Ethiopia 3- Omo Valley 2018
In November 2018, our friends Greg, Louisa, Bob, and Anita joined Rena and me for a 5-week trip to Ethiopia. For Bob and Anita it was a 2nd visit. They had traveled there in 1971 and had climbed Ras Dashen the highest peak (14,928 ft). In fact Anita was the first foreign women to climb it.
After arriving in the capital, Addis Ababa, located in the center of the country, we flew to the North where we visited many historical and UNESCO sites. This Historical Circuit is what most tour companies offer. That part of the trip is described in a separate gallery “Ethiopia 1- Historical Circuit.” We also did a 5-day trek in the Tigray region, right at the northern border with Eritrea which is described in another gallery “Ethiopia 2- Tigray Trek”.
This gallery describes our visit to the South. We traveled through the Riff Valley to the area along the Omo River near the border with Kenya to see colorful ethnic tribes. These tribes, all speaking different languages, have lived in a relatively small area (200 miles square) for hundreds of years. They have maintained their customs and traditions. In recent years, modern advancements such as communication technology and large scale farming made possible by dams on the Omo River have had negative impacts on traditional ways. Tourism is helping keep the traditions alive since it is a needed source of income. We were lucky to see these people before more changes occur.
HOW WE TRAVELLED
We arranged the trip with Anini Tours in Addis Ababa. Solomon Seyoum organized the itinerary. He did an excellent job and we recommend the company highly. It was very cost effective and we were able to tailor the trip to our interests. We traveled in a minivan. Three internal flights in the north saved us some long driving days. For the southern portion of the trip, we drove the entire way from Addis Ababa with Solomon acting as both driver and guide. Check out
http://aniniethiopiatour.com
Contact me if you want more information.
SOME FACTS ABOUT ETHIOPIA
1 - Ethiopia is a high country. We spent 50% of our time above 8,000 feet and 95% above 5,000 feet. The climate is moderate being so close to the equator.
2 - Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian civilizations in the world. The Ethiopian Orthodox church dates from the 4th Century.
3 - The country is about 40% Christian and 40% Muslim.
4 - The capital Addis Ababa is at an elevation of about 8,000 feet and has about 4 million people.
5 - It is the only country in Africa that was not colonized by a foreign power.
6 - It is the 12th most populous country in the world with 107 million people.
7 - The economy is dominated by agriculture, which is the primary activity of 80% of the workforce and accounts for 45% of GDP and 84% of exports. Most of the farming is done by hand with animals. We saw almost no tractors in the north.
8 - In 2017, Ethiopia had the fastest growing economy in the world.
9 - There are 9 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ethiopia. We saw 6 of them.
10 - The median wage earned in Ethiopia is about $178 per month or $2,140 per year.
IMPRESSIONS OF ETHIOPIA
1 - The 5-day trek we did in Tigray was like a Nepal trek in a Southern Utah setting. Rena and I have done treks all over the world and this was as good as any.
2 - In the north, most homes are built out of rock with no glass for windows.
3 - Ethiopia is a safe country to visit as long as you stay away from some of the border areas (where tourists normally do not go). However, pickpockets in Addis Ababa are very prevalent and aggressive.
4 - Drivers are courteous, do not drive too fast, and are not aggressive. They rarely use their horns. It was safe to travel on the roads.
5 - There is malaria in the lower regions of Ethiopia but we saw very few mosquitos in Nov - Dec
6 - Ethiopian Airlines has a good safety record and we had no complaints, for both our three internal flights as well as our International flights
7- Ethiopia can be done on your own but some of the country, particular the South, is quite difficult without a guide. The Historical Circuit is much easier.
ITINERARY
Day - Date - Activity - Night?
