When To Go
Ethiopia has a warm but wet climate year round with some variation due to the topography. With much of the country at 2,000 metres above sea level the highlands are pleasant for most of the year. The short rainy season arrives in early spring followed by a heavier rainy season June – September.
The dry winter months are sunny and warm. Average day time temperatures are around 20-25 degrees although it is cooler at night.
What To Do
Our holidays in Ethiopia use private 4x4 vehicles and guides, allowing us to plan your trips according to your specific interests and requirements. This is particularly important as there is such a variety of options, from boat rides and trekking to cultural tours. We also include short internal flights for certain journeys as the terrain in the north of the country is rough and the roads can be bumpy. This saves a lot of time.
The Simien Mountains National Park is home to some beautiful mountains which offer some of the finest scenery in Africa. With their dramatic cliffs and epic peaks all around the views will truly take your breath away. The peaks form the northern part of the Great Rift Valley range that runs all the way down the eastern side of Africa.. It is so beautiful and of such natural significance that it has been given protected status with an UNESCO World Heritage award. It is also home to the incredibly rare Ethiopian Wolf.
Lalibela is one of the most famous places to visit in Ethiopia. It is home to ancient monolithic churches hewn out of solid rock and decorated elaborately. Set down within the rock itself, often below ground level, the mind boggles as to just how these unique places of worship were actually created in the 13th century. Like Aksum it is one of Ethiopia most holy cities and is said to have been created to mirror Jerusalem.
Aksum/Axu is the believed by the Ethiopian Christian Church to be the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. It is also another of Ethiopia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites due to the importance of its historical sites. It was the capital of the region from 400BC to 1000AD and is famous for its stelae or obelisks which are 1700 years old. The Tississat Falls are the source of the Blue Nile.
Gondar was once the former capital of Ethiopia and is an important historical centre. It is home to a series of truly amazing medieval castles and ancient artefacts with a great historical museum where you can learn in depth about Ethiopia’s fascinating history. Omo Valley is home to various Ethiopian tribes, some living the same hunter-gatherer and pastoralist lifestyles as they have for millennium. Its possible to visit these trips, although visits should be restricted so as not to impinge on their lives.
Why We Love
Our director Robert led the first group tour to Ethiopia after the end of the Ethiopia-Eritrea war in the early 1990's. Even then, despite the raw scars, it was a country he fell in love with and is still one of his favourite countries in the World. Its people, its landscapes, its amazing attractions make it unique.
"We ate eggs and potato for two weeks, all the churches were infested with fleas and the roads so badly damaged we had to fly everywhere in a small 18 seater plane. We landed on mud strips in a field once and when landing on the tarmac strips had to dodge bomb craters. Despite it all, the people were so lovely, the sites so breath-taking and the scenery so spectacular, we all had an unforgettable trip."
Ethiopia is still a poor country but tourism is an essential part of the economy that is beginning to improve slowly and steadily. As a tourist destination Ethiopia is famous for its ancient temples, castles and ruined churches as well as the beautiful landscapes of the Ethiopian Highlands. There is an abundance of wildlife for safaris as well as trekking and adventure holidays. The landscape varies massively across Ethiopia. Although many of us remember pictures of the desert from the terrible droughts that have afflicted this country, surprisingly most of the country is actually green and lush hill country at over 2000 metres above sea level and well watered by the rivers coming down from the volcanic highlands.
The lack of tourists and the stunning landscapes make this a perfect destination for a safari with a difference. There are over 200 species of mammals and over 800 species of birds making this a nature lovers paradise. The landscape is incredibly diverse with the high mountain ranges, lush forests, typical African savannahs, enormous lakes, rivers and deserts and this means there is a huge variety of wildlife on offer. The rare Ethiopian Wolf is one of the animals that most visitors are keen to see but be warned – they are rare and elusive!
