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

The two places that stood out were Lalibela and the Simien Mountains. The rock-hewn churches around Lalibela are not only outstandingly beautiful but a stunning human achievement which has stood the test of time. Being there in Easter week, it was especially gratifying to see that the churches are not just a tourist venue, but they are also an important part of people's lives across the country: the priests still pray there, and allow people to see the holy relics, or just wander in to pray or meditate. The Simiens provided breathtaking scenery, with something a little other worldly about the shape of the mountains in the distance. They are worth visiting just to see the Gelada baboons grazing in packs of many dozen, but we also saw klipspringers, bushbucks, a solitary Walia Ibex as well as vultures and lammergeyers. We were also pleased to find time to visit Harar, though it was not long enough for a place which is extremely relaxing, especially if you can find time just to soak up the atmosphere. Watching the hyenas feed was quite an experience, even though only one of us plucked up the courage to go near them. Oh, and the coffee is fantastic, even for Ethiopia.

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

Given more time, we would have loved to go to the rock churches of Tigray, which are more readily accessible from Axum than we had thought. It would also be an opportunity to go a bit more off the beaten track, though that is not to say that any of the sites in Ethiopia, stunning though they are, had more than a handful of tourists when we were there.

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

We were particularly keen to book with a locally-based company, and we were glad we did because Eskinder, who runs the tour operator, could not have done any better. He set up an itinerary which we felt was just right for the amount of time spent in each place, and his guides and drivers were all first class. Eskinder himself was so concerned that everything went well in Harar that he took a 12-hour coach ride both ways just to check out his new driver there.

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

We had been wanting to go to Ethiopia for a long time and we were glad we finally went. There are so many outstanding and memorable places to visit which are only not so well known because the country is just starting to attract visitors in any numbers. The people are all so welcoming, and there is absolutely no sense of any danger, either to yourself or your belongings. The finishing touch is the food which will be an unexpected delight for those not previously acquainted with Ethiopian cuisine, though you will need to develop a liking for injera.

Read the operator's response here:

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.

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

The highlights were definitely Gonder and Lalibela, and all the beautiful landscapes we drove through. The local guide at Gonder was particularly helpful and interesting. The driver and organiser who travelled with us all the way were both friendly and very efficient.

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

Make sure you take along warm clothes and rain gear if you're travelling in July/august! The rainy season is NOT a joke - though it was sunny and dry at least part of every day...

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

We did benefit local people in as much as we had local guides at every stop along the route, and did some shopping, but as regards the environmental impact, I'm not sure: we drove instead of flying, which was fantastic, but I'm not sure about the carbon footprints! A list of local charities at the major stops one could donate to would be helpful too. There's a good system in Lalibela with donation boxes at the hotels, but perhaps the local guides and agents could help organise this in the other places? It seems a far better way to deal with charity than random coins given to beggars, depending on the state of your conscience that day...

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

It was a very beautiful, very enlightening holiday, though not a restful one. The road conditions made it necessary to take a roundabout route, and we spent quite a bit longer in the car than we would have liked to. That's no fault of the organiser's, more of my own for not reading up enough about the itinerary.

Read the operator's response here:

I am glad to read our client, Laurence's honest and realistic review. I would like to say that the review will be an important input to further improve our services also in a way that would reduce carbon releases.

There were a total of nine local guides involved in the thirteen day trip. All the accommodation my clients stayed at and the restaurants are locally owned which also use primarily the local resources such as employing their staffs from the local residents; purchasing their needs like vegetables, cereals, and teff from the local farmers. Also in Addis my guests visited manufacturing cooperatives of traditional
weavers and had bought some of their products. This has a great significance in encouraging the weavers' effort and supporting their economies.

To protect the environment and preserve the cultural and historical heritages, our clients were provided with Travelers' Code of Conduct and recommendations on different issues like on wild life and vegetation; camping and fire; water; waste disposal; interacting with people; religious and cultural sacred sites etc. Also as the trip didn’t required it, we didn't camp and /or used firewood or drive inside parks. I can say that the trip has left no negative impacts on the environment. As most part of the trip was by car, we could do little to minimize fuel carbon release; however, since the Lalibela - Addis trip was by flight we could at least do some effort in this regard.