- Nov 9 - Left LA - Sleep in plane
- Nov 10 - fly - Sleep in plane
1 - Nov 11 - Arrive Addis Ababa (19 hr total time), tour museums - Ras Amba Hotel
2 - Nov 12 - museum + fly to Mekele - Tase Yohanes Hotel
3 - Nov 13 - Drive to Idega Arbi, start 5 day Tigray trek - Gohgot Community Guesthouse
4 - Nov 14 - Trek Day 2 - Sheta Community Guesthouse (8,300 ft)
5 - Nov 15 - Trek Day 3 - Shimbrity Community Guesthouse (8,600 ft)
6 - Nov 16 - Trek Day 4 - Erar Community Guesthouse (8,634 ft)
7 - Nov 17 - Trek day 5 - Drive to Adigrat - Canaan Hotel
8 - Nov 18 - Drive to Yeha (at least 2,800 years old) - drive to Axum - Sebean Hotel
9 - Nov 19 - See huge stelae (*) and Ethiopia’s oldest Christian church from 4th century - Sebean Hotel
10 - Nov 20 - Fly from Axum to Gondor - AG Hotel
11 - Nov 21 - Visit Royal Enclosure (*), Axum Tsion Maryam Church, other sights - AG Hotel
12 - Nov 22 - Visit Awara Amba community, drive to Debre Tabor - Hibret Hotel
13 - Nov 23 - Drive to Lalibela - Cliff Edge Hotel
14 - Nov 24 - Visit Northern rock church complex + St George church (*)- Cliff Edge Hotel
15 - Nov 25 - Visit monastery above city + Southern rock church complex - Cliff Edge Hotel
16 - Nov 26 - Fly to Addis Ababa, visit Nakuta Na’ab church in route to airport - Ras Amba Hotel
17 - Nov 27 - Shopping, rest day - Ras Amba Hotel
18 - Nov 28 - Drive South to Butajira, visit Tiya Staele Field (*), Lake Ara Shetan - Rediet Hotel
19 - Nov 29 - Drive to Arba Minch - Paradise Lodge
20 - Nov 30 - Drove to Konso, visit Konso village of Gamole (*) - Korebta Lodge
21 - Dec 1 - Drive to Turmi, visit Dimeka market, see Bull Jumping Ceremony - Emerald Hotel
22 - Dec 2 - Day trip to Omorate on Omo River (*), visit Dasenech Village - Emerald Hotel
23 - Dec 3 - Visit Turmi market, visit Hamer village - Emerald Hotel
24 - Dec 4 - Drive to Jinka, visit Alduba market in route, visit Jinka market- Goh Hotel
25 - Dec 5 - Day trip to Mursi village, visit Jinka museum - Goh Hotel
26 - Dec 6 - Drive to Konso, visit Aair village, visit Afar market - Korebta Lodge
27 - Dec 7 - Drive to Arba Minch, see Crocodile market in afternoon - Paradise Lodge
28 - Dec 8 - Day trip to Dorze village, hike to waterfall - Paradise Lodge
29 - Dec 9 - Drive to Hawassa via Soda and Alaba, walk along waterfront - Lake View Hotel
30 - Dec 10 - Visit morning fish market, drive to Lake Langano - Sabana Lodge
31 - Dec 11 - Drive to Bishoftu, stop at Lake Ziway for birds in route - Liesak Resort
32 - Dec 12 - Hora Lake boat ride and walk, view Cranes in evening - Liesak Resort
33 - Dec 13 - Drive to Addis Ababa, shopping, traditional dinner and dance, drive to airport for late flight
34 - Dec 14 - 19 hour total flight time to get home. Arrive at noon on same day.
(*) = Unesco World Heritage Site
Read MoreAfter arriving in the capital, Addis Ababa, located in the center of the country, we flew to the North where we visited many historical and UNESCO sites. This Historical Circuit is what most tour companies offer. That part of the trip is described in a separate gallery “Ethiopia 1- Historical Circuit.” We also did a 5-day trek in the Tigray region, right at the northern border with Eritrea which is described in another gallery “Ethiopia 2- Tigray Trek”.
This gallery describes our visit to the South. We traveled through the Riff Valley to the area along the Omo River near the border with Kenya to see colorful ethnic tribes. These tribes, all speaking different languages, have lived in a relatively small area (200 miles square) for hundreds of years. They have maintained their customs and traditions. In recent years, modern advancements such as communication technology and large scale farming made possible by dams on the Omo River have had negative impacts on traditional ways. Tourism is helping keep the traditions alive since it is a needed source of income. We were lucky to see these people before more changes occur.
HOW WE TRAVELLED
We arranged the trip with Anini Tours in Addis Ababa. Solomon Seyoum organized the itinerary. He did an excellent job and we recommend the company highly. It was very cost effective and we were able to tailor the trip to our interests. We traveled in a minivan. Three internal flights in the north saved us some long driving days. For the southern portion of the trip, we drove the entire way from Addis Ababa with Solomon acting as both driver and guide. Check out
http://aniniethiopiatour.com
Contact me if you want more information.
SOME FACTS ABOUT ETHIOPIA
1 - Ethiopia is a high country. We spent 50% of our time above 8,000 feet and 95% above 5,000 feet. The climate is moderate being so close to the equator.
2 - Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian civilizations in the world. The Ethiopian Orthodox church dates from the 4th Century.
3 - The country is about 40% Christian and 40% Muslim.
4 - The capital Addis Ababa is at an elevation of about 8,000 feet and has about 4 million people.
5 - It is the only country in Africa that was not colonized by a foreign power.
6 - It is the 12th most populous country in the world with 107 million people.
7 - The economy is dominated by agriculture, which is the primary activity of 80% of the workforce and accounts for 45% of GDP and 84% of exports. Most of the farming is done by hand with animals. We saw almost no tractors in the north.
8 - In 2017, Ethiopia had the fastest growing economy in the world.
