Ethiopia holiday
| country: | Ethiopia |
| trip type: | A small group adventure. |
| departures: | 2010: 25 Jan, 1 Mar, 29 Mar, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 25 Oct, 8 Nov, 13 Dec, 20 Dec 2011: 9 Jan, 17 Jan, 7 Feb, 21 Feb, 11 Apr |
| price: | From £1895 - £2150 (16 days) including flights from UK, from £1375 - £1500 excluding flights. Optional single supplement £150 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
As one of Africa's most fascinating countries, Ethiopia offers a unique culture with a long history and astounding scenery. Rock-hewn churches, ancient obelisks and the forbidden medieval town of Harar tell of past glories, while views vary from the impressive Blue Nile Falls to the rugged mountains of the Simien range. We follow the Historic Route on this in-depth cultural journey.
Blue Nile & Gondar Castles
From Addis Ababa we fly to Bahar Dar on the banks of Lake Tana. Close by is the source of the Blue Nile and the Tississat Falls, a 45m drop which is the start of a 1000 mile journey to Khartoum. In the lively market town of Gondar we'll visit 17th century castles, once the centre of a unique and powerful kingdom unlike anything else found in Africa. From Gondar we drive up to the high plateau and the impressive scenery of the Simien range. The range is home of the Gelada baboon and rare Simien fox. We have a day to explore some of the easier trails and appreciate some of the dramatic views.
Sacred Axum & Rock-Cut Churches
Next, we drive through spectacular sculpted mountains to the sacred city of Axum to spend a day touring giant stelae (obelisks), palaces and churches. We fly on to Lalibela one of the world's most remarkable archeological sites. Buildings here are hewn from granite leaving rock-cut churches isolated from the surrounding strata, yet still part of it. We explore several of these 800 year-old works of art before taking a mule trek in the surrounding mountains to a remote mountain church.
Exploring Medieval Harar
Finally, we fly to Dire Dawa and drive up to Harar. The people here are quite different from other parts of Ethiopia. We take a walk around the old town which has a North African flavour with Moorish gateways, ancient walls, narrow alleyways and jostling crowds. The market here is one of the most colourful in Ethiopia.
Blue Nile & Gondar Castles
From Addis Ababa we fly to Bahar Dar on the banks of Lake Tana. Close by is the source of the Blue Nile and the Tississat Falls, a 45m drop which is the start of a 1000 mile journey to Khartoum. In the lively market town of Gondar we'll visit 17th century castles, once the centre of a unique and powerful kingdom unlike anything else found in Africa. From Gondar we drive up to the high plateau and the impressive scenery of the Simien range. The range is home of the Gelada baboon and rare Simien fox. We have a day to explore some of the easier trails and appreciate some of the dramatic views.
Sacred Axum & Rock-Cut Churches
Next, we drive through spectacular sculpted mountains to the sacred city of Axum to spend a day touring giant stelae (obelisks), palaces and churches. We fly on to Lalibela one of the world's most remarkable archeological sites. Buildings here are hewn from granite leaving rock-cut churches isolated from the surrounding strata, yet still part of it. We explore several of these 800 year-old works of art before taking a mule trek in the surrounding mountains to a remote mountain church.
Exploring Medieval Harar
Finally, we fly to Dire Dawa and drive up to Harar. The people here are quite different from other parts of Ethiopia. We take a walk around the old town which has a North African flavour with Moorish gateways, ancient walls, narrow alleyways and jostling crowds. The market here is one of the most colourful in Ethiopia.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/ Addis Ababa |
| Day 2: | Arrive Addis; city tour |
| Day 3: | Fly Bahar Dar; view source of the Nile. |
| Day 4: | In Bahar Dar; visit Tississat Falls; boat trip on Lake Tana |
| Day 5: | Drive Gondar; visit Debre Berham Selassie Church and Fasiliadas Castle complex |
| Day 6: | Drive Debark in Simien Mountains |
| Day 7: | Optional day walk in Simien Mountains |
| Day 8: | Drive through Tekeze Valley to Axum |
| Day 9: | In Axum; visit Palaces, Baths, Stelae Field, Market and Museum |
| Day 10: | Fly Lalibela; visit rock-cut churches on foot |
| Day 11: | In Lalibela; mule trek to Ashatan Maryam Church |
| Day 12: | Fly via Addis Ababa to Dire Dawa; drive Harar |
| Day 13: | In Harar; walking tour |
| Day 14: | Drive to Awash NP |
| Day 15: | Visit Awash NP; drive Addis |
| Day 16: | Very early morning fly London |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Ethiopia - with its fantastic churches, amazing scenery and wonderfulpeople - has a rich cultural heritage, which we fully explore on this comprehensive tour. We travel in small groups ensuring that local suppliers are able to gain the maximum benefit from our visit. As well as viewing the magnificent sites, groups are encouraged to experience local life - such as eating in local (and excellent!) restaurants and passing time chatting in local markets. The very warmth of the Ethiopian people is for many a tour highlight.
As part of our on-going commitment to responsible tourism, for everypassenger who books on this tour a financial contribution is made to the "Send a Cow" charity - an organization who work with small communities in Ethiopia to overcome poverty and malnutrition through the sustainable development of livestock, farming systems and self-reliant groups. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation and Hope Worldwide. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |