Wildlife and cultural tour to Ethiopia reviewed by Carolyn Scharf
This tour was the perfect way to expose my Ethiopian-born son to all that Ethiopia has to offer. Being only 7-years old we didn't want a tour that would be fast paced with long drives... we needed to give time for the kids to play and expend some energy. We worked with the holiday provider to customize an itinerary that had us visiting several tribal villages, but also spending time in game parks and lakes seeing animals we only dream of in Canada.
Our guide, Ayele, was very knowledgeable and found ways to make the trip extra special especially for the kids (my son loved playing the traditional Ethiopian board game with Ayele which was very sweet to watch). And our driver, Ahmed, was exceptional especially on some of the rougher terrain that we traveled to reach the more remote villages down dirt roads and across dry river beds. We felt completely safe and in good hands the entire time. Our children got to experience Ethiopia close up, got to interact with the people and even play with village children, and came away not only with an understanding of what Ethiopia is all about, but a pride in being from there. I truly believe this would not have been accomplished without the great care that was put into setting the
itinerary and then guiding us through all stops along the tour. I can't say enough about the great team at the holiday providers!
Don't over-pack! We spent 2 nights at most hotels, but it still meant moving bags in and out of the car frequently. Many hotels have rough sidewalks so wheeling suitcases isn't an option; the poor staff has to carry them and some of our bags were pretty heavy.
We definitely made sure to tip them well!
We gave ourselves one full day to adjust to the time change before heading out on the tour which worked out perfectly so I'd highly recommend doing that. The first day to Arba Minch is the longest drive, but the scenery is stunning along the way so you want to be awake to appreciate it. Be prepared to be without power (and a hot shower) when visiting Jinka; it's a fairly remote town and power
is unreliable... make sure you charge cameras etc before going there. Bring snacks for in the car and to share with kids you meet along the way; children are constantly running up to the car on the highways so we stopped often to give kids candy (it was amazing to watch them try their first Twizzlers!).
The local people were so warm and welcoming we truly felt like they were happy to have us in their villages and homes. We didn't feel like we were intruding and people were particularly happy to meet our kids. The locals took such pride in demonstrating how they make their wares, that we always made a point of buying things. They aren't as sophisticated in merchandising their wares as more tourism-driven economies so we never felt pressured to buy anything. Instead, they seemed as happy for us to have their creations as we were to buy them.
This vacation was everything we hoped it would be, and much more. We saw everything we wanted to see, but what really made the difference was the wonderful guide and driver from the agency. We truly felt like a little family for the 11-day tour. Ayele and Ahmed had genuine kindness towards our kids and went well beyond the requirements to make the trip extra special for them. We liked that we got to visit a few tribes, but that the kids also had time to play and burn off some energy. They also got to see hippos, oryx', lots of camels, and baboons which was very exciting for them. Every day was something new
and different; it truly was an adventure for all of us. When we returned to Addis and the tour was over, the holiday providers again went above and beyond and took us around the city to the game arcade, the art gallery and even shopping for souvenirs. They had more than fulfilled their obligation to us, but in keeping with wanting us to have the best experience possible, they kept with us and made our time in Addis very special as well. I can't say how grateful we are to the tour company's team for making our kids first trip back to Ethiopia an amazing experience for everyone. I recommend them without reservation
and will most definitely tour with the agency on our next visit back to Ethiopia!
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