9 - There are 9 UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ethiopia. We saw 6 of them.
10 - The median wage earned in Ethiopia is about $178 per month or $2,140 per year.
IMPRESSIONS OF ETHIOPIA
1 - The 5-day trek we did in Tigray was like a Nepal trek in a Southern Utah setting. Rena and I have done treks all over the world and this was as good as any.
2 - In the north, most homes are built out of rock with no glass for windows.
3 - Ethiopia is a safe country to visit as long as you stay away from some of the border areas (where tourists normally do not go). However, pickpockets in Addis Ababa are very prevalent and aggressive.
4 - Drivers are courteous, do not drive too fast, and are not aggressive. They rarely use their horns. It was safe to travel on the roads.
5 - There is malaria in the lower regions of Ethiopia but we saw very few mosquitos in Nov - Dec
6 - Ethiopian Airlines has a good safety record and we had no complaints, for both our three internal flights as well as our International flights
7- Ethiopia can be done on your own but some of the country, particular the South, is quite difficult without a guide. The Historical Circuit is much easier.
ITINERARY
Day - Date - Activity - Night?
- Nov 9 - Left LA - Sleep in plane
- Nov 10 - fly - Sleep in plane
1 - Nov 11 - Arrive Addis Ababa (19 hr total time), tour museums - Ras Amba Hotel
2 - Nov 12 - museum + fly to Mekele - Tase Yohanes Hotel
3 - Nov 13 - Drive to Idega Arbi, start 5 day Tigray trek - Gohgot Community Guesthouse
4 - Nov 14 - Trek Day 2 - Sheta Community Guesthouse (8,300 ft)
5 - Nov 15 - Trek Day 3 - Shimbrity Community Guesthouse (8,600 ft)
6 - Nov 16 - Trek Day 4 - Erar Community Guesthouse (8,634 ft)
7 - Nov 17 - Trek day 5 - Drive to Adigrat - Canaan Hotel
8 - Nov 18 - Drive to Yeha (at least 2,800 years old) - drive to Axum - Sebean Hotel
9 - Nov 19 - See huge stelae (*) and Ethiopia’s oldest Christian church from 4th century - Sebean Hotel
10 - Nov 20 - Fly from Axum to Gondor - AG Hotel
11 - Nov 21 - Visit Royal Enclosure (*), Axum Tsion Maryam Church, other sights - AG Hotel
12 - Nov 22 - Visit Awara Amba community, drive to Debre Tabor - Hibret Hotel
13 - Nov 23 - Drive to Lalibela - Cliff Edge Hotel
14 - Nov 24 - Visit Northern rock church complex + St George church (*)- Cliff Edge Hotel
15 - Nov 25 - Visit monastery above city + Southern rock church complex - Cliff Edge Hotel
16 - Nov 26 - Fly to Addis Ababa, visit Nakuta Na’ab church in route to airport - Ras Amba Hotel
17 - Nov 27 - Shopping, rest day - Ras Amba Hotel
18 - Nov 28 - Drive South to Butajira, visit Tiya Staele Field (*), Lake Ara Shetan - Rediet Hotel
19 - Nov 29 - Drive to Arba Minch - Paradise Lodge
20 - Nov 30 - Drove to Konso, visit Konso village of Gamole (*) - Korebta Lodge
21 - Dec 1 - Drive to Turmi, visit Dimeka market, see Bull Jumping Ceremony - Emerald Hotel
22 - Dec 2 - Day trip to Omorate on Omo River (*), visit Dasenech Village - Emerald Hotel
23 - Dec 3 - Visit Turmi market, visit Hamer village - Emerald Hotel
24 - Dec 4 - Drive to Jinka, visit Alduba market in route, visit Jinka market- Goh Hotel
25 - Dec 5 - Day trip to Mursi village, visit Jinka museum - Goh Hotel
26 - Dec 6 - Drive to Konso, visit Aair village, visit Afar market - Korebta Lodge
27 - Dec 7 - Drive to Arba Minch, see Crocodile market in afternoon - Paradise Lodge
28 - Dec 8 - Day trip to Dorze village, hike to waterfall - Paradise Lodge
29 - Dec 9 - Drive to Hawassa via Soda and Alaba, walk along waterfront - Lake View Hotel
30 - Dec 10 - Visit morning fish market, drive to Lake Langano - Sabana Lodge
31 - Dec 11 - Drive to Bishoftu, stop at Lake Ziway for birds in route - Liesak Resort
32 - Dec 12 - Hora Lake boat ride and walk, view Cranes in evening - Liesak Resort
33 - Dec 13 - Drive to Addis Ababa, shopping, traditional dinner and dance, drive to airport for late flight
34 - Dec 14 - 19 hour total flight time to get home. Arrive at noon on same day.
(*) = Unesco World Heritage Site
