Ethiopia
Explore Ethiopia
14 nights from £5,925pp
Includes: Flights, all transport, accommodation & tours as per itinerary.
Overview
Ethiopia has among the largest numbers of endemic mammals and birds of any African country, so for those keen to experience an incomparable blend of natural history, culture and historical highlights, this is a wonderful itinerary which we can tailor to suit individual interests and requirements.
In the north, historical sites include Bahir Dar, Gondar and Lalibela.
Scenery is stunning, from the heights of the Simien and Bale Mountains to the panoramic Rift Valley Lakes and the Blue Nile Falls.
Highlights:
- Lake Tana’s island monasteries and Blue Nile Falls
- Simien & Bale Mountains, Rift Valley Lakes
- Endemic Wolves, Geladas, Ibexes and more
- Lalibela’s amazing rock-hewn churches
- Ethiopian Culture
“I was blown away by the unique culture, scenery and wildlife of Ethiopia, a complete contrast to neighbouring Kenya. From the bustle of Addis Ababa to the desolate mountain peaks there is an immersive experience around every corner! “
Accommodation is comfortable throughout, including the best lodge in the country, Bale Mountain Lodge.
Our local team of experienced, knowledgeable, professional English-speaking guides and capable drivers, will ensure that you are superbly taken care of.
The itinerary operates all year except in July and August, when the lodges in Bale and Simien Mountains close for the rainy season.
- Day 1: Depart UK on an overnight flight
- Day 2: Arrival and transfer to your hotel. Afternoon city tour of Addis including visits to Entoto Hills, some of the city’s more spectacular cathedrals and the National Museum. Optional introduction to traditional cuisine an element of which is ‘injera’, a pancake made out of a fine grain called teff.
- Day 3: Flight north to Bahir Dar, on the shores of the deep blue Lake Tana. Your guide will take you to the Zeghe Peninsula to see some of the island monasteries.
- Day 4: After breakfast, long, scenic drive to the Simien Mountains. Stop along the way to see the Blue Nile Falls. Lunch in Gondar, before the drive up to the Simien Mountains.
- Day 5: Explore the awe inspiring Simien mountains, where you can take in some of the most dramatic scenery in Africa. In the early morning, you will be driven to one of the locations in the park such as Chennek, to seek endangered Walia ibex and various raptors. You should have the ‘Gelada Experience’ today – these delightful if odd baboon-like monkeys with their ‘bleeding heart’ chest patches, are the world’s only primates that graze and they congregate in large numbers here in the mountains, allowing a close approach.
- Day 6: Drive back to Gondar where you can explore the Imperial Compound with its wonderful castles and Debre Berhan Selassie church.
- Day 7: Flight to Lalibela. Here you will be taken to see the ‘first cluster’ of the famed monolithic or semi monolithic, rock-hewn churches cut top-down into the rugged mountainsides.
- Day 8: After breakfast, your guide and driver will take you to see the second cluster of Lalibela’s churches. Enjoy lunch at a traditional restaurant. Then, visit Yemrehane Kristos, arguably the finest of the churches around Lalibela. It is about 40km from the town and makes for a superb afternoon outing.
- Day 9: A scenic drive today to Axum, a major capital of the ancient world, with it’s tall obelisks and monuments
- Day 10: Transfer to Axum airport for the flight back to Addis Ababa. Travel southwards for about 5 hours along good into the Rift Valley. Your destination for the night is Lake Langano in the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes region. In the woods around the hotel you can find a selection of mammals and numerous birds.
- Day 11: Drive to Goba in the Bale Mountains National Park, via the park HQ in Dinsho. In the juniper-hagenia woods around Dinsho, keep a lookout for endemic mammals like the Mountain nyala and Menelik’s bushbuck. There is excellent birding here, with local specials including one of Africa’s finest songsters, the Abyssinian catbird. Stay 3 nights in style at the superb Bale Mountains Lodge
- Day 12: Visit the high-lying Sanetti Plateau, where wildlife enthusiasts come to look for the world’s rarest canid, the Simien wolf. They are easy to see – most of the approx. 400 individuals are concentrated in Bale. Watching these beautiful animals hunt by day for their favourite prey – giant mole rats – is an unforgettable experience! The Sanetti Plateau is the best place for endemic birds such as the Blue-winged goose, Spot-breasted lapwing and Rouget’s rail.
- Day 13: Today enjoy a guided natural history tour of the wonderful Harenna Forest, where the lodge is located. This vast evergreen forest is a treasure trove for naturalists, with several new reptiles and frogs discovered here in recent years. Mammals here include lion, giant forest hog, warthog, Menelik’s bushbuck, the rare and localised Bale monkey. Regularly seen birding highlights include Narina trogon, White-cheeked turacou and look around the lodge for Abyssinian catbird.
- Day 14: Transfer back over the escarpment and Sanetti Plateau, to Goba airport for a flight back to Addis Ababa. Depending on the time of your flight, during the afternoon, visit the city for some shopping with your guide. (You can stock up on some amazing Ethiopian coffee for example). If your flight departs in the early hours next morning, you’ll be transferred to Bole airport to check in for the Ethiopian Airlines flight home.
This is just one example of bespoke holiday itinerary to Ethiopia. Contact me to discuss your own interests and requirements for a personalised tour of this incredible country.
A few impressions…
“Thank you for organising a beautiful trip to Ethiopia, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Lalibela, the Simien and Bale Mountains were beautiful, as were the Gelada baboons, the Ibex, incredible amount of endemic birds and the Ethiopian wolf.
We enjoyed the hotels, the food and friendly people. We had wonderful guide Henok, who made our trip very special“
Hera & Taco
Let us begin the journey that will create memories to last a lifetime.
