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To give security information I (Mark) have prepared a page on the security situation. (https://www.tesfatours.com/security-for-tourism-in-ethiopia/). Sadly the travel advice given out by different governments for Ethiopia often does not reflected the current situation and reality on the ground. Generally speaking Ethiopia is a safe country in which to travel. Unlike in many parts of the world (Egypt and Kenya for example), tourists have not been targeted (with the exception of many years back in the Danakil depression). Although Ethiopia has suffered many disputes, protests and internal conflicts since 2016, the biggest risk in travel was inconvenience (not being able to follow the itinerary as planned). I (Mark) travel out to different part of the country and reviews the security situation in worrying places. In late Jan 2022, soon after the Tigrayan conflict moved out of Amhara Region, I travelled to Bahir Dar, and drove to Meket and Lalibela. And again in May I travelled to Gondar, the Simiens and back to Lalibela. In March & May 2023 I have travelled through Tigray region, visiting the main tourism sites as well as the community tourism guesthouses. And through 2024, I have continued to travel to different parts of the country. My principle is that I would not send clients somewhere I wouldn't take my family. I am happy to talk through the security issues for the part of the country where you would like to travel.
Visa on arrival restarted in Nov 23 and is available at Bole Airport for most nationalities - check the information on the government website (https://www.evisa.gov.et/information/touristOnArrivalVisa) Visa- on-line is also available :- https://www.evisa.gov.et/. but the system has had some glitches with visas not coming through. A one month visa cost is $80, payable in USD, GBP & Euro in cash. A 3 month visa is also available for $200 USD
Many people consider the very best time to do a travel in the northern highlands is October after our main rainy season. The rainy season is full on from mid July through till mid Sept. It is a veritable monsoon, and caused by the same climatic conditions that create the Asian monsoon. It is not that travel is impossible at that time, however we do close down most of the trekking sites as the ground gets muddy, and we get heavy rain most days, although not all day. Through September the rains ease off, and the scenery is very green with yellow Meskal daisies and fields of grain emerald crops across the landscape. By October the skies are mostly blue and the air becomes very dry. As we head into November the green fields start to turn golden and by mid November harvest will have started in many places. It’s later as you go higher in altitude, for example in the Simien mountains. Late November and December is a great time to see harvesting activities: people harvest the grain by hand with a sickle gathering it into bushel and carrying it from the field to flat cleared their houses where they will thrash and win the crop bundles of dried hay are stored as fodder for the livestock harvesting is generally finished by mid January, and this is the high time for festivals (See below) . During the months February to May, there can be occasional rain. We call this season Belge Rains. The rain is rarely a reason not to be able to visit but it is not as dry as the period from October to January. The main rainy season starts in mid June in Addis Ababa but as you travel north, it starts later. It’s main impact begins in July. In some areas such as Tigray, the rain is much less and we can continue our community treks. You would expect blue skies in the morning and rain showers coming on later in the afternoon by which time you would often be in a guest house.
The most famous of these is the Timkat celebration. This festival celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John on the river Jordan, however it covers three days. The first day is the eve of Timkat and Tabots (replicas of Moses’ tablets of stone wrapped up in brocaded cloth carried on the head of a high priest under a brocaded umbrella) are processed out with great joy and celebration going from the church to a special site for the festival. Hundreds of people follow the Tabot from their church with dancing, singing and drumbeats. Icons are carried as well as the Tabots. The big ceremony takes place on the morning of Timkat, with mass, and a blessing of water which is then sprayed or splashed to the worshippers who also looked to collect this holy water to take home. All of the Tabots - except that of Mikael then paraded back to the church in a similar joyful style. The next day is St. Mikael‘s day and is also known as Kana Zegelila commemorates the wedding festival at Connor. Around mid morning the Mikael Tabots. This is a very special day and often thousands will be following this tablet and in many places traditional horse racing known as Gooks takes place. Other big celebrations in January include orthodox Christmas which is mostly on 7 January and a number of other big days, some of which are special in particular regions. Easter is a great time to visit too: orthodox Good Friday (Sekelet), sees special celebrations in Lalibela. And on Easter Saturday night across the country orthodox Christians attend churches through the night to mark the end of the fasting and the start of Easter Sunday. In the week that follows there are often celebrations across the countryside
In other parts of the country, the pattern is a little bit different. In the Danakil one of the hottest places on the planet the coolest months are from November to March. This is the recommended time to visit but the shoulder months of October and April May are also possible. In the Omo Valley there are 2 rainy seasons in April-June and October. This means it is a good time to visit in July through to September. In the Bale mountains there is a small rain from April-June, which is still a good time to visit as there are flowers and much of the rain will be in the evening. The heavier rains run from July-October. For trekking it is best to visit after from mid October until March.
