Ethiopia horse riding holiday
| country: | Ethiopia |
| departures: | 2010: 7 Oct |
| price: | £1450 (10 days) excluding international flights. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Ethiopia horse riding holiday
Ethiopia is a land full of natural wonders, ancient history and warm, fun-loving people - a perfect destination for an adventure holiday.
But why by horse? Because the high plateaux of the country have to rate as some of the best riding ground in the world; because the Ethiopians who live among these plateaus are still to this day a people of the horse; because you’ll get to see the country like no one else! Forget the images of a parched and dried up land: this is the quintessential Ethiopia of babbling brooks, yellow flowers and smiling pastors. Our mounts, a mixture of the famed Abyssinian ponies and of the descendants of Emperor Haile Selassie’s stable of Lipizzaner, Arabs and race horses, will whisk you over the plains, from Orthodox monastery to rural settlements. This is sure to be an amazing way to see a land so evocative of biblical times.
But why by horse? Because the high plateaux of the country have to rate as some of the best riding ground in the world; because the Ethiopians who live among these plateaus are still to this day a people of the horse; because you’ll get to see the country like no one else! Forget the images of a parched and dried up land: this is the quintessential Ethiopia of babbling brooks, yellow flowers and smiling pastors. Our mounts, a mixture of the famed Abyssinian ponies and of the descendants of Emperor Haile Selassie’s stable of Lipizzaner, Arabs and race horses, will whisk you over the plains, from Orthodox monastery to rural settlements. This is sure to be an amazing way to see a land so evocative of biblical times.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Addis Ababa (2400m): Meet the tour at our joining hotel. After a rest we have lunch before visiting the ethnological museum, which gives a thorough overview of the different cultures and peoples of Ethiopia. After a look around town we’ll have an early dinner at a local restaurant tasting traditional food and soaking up the atmosphere. |
| Day 2: | Addis Ababa – Menagesha - Suba: We set off in the morning for our stables, about half an hour away from the hotel. After becoming acquainted with our mounts, we begin our ride out into the stunning Ethiopian Highlands. We’ll take lunch en route and in the evening we’ll camp in the forest of Suba, whose first trees were planted by the 15th century emperor Zara Jacob. |
| Day 3: | Suba – Menagesha: We ride through the forest which is inhabited by the endemic Menelik Bushbuck, yellow fronted parrot, African Forest Hog and leopard and then travel high up over an extinct volcano where we will have lunch, before reaching our stables in the middle of the afternoon. |
| Day 4: | Menagesha - Chancho: Today we ride off over the high plains towards the market town of Chancho. Riding this route we will become acquainted with the great highland plains, peppered by small homesteads and Orthodox churches that form much of the central heart of Ethiopia. The night is spent camping by a traditional homestead. |
| Day 5: | Chancho – Dubar: We now strike out north, following the traditional agricultural migration route towards the centre of Ethiopia. We will cross countless small brooks on the way, amongst herds of cattle and green plateaux very far from typical images of Ethiopia. In the evening, we will camp in a traditional fortified Oromo homestead. |
| Day 6: | Dubar – Monastery of Debre Libanos: We reach the end of the plateau rather suddenly, with a vertiginous drop of 700 metres. This is where the monastery of Debre Libanos – or Mountain of Lebanon – was founded by Saint Tekle Haymanot, in the 13th century. The high cliffs right above the monastery are inhabited by the endemic Gelada ‘bleeding heart’ baboons. We will have plenty of time to enjoy both the monastery and some fantastic views. We will also visit the bridge said to have been built by Portuguese explorers in the 17th century.. |
| Day 7: | Debre Libanos - Fiche: Leaving the Debre Libanos Monastery and the Jemma River behind, we begin the long approach to the Gojjam Road and Africa’s water tower. Following a high plateau that lies between the Jemma, Mugar and Blue Nile rivers, we set off down the road that was the natural gateway from the north into Southern Ethiopia with its ford on the Blue Nile. Down this road came the liberating British in the Second World War, but also the Imperial Armies throughout the country’s history. |
| Day 8: | Fiche - Debre Guracha: After breakfast, we take off over the hills and reach the beginning of the great plateaux that roll out all the way to the Blue Nile River. Slow rivers full of geese and stork abound and everywhere there are local people: going to market, washing clothes and tending to the fields and cattle. Tonight we will camp overnight in a peasant stronghold. |
| Day 9: | Debre Guracha – Blue Nile Canyon: The Blue Nile! Dream of explorers and visionaries, from Alexander the Great to Richard Burton, and a source of so many tall tales… Tonight we will camp on the rim of one of the biggest and longest canyons in the world, and down our evening drinks in front of one of the world’s greatest rivers. |
| Day 10: | Blue Nile Gorge – Addis Ababa: After a relaxed breakfast (or watching the sun rise on the gorge) we will drive back towards Addis, arriving around noon, giving us ample time for last minute shopping and visits before a last dinner in Addis Ababa. |
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. how this holiday makes a difference
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Community
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. The WF Foundation: In order to facilitate an enduring support structure for the communities we visit, and to show a commitment to these values, we have set up a charitable foundation through which we can channel funds to both existing NGOs and our own development projects. In addition to organising ethically sensitive tours, having our own charitable foundation allows us to raise money – through the cost of our tours, charity trips and fund raising events – which can then be used to fund various projects in education, sanitation, reforestations and a number of other important issues facing developing communities. Wherever possible we are happy for our clients to visit these projects to see for themselves where and how this money is being spent. Environment 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. |
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. |
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