21 Days - ETHIOPIA - 'Inspired Journey'

1. INTRODUCTION

This signature itinerary has been carefully designed by our pro-guide and is a truly inspiring journey for adventurous travellers looking for a unique, authentic and ‘Off the Beaten Track’ experience.

Ethiopia rivals Egypt with its ancient cultural sites seeped in history, dating back for centuries when emperors still ruled the land. You will visit these historical and religious ceremonial sites scattered across the country, intertwined with unique landmarks and wildlife found only in Ethiopia. This experience will have you staying in a mixture of accommodation, interlaced with rough camping from hot to cold - the Danakil Depression and the Bale Mountains, experiencing community guest house hospitality in the Tigray region, with some days of relaxing and luxury in the Simien & Bale Mountains enjoying the endemic wildlife and cooler fresh air.

Highlights of this experience include:

The historical and religious ceremonial sites of Lalibela, Gondar and Axum

The Mighty Blue Nile Falls that spreads as wide as 400m in the wet season, where a short distance downstream from the falls sits the first stone bridge constructed in Ethiopia, built at the command of Emperor Susenyos in 1626.

The geysers of the psychedelic Dalol “Jiin Hill”, a 10,000 square km wide depression, which sinks as deep as over 100 meters below sea level, to witness camel caravans and a kaleidoscope of salt formations in the 2nd hottest place on earth.

Community trekking by foot in the TIGRAY region, where a local guide will lead you through this fascinating part of the country, accompanied by a donkey to carry your bags. Here you will interact with local communities and enjoying their hospitality, while learning about their daily life and visiting less known historical and religious sites.

Exploring the Simien Mountains in the north, where you will encounter the endemic and popular Gelada Baboons, where you can get within a couple of meters of them.

Traverse the largest patch of Afroalpine land on the continent, across the Sanetti Plateau on horseback in the Bale Mountains further south of the country, to witness the elusive Ethiopian Fox, Walia Ibex, Mountain Nyala and a multitude of bird and rodent life.

Eating and drinking in Ethiopia is almost a religion in itself, with its unique traditional cuisine and popular Coffee Culture - practiced in every house, everyday across the country. You will have the opportunity to dine 'Ethiopian Style' in almost every location you visit, testing your palette with local flavours and washing it down with what is considered the best coffee in the world.

2. SUMMARY OF ITINERARY

You will be met by an Inspired Journeys representative on your arrival at Bole International Airport in Addis (known as the Capital city of Ethiopia), it is from here that your journey into the countrys' vast landscape will begin. Due to the large area of the country with major cities being spread out, most of your journey will be joined with domestic flights between these cities, with some days of driving through scenic and beautiful landscapes. The local Ethiopian Airline connects to 22 of its’ main cities, making it is easy to plan your trip with short flights. In order to do this, we recommend that you book your international flight with Ethiopian Airlines, where you will be issued with a PNR number on your ticket that we can use to book your domestic flights for your trip at a discounted rate. Please note this does not apply to other international airlines (such as Lufthansa), and this case, you would be charged full rates for domestic flights.

On your arrival in Addis, you will explore this busy city, with its’ market, stopping over for a traditional Coffee experience (Good strong Ethiopian Coffee), and visiting 2 of it’s main museums and site attractions:

1. A tour of the 'Lucy' Museum
2. Selassie Church / Trinity Cathedral 

Ethiopian food is a culture in which you may want to experience, where you will be provided with a recommended Restaurant guideline – depending on the food you wish to eat.

The remainder of your trip will include the following highlights:

BAHIR DAR

Flight: Addis / Bahir Dar (1hr)

• A visit to monasteries on Lake Tana
• A boat trip on Lake Tana
• Go see the almighty Blue Nile Falls

LALIBELA

Flight: Bahir Dar / Lalibela (30min)

Well known for its distinctive rock-cut churches dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, which are pilgrimage sites for Coptic Christians. Carved out of rock, the subterranean monoliths include huge Bete Medhane Alem, and cross-shaped Bete Giyorgis. Many are joined by tunnels and trenches, and some have carved bas-reliefs and coloured frescoes inside.

