of which are home to monasteries. Some of these monasteries were built as long ago as the 11th century, and most were built before the 16th century. The most popular monasteries are Ura Kidene Meret, Kebran Gabriel (not open to women) and Debre Maryam. Known locally as Tis Isat, the falls are over 400 m wide and 45m deep. Because of a series of dams near Bahar Dar, they aren't as impressive as they used to be. Bahar Dar is about 300 km northwest of Addis Ababa.
Bale Mountains National Park
Bale Mountains National Park is an area of high altitude plateau that is broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, beautiful alpine lakes and rushing mountain streams that descend into deep rocky gorges on their way to the lowlands below. As you ascend into the mountains you will experience changes in the vegetation with altitude, from juniper forests to heather moorlands and alpine meadows, which at various times of year exhibit an abundance of colourful wildflowers. Bale Mountains National Park is the largest area of Afro-Alpine habitat in the whole of the continent. It gives the visitor opportunities for unsurpassed mountain walking, horse trekking, scenic driving and the chances to view many of Ethiopia's endemic mammals, in particular the Mountain Nyala and Semien Fox, and birds, such as the Thick-billed Raven, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, and Rouget's Rail.
Blue Nile Gorge
The Blue Nile Gorge is located 130km north of Addis Ababa and is the second largest gorge in the world after the Grand Canyon in the U.S. For a million years the Blue Nile has been carving this 1,000m deep, nearly 20km wide and over 600km long gash through the Ethiopian Highlands. It is an enormous semicircle that heads first south, slowly turns west, and finally swings northwards as it leaves the hills, spilling into the flat plains bordering Sudan. Already the drive provides you an amazing view. From the highlands huge rivers pour into the gorge and make the Blue Nile to the big river for which it is known. The whole region convinces with its natural beauty and is famous for its wide variety of birds.
Debre Markos
Debre Markos is a large town at an altitude of 2515m and your first stop when you are taking the historic route from Addis Ababa. It is 305 km north of the capital and can be reached either by car or by plane. The drive to Debres Markos is very beautiful because it takes you through the Blue Nile Gorge, which is an extension of the famous Great Rift Valley. The Debre Markos monastery is from the 19th century and was recently rebuilt after being destroyed in the war. Even so it is impressive with its lovely paintings showing scenes of biblical and religious history. Furthermore you can enjoy the amazing view over the Gorge and the Blue Nile.
Dessie
Dessie or Dese is one of the largest Cities in Ethiopia with a population of about 100,000 and was founded in 1882 by Yohannes IV. It lies 2600 meters high in the Amhara region within a beautiful setting, surrounded by hills. Exploring this landscape nobody will doubt about how the city got its name that significant, translated in Amharic, "My Joy". Dessi itself is a crowded city with plenty of shops and an extensive Market. Its Nightclubs and bars are famous. Renowned as well are the Asmari singers, with their one stringed instrument, who are creating lyrics full of praise about you as soon as they got your name. There are a few nice sights in Dessie, for example the church of Bete Maryam that is located on a hill. From there you get views not only over Dessie, but also over the deep valley to the South. Furthermore you can find a museum in Dessie or explore the mountains in the north by going on a nice walk. The best time to visit Dessie is between February and June during the dry season.
Gondar
About 750 km north of Addis Ababa, Gondar was the capital of Ethiopia from its foundation by Emperor Fasiladas in 1636 until 1886. The Piazza - a grandiose name for an unremarkable small square - is the heart of the modern town. It's worth a look inside the 76,000 m2 Royal Enclosure for a glimpse of the castle built in 1640.The palace of Ras Beit, was built in the 18th century as a private residence of the famous king maker, Ras Mikael Sehul and has been in continued occupation ever since. Bath of Fasilades is a sunken pool still used for the Timkat Festival in January.
Lalibela
People come to Lalibela to see its amazing 12th-century rock-hewn churches, hewn straight out of the bedrock. The city is named after the 12th-century King Lalibela. Like more episodes in the long history of this country, there are a lot of legends about this King. One is that his older brother poisoned him and during a three days sleep he was brought to heaven, where he was shown a city of rock-hewn churches, which he replicated. Others say that he went into exile to Jerusalem and got a vision to create a New Jerusalem. And so it is. A small gorge is called The River Jordan and there is the tomb of Abraham. Others tell that the Templars from Europe build it. All 11-rock churches were built within a century. The churches have been kept alive by generations of priests who guard their treasures of ornamented crosses, illuminated bibles and illustrated manuscripts.
Rift Valley Lakes
The seven lakes of the Rift Valley sit in a wide, fertile valley, which runs between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border. This is one of the best parts of Ethiopia for bird watching. Lakes Lagano, Abiata and Shala are perhaps the most popular of the seven - one lake is blue, one silver and one brown. Abiata and Shala form a designated national park, but this doesn't mean much in practice. Lake Abiata is shallow, with heaps of birds, while Lake Shala sits at the bottom of a 250 m deep crater. Lagano is the only lake in Ethiopia, which is bilharzias-free; so take a dip while you have the chance. You can also swim at the hot springs at Wondo Genet, south of the three lakes. Towards the Kenyan border, Lakes Abaya and Chamo are thronging with wildlife, especially crocodiles.
Simien Mountains National Park
This park is excellent for trekking, with spectacular views and a large variety of wildlife, including baboons, ibexes, Ethiopian wolves and birds of prey such as the rare lammergeyer, a huge vulture. The park is made up of a rocky massif, which slopes down to grasslands - streams and gorges cut the massif. The national park has three general botanical regions. The lower slopes have been cultivated and grazed, while the alpine regions (up to 3600m) were forested, although much has now disappeared. The higher lands are mountain grasslands with fescue grasses as well as heathers, splendid Red Hot Pokers and Giant Lobelia. The park was created primarily to protect the Walia Ibex, a type of wild goat, and over 1000 are said to live in the park. Also in the park are families of the Gelada Baboon and the rare Simien fox. The Simien fox, although named after the mountains, is rarely seen by the visitor. Over 50 species of birds have been reported in the Simien Mountains.
Wendo Genet
Wendo Genet means "small paradise" and you will not doubt about it. The region is very green and popular for its natural hot springs. Explore the lush tropical forest and watch a huge variety of birds as well as the Columbus monkey.