The UK government have changed the travel advise for Ethiopia’s key tourist sites – Lalibela and Gondar – home to stunning rock hewn churches, and romantic castles. The UK had been advising against travel to these places and to the roads that connect them but this negative advise has now been lifted.
Along with Bahir Dar and Lake Tana this now means much of the northern historical circuit is in the UK’s ‘green zone’.
What does this mean for you? If you are travelling in these areas, your normal travel insurance will cover you.
We have been arguing for months that the Travel Advice should be relaxed. As I mentioned in previous posts I have visited Lalibela 3 times since January and felt completely safe and welcome each time. I also visited Gondar once (going on to the Simien Mountains) and also felt safe throughout my visit. This change in travel advice reinforces this view.
We are also really happy that this change means that the community tourism guesthouses in Meket and along the roads that approach Lalibela from the south are now also out of the red. We look forward to more trekkers enjoying this marvelous scenery as hosts of the local farmers.