Mysterious hidden Monastery

Bethlehem church – timber & stone roof

The mysterious Bethlehem monastery is gearing up to welcome the first tourists. This monastery was reportedly built in the fourth century following the construction of Mariam Sion church in Axum. It is built in the ancient way with blocks of stone for the floor and walls and then a wooden roof, but what makes this church even more intriguing is that it is hidden by typical round wall with a corrugated roof, and so from outside looks like most other churches, although it is anything but!

Flagstone marking entrance to basement chambers

Even more mysterious is that the monks claim that the Ark of Covenant is kept
beneath the church. They recount the tale of an Italian version of Indiana Jones who some 80 years ago determined to explore the chambers beneath the church. Apparently he came up having experienced an explosion he assumed to be volcanic, left the church and died within a day. The priests sealed the access stone and no one has been back down since.
This monastery is one of the key learning places – a church university for priests who want to study the scriptures and music of St. Yared, and there is a residential compound attached to the church.
We are now able to arrange for guests to stay at Bethlehem, either in a guesthouse or in tents, which will fit perfectly onto a trip between the Tesfa community guesthouses in neighbouring Meket (just south of Lalibela), and Gondar or Bahir Dar.

Travel to Ethiopia gets easier

Bole Airport in Addis

With Omicron replacing the Delta variant across the world the threat of COVID 19 has diminished. Although cases may have increased and transmission is rapid, immunity and much lower mortality and hospitalisation seem to follow. Official statistics for Ethiopia show that deaths of people with COVID and active cases have all but disappeared now. In Addis Ababa, where previous spikes in mortality were visible as funeral tents went up along the roads, life has settled down to something approaching normal.
In terms of travel, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute has now revised the directive with the result that travellers do not need to have a negative PCR test if they are vaccinated against COVID (all the mainstream western and Chinese vaccines – all double doses – except J&J, valid two weeks after vaccination) and can provide evidence (one presumes a certificate with the correct stamp on it).
This means the end for most travellers of expensive PCR tests and the worry about having travel plans cancelled due to a positive test.

E-Visas being processed

Add to this that the online visa applications are being processed speedily now – but do use the correct government website .  Make sure you are using the one ending .gov.et.   You will need the address of your first night in a hotel, and a digital passport photo less than 2MB best as JPEG format. And same size/ format for a copy of the info page of your passport.  If you do not hear back from them in 72 hours please contact us – they may need a nudge to get it done.

Simien Mnt Lodge

National Park Re-opened

The Simien National Park, which was closed during the conflict, is now open for business and Simien Mountain Lodge, which recently was renovated, is serving clients again. Through most of the last 24 months they have kept their staff on the payroll and remain a beacon of light for tourism in the area. Too many tourism professionals have suffered, while others have looked for alternative income streams that have taken them away from the sector. That this lodge remained open has given some of these people hope that tourism will return.

World class attractions

Giyorgis church – Rock-hewn in Lalibela

Now that fighting across the region has stopped, the State of Emergency ended, and flight services resumed, the first trickle of visitors is returning to some of the attractions in the region: Lake Tana with its secluded monasteries; Lalibela with its labyrinth of rock-hewn churches connected by passageways and tunnels; Gondar with its romantic castles, baths and an extra ordinary church, and the Simien Mountain National Park with its high mountains, vertical escarpments and unique flora and fauna. Three of these are UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the fourth, Lake Tana, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and all are amazing places to visit.

Mescha guesthouse, Wof Washa forest

Community Tourism

Tesfa Community Treks are also getting going again, as a steady stream of hikers has made their way to the guesthouses in Wof Washa Forest (near Ankober) and to the mountains around Lalibela to explore these stunning areas and experience the lives of the local farmers. Here the local host communities, after two years with virtually no guests, are thrilled to receive visitors again.  Treks can be from 2 nights upwards, and we can do several nights at one guesthouse for those wanting more time with the communities. More details on our website.

Book your trip soon!

I urge you to look at visiting Ethiopia soon. These remarkable places are quiet and peaceful. You can enjoy them without the crowds that were coming in 2019, and in the process help the guides, and other tourism professionals and service givers who are really struggling.  Contact us here or email us on info@tesfatours.com