In the Ethiopian Orthodox Church around half of the year is fasting time - this is excelent news for vegans and vegetarians as on those days the food is vegan - no dairy, no meat and fish is only optional for some. There are 2 big fasting seasons - the 44 days leading up to Orthodox Christmas (7 January)and the Lenten fast which usually begins in February the fasting usually starts and it lasts for 55 days in the run-up to orthodox Easter (usually a later date from Western Easter). For much of the year Wednesdays and Fridays are fasting days too ( just not in the weeks that follow Easter), and people will understand if you tell them you want fasting food!
Ethiopia is experiencing the effects of global warming and climatic patterns are changing. We get rains at unpredicted times of the year and could see dry periods when we anticipate rain. So far the effects of climate change on the Highlands have been to mean higher annual rainfall. However, low lying arid areas have faced increasingly dry conditions.
If your binoculars are of these magnifications : 7 x 50; 8 x 32 - 8 x 56; 10 x 25 - 10 x 56; 12 x 30 & 12 x 42 we will need a permit. Any higher magnification is not allowed, any lower is allowed without a permit. Several years ago, during the conflict, a state of emergency was imposed, and as part of that a whole list of equipment was listed as not allowed to be carried into the country (and around the country). The relevant ones for tourism are binoculars, hand held GPS devises (watches do not seem to be an issue), drones, telescopes, and compasses! If any of these is a critical part of your trip we can try to obtain permission for you to bring them, but this is a time consuming and challenging process. We may need to make a charge for this too.
Yes you can. The UK-FCDO has 3 status levels - Green - see our travel advice before traveling; Orange- advise against all but essential travel; Red - Adviser against all travel. If the area is green then there is no problem on your travel insurance. But if orange or red, it may mean your insurance doesn't cover you. Often we find this very frustrating as these areas may not pose any risk (several of our team were in Tigray in late Apr23 - for a week of hiking and visiting tourist sites, and there was not security risk despite the whole region being red!). You can however get travel insurance for a reasonable price to cover travel to such places as this article explains: https://www.forbes.com/uk/advisor/travel-insurance/can-i-get-insurance-if-i-travel-against-fcdo-advice/. And here is one example of an insurance you could look at: https://highriskvoyager.com/
There are currently no COVID linked requirements and no talk of any coming inot force. Ethiopia was hit by COVID just as most countries have, although the impact in terms of deaths was not been what it is in many countries. Nevertheless the virus spread through the whole country. You may still see a few people wearing masks. Since late Oct 22 the regulations from the public health institute we reduce to requirements to get tested if you have symptoms, and to wear a mask or isolate if you have COVID. There is no longer to show a vaccination certificate or test result on arrival in Ethiopia. Check Ethiopian Airlines website for up to date information.
