Festivals and holidays in Ethiopia
| country: | Ethiopia |
| departures: | 2009: 11 Jan, 16 Oct |
| price: | From £2165 - £2295 (15-16 days) excluding flights. Max group size: 12. We can arrange flights from the UK |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
Ethiopian Timkat Festival Tour (15 days) Departs January
Ethiopia is a land of so many wonders – cultural, geographical and historical – it will undoubtedly surprise and amaze you.
Our Timkat tour focuses on the historical circuit of the north, where you will witness the staggering 12th Century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the 17th century castles of Gondar, the 3,000 year-old stellaes of Axum as well as the fascinating mass epiphany of Timkat.
You will also see the stunning Simien Mountains, visit the Blue Nile Falls and drift across Lake Tana.
And that is not all. One of the main highlights of any trip to Ethiopia is meeting the people, as you will seldom find a more attractive and fun-loving race anywhere on earth.
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive in relation to Ethiopia is: Is it okay to visit such a poor country for a holiday? Not only do we think it is okay, we believe it is the best way most of us can help. A recent survey showed that tourism now represents 20% of Ethiopia’s foreign income earner and as such is starting to have a direct effect on the lives of ordinary Ethiopians. Not only do we personally donate a proportion of your fee to help people get an education, but also the money you spend in this country will have a very positive effect on Ethiopian’s lives.
Ethiopian Northern Explorer (16 days) Departs October
This is a great itinerary that gives you all the very best of the northern historical circuit, whilst offering a few hidden treasures as well. Starting the tour in Addis you will fly to Bahir Dar for a stroll beneath the Blue Nile Falls and a boat ride across Lake Tana before travelling to Gonder and the wonderful Simien Mountains where you'll enjoy a three day trek.
But it is from here that the trip becomes different and interesting, as you drive (rather than fly) to Axum and onwards, via Yaha and Debra Damo, through Eastern Tigray and one of the most visually stunning parts of the whole country to witness some of most rarely seen rock churches.
As a fitting climax the trip will end in the World Heritage town of Lalibela.
Ethiopia is a land of so many wonders – cultural, geographical and historical – it will undoubtedly surprise and amaze you.
Our Timkat tour focuses on the historical circuit of the north, where you will witness the staggering 12th Century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the 17th century castles of Gondar, the 3,000 year-old stellaes of Axum as well as the fascinating mass epiphany of Timkat.
You will also see the stunning Simien Mountains, visit the Blue Nile Falls and drift across Lake Tana.
And that is not all. One of the main highlights of any trip to Ethiopia is meeting the people, as you will seldom find a more attractive and fun-loving race anywhere on earth.
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive in relation to Ethiopia is: Is it okay to visit such a poor country for a holiday? Not only do we think it is okay, we believe it is the best way most of us can help. A recent survey showed that tourism now represents 20% of Ethiopia’s foreign income earner and as such is starting to have a direct effect on the lives of ordinary Ethiopians. Not only do we personally donate a proportion of your fee to help people get an education, but also the money you spend in this country will have a very positive effect on Ethiopian’s lives.
Ethiopian Northern Explorer (16 days) Departs October
This is a great itinerary that gives you all the very best of the northern historical circuit, whilst offering a few hidden treasures as well. Starting the tour in Addis you will fly to Bahir Dar for a stroll beneath the Blue Nile Falls and a boat ride across Lake Tana before travelling to Gonder and the wonderful Simien Mountains where you'll enjoy a three day trek.But it is from here that the trip becomes different and interesting, as you drive (rather than fly) to Axum and onwards, via Yaha and Debra Damo, through Eastern Tigray and one of the most visually stunning parts of the whole country to witness some of most rarely seen rock churches.
As a fitting climax the trip will end in the World Heritage town of Lalibela.
travellers' tales
The trek in the Simien Mountains was truly memorable. It felt like we had the whole Mountain range, a world heritage site, to ourselves. (more)
what this trip includes
Trips are on full board basis, and include international flights if mentioned in the price details, transport as outlined in itinerary, twin-share accommodation, mineral water and entrance fees. how this holiday makes a difference
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Life for the majority of Ethiopia’s 73 million people is harsh, even by the standards of Africa’s poorest nations. The average Ethiopian person earns less than $100 per year and will not live beyond 44 years of age. North Wollo is amongst the poorest areas of the country, depending largely on rain fed subsistence agriculture. Our guide Mark established TESFA - a local charity organisation that was set up in 2003 with the specific aim of developing community-based tourism in Ethiopia WITH communities. By putting communities in charge of their own tourism resources, payment goes directly into the communities - 60% for the communities, 25% to a local guides service (that also transmits bookings to the communities), and 15% to cover administrative costs. After the communities have paid their staffing costs and for the consumables (food, toiletpaper, soap etc) the remainder is split between profit and a fund to allow for reinvestment and depreciation. The profit is then put into a community fund for the whole community to decide how it should be spent, such as the purchase of a community grain grinding mill.
 Our Ethiopia trips also fund A-Cet (African Childrens Education Trust) a small independent charity helping young Africans to achieve their maximum potential through education. A-Cet supports 1.000 youths with scholarships, 2 rural primary schools and 2 computer training centres. When you take one of our trips, we make a contribution to “Climate Care” – an organisation devoted to ‘offsetting’ or ‘neutralising’ harmful greenhouse gas emissions caused by your flight. This is done by funding projects across the world that will reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf through sustainable energy or rainforest restoration. We also support several other NGOs around the world such as the Hope Foundation, Tibetan schools trust and Adopt-A-Minefield, which are all carefully selected to improve the standard of living for the communities we visit. |
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. |