A tour of these churches can be split into 2 x half days trips - once inside the Churches, it is peaceful.

GONDAR

Flight: Lalibela / Gondar (50min)

Gondar, or Gonder, is a city in northern Ethiopia. It is known for the walled Fasil Ghebbi fortress and palace compound, once the seat of Ethiopian Emperors. Dominating it is the immense 17th-century castle of Emperor Fasilides, which combines Portuguese, Indian and local architectural styles. Outside the complex is Debre Berhan Selassie Church, with an interior of elaborate murals, including a ceiling of faces. Other highlights include:

• Original Church built by Fasilidis
• Facilidis – Ceremonial bath

SIMIEN MOUNTAINS

You will drive for 2hrs through a beautiful landscape to a town called Debark, where you will stay in a lodge located in the Simien Mountain National Park.

Exploring this mountain range will include:

• Seeing Gelada Baboons, where you can step out the car – and get within a couple of meters of them. (They are not aggressive Baboons)
• Ethiopian Wolf, although they are harder to spot in this area and more visual in the Bale Mountain
• Lammergeyers

AXUM

You will drive to Axum on a 7hr journey, with very scenic roads around the Simien Mountains, where you will end up in Tekeze Gorge, which is a major tributary of the Nile. Arriving in Axum, which is the capital of the ancient Axumite Temple. 

Axum is known for its tall, carved obelisks, which are relics of the ancient Kingdom of Aksum. Most of these relics are found in the northern Stelae Park, including a huge fallen pillar, which is now in pieces.

The centuries-old St. Mary of Zion is a Christian Church and pilgrimage site believed to have housed the biblical Ark of the Covenant. The neighbouring Chapel of the Tablet is said to contain the Ark today.

TIGRAY – COMMUNITY TREKKING

After a morning of visiting these sites of Axum, you will drive to Agame Mountains, where you will be dropped off  at a trail head to start your TESFA Community Trekking for 2 nights. These red sandstone mountains are home to a number of less known rock churches. The communities own and operate simple guesthouses and receive 55% of the income (ex VAT) for their services. Guests are guided through the mountains by specially trained guides from Adigrat, with their bags carried on donkeys.

The trekking takes you up onto the sandstone ridges and through the farmed valleys with ample chance to see farming and community activities. There is also a surprising amount of wildlife in these mountains with Gelada Baboons, Hyrax, Jackals being among the mammals seen in this area, and a wonderful selection of birds from sunbirds and little Cordon Bleu to Lammergeyers and Batteleur Eagles.

The most westerly guesthouse is at Erar, built on an isolated section of the western escarpment with wonderful views westward to the mountains of Adwa and the Nebulet pillars. It can be accessed from the Adigrat – Axum road (via a good gravel road) that ends at a village called Rahya from where it is a 90min walk along the escarpment to Erar. This is where you will stay on this night. 

After breakfast, it is a 5 hour walk/hike through the valleys to Shimbrity. As you get close to Shimbrity there is an interesting rock tunnel that has been carved through the ridge to give villages on the western side access to the lovely rock church of Maryam Buzuhan. The church itself is beautiful, and the trail thereafter hugs the mountain and winds up to the plateau on the top. Shimbrity is the most southerly community-run guesthouse, some 20km north of Hawzien. This is on the western ridge of the Agame Mountains. You will stay here on this night.

GHERALTA

After breakfast, you will hike down to Gheralta on a 90min walk, here you will be picked up by a car and transfer to one of the preferred lodges for check-in. You will have lunch at the lodge, followed by a visit to the Rock Church (known as Abuna Yemata Goh - as seen in the BBC short film , which involves a short climb, but is not recommended for people with Vertigo.

You will overnight in Mekelle before you embark on your trip to the 2nd hottest place on earth.