The easiest and quickest way to get to around Ethiopia from Addis Ababa is to fly. Ethiopian Airlines currently connects 20 cities across Ethiopia. Many flights leave Addis early in the morning, and return early in the afternoon. Not all routes offer a daily service though. Tesfa Tours can assist by reserving and booking flights. However keep in mid that flying is burning carbon, so look to do some routes by road. See Ethiopian Airlines local flight network: https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/pl/book/network/domestic
Instead of relying on local buses it is a good idea to use a tour vehicle to take you around. Tesfa Tours can arrange this for trips to Meket from Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar and the Simiens. Or heading south from Addis to the Rift Valley, Bale Mountains and/or Omo Valley. Sometimes we hire from our local partners to avoid vehicles travelling big distances, or if the journey originates in Addis, Tesfa Tours has a fleet of landcruisers & minibuses and we are able arrange pick up at Addis Ababa airport, a tour of Addis itself and trips out of Addis. Travelling in your personal vehicle means you can stop for photos, food and drink and you will be able to maximise your visit time, reducing journey time, but if you are 1 or 2 people it will increase costs. Self drive rental is not something that is recommended (driving challenges, lack of signs, communication, refueling etc ate all problems) and few companies will do it for tourists.
Those with more time and who want to see more of the surrounding countryside may chose to do all or some parts of their journey by road. The roads are improving, and as well as local buses which ply all major roads in Ethiopia and vary from uncomfortable to hellish, there are faster moe comfortable intercity buses. But the current security situation makes traveling on buses through Amhara Region and some parts of Oromia unsafe. When things become safer the intercity buses provide a better option for the environment!
It is a good idea to bring good boots. The going can be rocky and there are times of year when you might encounter rain. If you hike in the mountains (Simiens, Bale, Abuna Yoseph) it can also be very cold. However the most important thing is that you do not wear brand new boots for a hike that are not broken in as blisters are the worst outcome. Also do not wear old boots that are likely to fall apart. Some people like trainers and trail running shoes but these wont give ankle support and protection from knocks on rocks. But they are lighter and cooler.
Remember although this is Africa the latitude makes a lot of places cooler. Addis Ababa, Lalibela, Axum, Gondar and many other places are over 2,000m and can be cool (and wet). While lower altitude places (Hawassa, Arba Minch and Bahir Dar will feel more tropical). So you will need a mix of clothing with layers that can be put on or taken off. For trekking we recommend wearing walking trousers (ones with zip off legs can be useful). Good socks to go in the boots are important. A collared trekking short sleeve shirt keeps the sun off more of the neck. Do bring a fleece/jacket/top for cold evenings, and a rain/wind jacket for showers. Remember the sun is harsh at altitude so have a sun hat. At higher camps a wooly hat, thermals and gloves can be nice!
It's easy & cheap to buy a SIM card - worth Ethio Telecom and Safaricom have booths once you have gone through customs at the airport. They both use the same network. Ethio Telecom is the state company that had a monopoly until Safaricom entered the market in 2022.
It comes and goes, some places have good reception others none. There are little 'hacks' to get it working like toggling between 2 & 3G setting to make the 3G restart, or switching on and off airplane mode.
On the community treks this is not essential as the communities provide beds with mattresses, sheets and blankets. However, if you want to feel snug and cosy there is no harm in bringing one along. The higher places can be cold at night. However if on a trek in the Simiens or Bale Mountains you will need a good sleeping bag. For camping and homestay tours its a very good idea.
Unfortunately not. We suggest bringing enough spare batteries, power banks and/or a solar charger.
No. On Tesfa Treks donkeys provided – they can carry a maximum of 40kgs. So one donkey per two guests means they can carry a 20kg bag. Please use soft - holdall style bags for the donkeys. On treks in the national parks there will also be pack animals.
I have just taken a small group of pupils (aged 17) from a London inner city school for a 3 day 2 night trek in Tigray with Tesfa Tours and I can honestly say it was an incredible experience for them and up there in the best 3 things I have ever done. The organisation of the tour was flawless, the guide exceptional and the scenery was nothing short of spectacular!
Today Thursday 21 November is St Mikael’s day here in Ethiopia – Hedar (the month) Mikael. It’s one of numerous big saints days where the holy tabot is paraded out. But for this day there is a tradition to burn rubbish and that the smoke will take the evil away. For more details see this […]
The UK FCDO travel advice has just been changed to show all the core areas of Tigray (away from disputed territories and boundaries) as green. At Tesfa Tours we have been sending clients there to trek at community-owned guesthouses and see the wonders of the ancient city of Axum and there hidden rock churches of […]