Unusual Destinations Blog

This is a great itinerary offering visitors the opportunity to discover Ethiopia. You will be starting off with the enchanting Historical Route, rich in cultural heritage, followed by the spectacular Bale Mountains, home to some of Africa’s rarest wildlife.

Itinerary: 14 nights

Day 1: Arrive in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. At Bole International Airport, you will be met by our Ethiopian agents, who will assist you with formalities and transfer you to the hotel. If time allows our agents will take you to the National Museum, local cathedrals with exquisite artwork, traditional coffee shops where you can purchase fresh coffee and if there is time visit the merkato (Africa’s largest open air market). Overnight stay at the Bole Ambassador Hotel (Dinner, bed and breakfast).

Day 2: Transfer from the hotel to the airport for your flight to Bahir Dar, the source of the Blue Nile. Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the various islands and peninsulas are home to more than twenty monasteries most of which were founded during the 14th Century. The Zege Peninsula has a large natural forest with a large population of monkeys and forest birds. Travel from Bahir Dar by motorised boat to Ura Kidhane Mihret which has one of the most beautiful churches in this region with over hundred paintings. Bahir Dar is a birdwatcher’s delight with regular sightings of white pelicans, hornbills, cranes, storks, rollers, bee-eaters etc. Overnight stay at the Papyrus Hotel (Full Board).

Day 3: After breakfast a morning excursion to the Blue Nile Falls, not far from the source of the mighty Blue Nile River. The vehicle stops about forty-five minutes from the actual falls and from here you will walk down a small ravine, across the Portuguese Bridge and up to the Blue Nile Falls – fairly strenuous but not unbearable. Please remember to wear proper hiking shoes/boots and stock up on bottled water. Back to the hotel for lunch and then a visit to one of the popular markets in Bahir Dar, or alternatively do some bird watching in the forest. Overnight stay at the Papyrus Hotel (Full Board).

A special note: Unfortunate consequences of a recent hydroelectric development have caused the virtual disappearance of the Blue Nile Falls. As well as destroying the beauty of the falls, the project is likely to have severe long-term effects on both the plant and bird life of the region. While at this stage the bird and plant life is still spectacular, visitors need to be aware that the falls are not as impressive as they once were. At this stage, when electrical demand is low and in the rainy season, the diversion through the hydroelectric plant is switched off for several hours at the time allowing the falls to resume some of their former glory.

Day 4: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Gondar, a remarkable town founded in 1632 by the great Emperor Fasilidas. Gondar was the royal capital of Ethiopia. After checking into your hotel you will set off to explore the castles and Emperor Fasilidas’s bathing pool. From here it is a short walk to the Debre Birhan Selassie church, possibly the most famous church in Ethiopia with breathtaking murals on the ceiling. Goha Hotel is your accommodation for the night (Full Board).

Day 5: After breakfast it is off to the airport for your flight to Lalibela. Lalibela is famous for its rock-hewn churches carved well below ground level, and the town is situated among impressive mountains looking down into the Rift Valley. The churches are quite eerie and you access them by walking through mysterious tunnels, passages and courtyards. The churches are A World Heritage Site and also home to hermits and priests and their younger scholars.  Many of the churches are surrounded by protective scaffolding to try and conserve these magnificent buildings from further weathering. Overnight at the Roha Hotel (Full Board).

Day 6: After breakfast the adventure continues with a full day excursion by mule to Asheton Mariam monastery which is 4 000 m above sea level and overlooks the Lalibela valley. The journey is quite remarkable with incredible views. Asheton Mariam Monastery has some interesting church treasures including ornate crosses.  Overnight stay at the Roha Hotel (Full Board).

Day 7: After breakfast, leave the hotel and transfer to the airport for your flight to Axum. Axum is the oldest town in Ethiopia and by far the holiest city of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and is a photographer’s delight. This small town is home to the ancient stelae (mysteriously erected and transported), the Queen of Sheba’s swimming pool and the ruins of her palace, the Axum Museum and most importantly St Mary’s Church where the Ark of the Covenant is believed to be housed. Overnight stay at the Remhai Hotel (Full Board).