ROCK CHURCHES & OTHERS SITES TO VISIT IN THE AGAME MOUNTAINS:

• Maryam K’at
• Gohgot Eyesus
• Maryam Bahara
• Maryam Bezuhan
• Debre Giyorgis

DALOL

You will drive 2hrs to Saba River, which is located on the Saba Canyon, and a 30min drive from Lake Asale. Here you will camp for the night and have the opportunity to experience some Camel Culture & sundowners at Lake Asale. You will head down into the Danakil Depression for an early morning trip. You need to go early morning as the temperatures are still cool. You will explore the area for 2-3 hours, where you will get to experience the geysers of the psychedelic Dallol “Jiin Hill”. A 10,000 square km wide depression, which sinks as deep as over 100 meters below sea level, highlights will include:

• Salt mines (where you can see the cutting of salt blocks during cooler months)
• Mineral deposits of sulphur and pot ash
• Pools of water & strange salt deposits

After Exploring the area, you will drive back to camp for lunch before packing up and transferring (2.5hr drive) back to Mekelle for your departure flight (50min) to Addis. You will overnight in Addis on this day, in preparation for the next section of your trip to Bale Mountains. 

BALE MOUNTAINS

Flight: Addis / Awassa (1hr)

On arrival in Awassa, you will transfer 4 – 5hrs to the beautiful Bale Mountains, where you can explore the area as follows:

• Take a walk in the Bamboo Forest around the lodge, and enjoy great birding, and see the Bale Mountain Monkey.
• Drive to other areas in the park, where you can experience more of the largest patch of Afroalpine land on the continent. 

CAMPING & HORSE TREKKING THROUGH BALE MOUNTAINS:

After breakfast, transfer to Sanneti Research Base to begin your trek with local Bale horses, as you set off to discover the Afroalpine mountains and natural scenery while heading deep into the heart of the Sanetti plateau – 'a floating land'.

Explore all habitats of the Bale Mountains National Park as you trek across the home of the Ethiopian Wolf, Mountain Nyala, Giant Molerat and Bale Monkey. Explore vast moorland and discover Afroalpine plants as you camp in the wilderness. Hike amongst rock pinnacles etched out of the lava flows by millions of years of ice and winds, and pass waterfalls and alpine lakes. Camping in the Harenna forest may reward you with a sighting of the elusive animals that live there. Wildlife that can be seen along the way includes the Olive Baboon, Warthog, Rock Hyrax, Starck’s Hare, Klipspringer, Grey Duiker, African Wild Dog, Giant Forest Hog, Leopard, Lion and birds of prey.

The mountain campsites are set between 17km and 22km apart at between 3,000m and 4,100m altitude. Walking or riding from one camp to the next takes 6-8 hours, allowing you to spend each night at a different site. Each campsite has its own distinctive features and spectacular views. 

You will stay at 2 campsite locations in this Afroalpine area, before descending into the Juniper Woodlands the next day to the park headquarter Dinsho campsite. 

The juniper woodlands cover the northern slopes of the Bale massif, reaching from Dodola to Dinsho. Hagenia abyssinica and African juniper (Juniperus procera) dominate the woodlands. At the upper limit of their distribution, the juniper trees are smaller than in other parts of the park. In contrast, the Hagenia trees can grow to be massive, flowering from November to February.

St John’s wort (Hypericum revolutum) is also common in the woodlands, growing as shrubs near the lower edge and reaching a height of 5m in the upper tree line. They are easily recognizable by their bright yellow flowers, which bloom throughout the year and are the major source of nectar for the honey produced in the area. Also present is the only indigenous rose to Africa (Rosa abyssinica), which has fragrant, white flowers.

LAKE LANGANO

Following your horse trekking expedition, you will transfer by road on a 4hr drive to Lake Langano, where you can enjoy a nice hot shower and a relaxing afternoon/evening before transferring back to Addis the next day for your flight out.

This afternoon and next morning can be spent

• Birding
• Swimming in the lake
• See Colobus & Vervit Monkeys