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1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Every day was exciting and I would not have wanted to miss out any of the places visited. But to pick a few, experiencing the procession of the Ark at Lalibela, being fed holy honey by a priest in an ancient church, sitting surrounded by gelada baboons, interacting with the Hamar people (including of course shopping in the market in Turmi), and photographing Muris ladies with their lip plates in. But also the care, professionalism and simple pleasantness of our guides at every location.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Recognise Ethiopia is a big country and if you want to see it all, and you will, you must put up with long days travelling. Any hassles from children and young men are mild (e.g. "give me pen" or "what is your name") and are easily handled with a smile and "salem". Ethiopians are generally polite and friendly. You will enjoy interacting with people. Forget your preconceptions about famine and desert. Fortunately famine is infrequent and localised. Much of the country is green, lush and productive, and rural people (that is 80% of the population) are able to support themselves and their families and have hope for the future. It is a beautiful country with varied terrain. Generally warm to hot but cool at times in the highlands. The booking conditions required us to pay 50% prior to departure and 50% in cash in Ethiopia. I was a little nervous about carrying the money but we were met at the airport on arrival and in practice it was not a problem. On the plus side as this is an "all inclusive" package, you do not have to carry much money yourself when travelling around the country - just enough for any alcoholic drinks, for tips and for souvenirs. And the cost of these is low by European and US standards.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

There are substantial benefits. Tourism is a vital industry bringing foreign currency that is much needed for development. Even those people largely outside the cash economy such as the Hamar and Mursi do need some money and tourists provide this without necessarily having a profound impact on their way of life (schooling will have a much bigger impact than tourists taking photos). The tour company's guides provide good advice on how to behave to minimise negative impacts on the people and places visited.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

A wonderful country to visit and an excellent tour company to visit it with. In particular Highway Tours is managed in a very hands-on way by a man dedicated to making the experience as enjoyable and trouble free as possible. The level of service he provides is fantastic and all the guides who work for him strive to achieve the same standard. He is very willing to amend the itinerary as new opportunities arise too. Just ask and he will try as best he can to make it happen.

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