Day 8: Transfer to the airport for your flight back to Addis Ababa. From Bole airport you are driven by 4×4 vehicle via the crater lakes to Mojo. Overnight Daema Hotel.

Day 9: After breakfast it is time to drive to Awassa, via the Rift Valley Lakes of Ziway, Abiata and Shala. All of these lakes support massive concentrations of water birds and the scenery is spectacular with abundant wildlife. Awassa, situated in the Rift Valley is a pleasant town and the perfect place to start off the tour to the South. Watch out for the Grivet and Guereza monkeys in the grounds of the hotel. There are also hippos in the lake. Awassa is a bird watcher’s delight with sightings of Afrocan Fish-eagle, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Grey Kestrel, weavers and the endemic Black-winged Lovebird, Yellow-fronted Parrot and Banded Barbet. Overnight at Awassa Wabeshebelle Hotel # 2 (Full Board).

Day 10: Early morning walk along the shores of Lake Awassa for more incredible bird watching in the marshy scrubland. Here you should see Blue-headed Coucal, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, White-rumped Babbler and the endemic Thick-billed Raven. Back to the hotel for breakfast and after this the long journey to Goba – a five hour drive into the Bale Mountain National Park which offers five vegetation zones and is home to many endemic birds and the endangered Ethiopian Wolf. Please be aware that the road is in very bad shape which makes for a rather arduous journey! Other wildlife is the Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Warthog, Bohor Reedbuck, Olive Baboon. There are rare sightings of African Wild Dog, Leopard and Lion. Overnight stay at the Goba Wabeshebelle Hotel (Full Board).

Day 11: After an early breakfast you will be taken up to the Sanetti Plateau, also part of Bale National Park. This represents an outstanding example of Afro-alpine moor land. With luck, you’ll enjoy close-up views of the Ethiopian wolf – Africa’s rarest canid. Of the 400 remaining Ethiopian Wolves, 75% live in Bale National Park. Their habitat preference means the Sanetti Plateau is the best place to find them. Fortunately, they are very approachable and offer superb photo opportunities. Sanetti Plateau offers great birding: look for endemics like Blue-winged Goose; Spot-breasted Lapwing and Rouget’s Rail, all common here. Overnight at the Goba Wabeshebelle Hotel (Full Board).

Day 12: Early morning walk (1 – 2 hours) in Dinsho. Look in the juniper forest for mammals like the endemic mountain nyala and Menelik’s bushbuck. You may also see endemic birds like the Abyssinian catbird, regarded as Africa’s finest diva! Transfer to Nazret which is the third largest town in Ethiopia. Offering a wide choice of restaurants, hotels and authentic coffee shops this town has a very laid back feel. Overnight Adama Mekonnen Hotel before going to Awash National Park.

Day 13: Early morning departure and drive to the Awash National Park with lunch stop in Asela. Awash National park is situated in dry acacia savannah some 200km east of Addis Ababa with a spectacular gorge and waterfall. Interesting mammals include Beisa Oryx, Soemmering’s Gazelle, Defassa Waterbuck, Salt’s Dik-Dik, Hamadryads Baboon, Striped Hyena and Golden Jackal. Accommodation provided in the Awash Genet Hotel in Awash Saba (Full Board).

Day 14: After breakfast start the long drive back to Addis Ababa and overnight at the Bole Ambassador Hotel (Full Board).

Day 15: Transfer to the airport and depart.

Prices include

International and domestic flights with Ethiopian Airlines, hotel accommodation and meals as indicated, meet and greet on day of arrival and all airport-hotel transfers, all accommodation, full board throughout the tour, all excursions to sites of interest as per itinerary, English speaking guides for all the historical places and entrance fees for all sites.

Not included

Visa fees, drinks, tips, personal expenses, travel insurance, airport taxes.

Below is an approximate price per person sharing (October 2009)

• Euro3925 ex Johannesburg
  
• Euro3250 ex Addis Ababa

more details

Tags: Adama Mekonnen Hotel, Add new tag, Addis Ababa, Awassa Wabeshebelle Hotel, Bale, Bole Ambassador Hotel, Fasilidas

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 6:36 pm and is filed under Ethiopia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.