DAY 1
L, D included
Meeting at Addis Ababa airport in the morning, we transfer to our comfortable and welcoming modern 4-star hotel for some rest before lunch. Acclimatisation in Addis involves adjusting to altitude, a different calendar and even a different daily clock! In the afternoon we briefly visit the highlights of the National Archaeological Museum, including the three and half million year old skeleton of ‘Lucy’, pre-Aksumite exhibits and an exotic collection of Royal crowns, robes and thrones. We move on to the excellent Ethnographical Museum, housed in Haile Selassie’s former summer palace. We view the royal bedchamber and bathrooms and, time permitting, end our afternoon with a visit to Holy Trinity Cathedral to see the massive mausoleums Haile Selassie had constructed for himself and his wife.
DAY 2
B, L, D included
This morning we travel south towards the Ethiopian Rift Valley. We head first for the crater lakes of Bishoftu where we spend a couple of hours walking on the shore of Lake Hora, discovering the remarkable natural heritage of the country, with more endemic species of birds and plants than anywhere else on the African continent. We are looking out for Marabou stork, fish eagle, reed cormorant, pied kingfisher, hammerkop, African pygmy goose and black-winged lovebird. After lunch overlooking Bishoftu Crater Lake, we drive further south into the Oromia region to Lake Koka. Here we take a stroll amongst fields with crops in areas which will be flooded once the rains come. We return to Addis in the early evening.
DAY 3
B, L, D included
We depart from Addis on a morning flight to Bahir Dar and check into our stylish 4-star lodge, beautifully situated on the shores of Lake Tana. After lunch, we board our private boat and cross Lake Tana to the Zeghie peninsula. Flocks of white pelicans fish in the lake, as do the local people, who still use alarmingly insubstantial-looking papyrus reed boats. On landing, we walk along a footpath through the wild coffee trees for which the peninsula is famous. We visit the beautiful 16th century circular church of Ura Kidane Mihret with magnificent wall murals and the grass-roofed Azuwa Maryam.
DAY 4
B, L, D included
This morning, we drive a rough dirt road for our walk to the Blue Nile Falls, beginning at a 17th century Portuguese bridge. A hydro-electric plant upstream means that water levels are now much reduced, but, nevertheless, this is a beautiful walk through the expansive African landscape. Our walk ends with a short ferry ride across the Blue Nile, before we drive back to Bahir Dar for a late lunch. The remainder of the afternoon is free to enjoy a complimentary massage or swim in the lodge pool.
DAY 5
B, L, D included
A full day of driving (300 km, approximately 6 hours of driving, plus stops) takes us away from Lake Tana through beautiful rural landscape, where we see people threshing grain or carrying their produce to market. An hour after leaving Gondar, we can take a short walk around Kossoye viewpoint, which provides magnificent views of the Simien Mountain range and the lower ridges and valleys. The Simien Mountains National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) presents some of Africa’s most dramatic topography, with jagged peaks soaring to 4,550 metres, including Ras Dashen, Ethiopia’s highest point, precipitous gorges and a series of alternating plains and escarpments stretching north to Eritrea. Our new and comfortable eco-lodge is set at 3,260 m on the edge of the escarpment with superb views.
DAY 6
B, L, D included
This morning, accompanied by a National Park game scout, we set off from the lodge in search of the endemic Gelada (‘bleeding heart’) monkeys on their cliff-face roosts. Our walk takes us across a zone of Afro-Alpine flora, including the fragrant Abyssinian Rose, hypericum trees, everlastings, dianthus and tree heathers, and we meander across meadows and grasslands surrounded by fantastic crags and pinnacles of eroded basalt. The views are stupendous and we keep a lookout for klipspringers, the endemic thick-billed raven or lammergeyer and augur buzzard cruising overhead. We have a simple picnic in the shade of the heather trees before continuing our journey on foot. A thirty-minute drive brings us back to our lodge in time to enjoy some free time before dinner.
DAY 7
B, L, D included
This morning begins with a 45 minutes’ drive into the heart of the National Park. For 1.5 hours we walk along an easy path pausing frequently to take in more of the magnificent views and to watch the plentiful Geladas. Our walk ends at the spectacular 500 metre Jinbar waterfall. We then drive 45 mins to Chenek camp (3,600 m), where the mountain escarpments converge and the views extend into infinity. After a picnic lunch on a dramatic outcrop, we can walk further out to the viewpoints to photograph the impressive Giant Lobelias. This is also the best area in the National Park for wildlife - particularly for the chance of spotting Menelik’s bushbuck, golden-backed jackal and the endangered and elusive Walia Ibex.
DAY 8
B, L, D included
Leaving the high mountains, we drive 3 hours south back to Gondar, the new capital founded by Emperor Fasiladas in 1636. Fertile land surrounded the capital and supplies of gold, ivory and slaves passing through en route to the Red Sea, Sudan and Egypt ensured the prosperity of the new city. Just before reaching the town, we stop at the Ploughshare Project, which helps local women in difficult circumstances. After lunch, we visit the 16th and 17th century castles of the imperial compound, several of which are in good condition. We then visit the mural embellished church of Debre Berhan Selassie, which was reputedly saved from destruction by the Mahdist Dervishes through the intervention of a swarm of bees. The afternoon concludes at Emperor Fasiladas Baths, an important religious site, especially for the Timkat (Epiphany) ceremonies. Our comfortable hotel enjoys a spectacular location.
DAY 9
B, L, D included
A mid-morning flight takes us to the remote and barren Lasta mountains, which conceal Ethiopia’s ‘New Jerusalem’: the rock hewn churches reputedly built by the devout King Lalibela of the Zagwhe dynasty in the late 12th century. These extraordinary monoliths are cut into deep trenches in the basaltic scoria and were described by the 16th century Portuguese writer, Alvares, as ‘edifices, the like of which – and so many – cannot be found anywhere else in the world’. As a place of pilgrimage and of continuous worship for the best part of a millennium, these churches remain at the spiritual heart of Ethiopia. After checking in to our new 3-star hotel (each room has a balcony overlooking the valley below), we spend the remainder of the day visiting the churches of the northwest cluster, close to the town centre. We may be fortunate enough to observe a colourful religious service, accompanied by drumming and chanting.
DAY 10
B, L, D included
This morning a ninety-minute drive through a patchwork of golden barley fields, thorn trees and wattle and daub huts takes us to the foot of the unusual cave church of Yemrehanna Kristos. Completing the journey on foot, we approach an unprepossessing brick wall which hides the exceptionally carved and decorated church and its enormous cave. We return to Lalibela for lunch at an award-winning restaurant and conclude the afternoon by visiting the south east cluster of churches. Carved out of soft red volcanic tufa, these churches are connected by an incredible series of labyrinthine passageways and tunnels.
DAY 11
B, L, D included
A morning flight delivers us to Axum, at first glance merely a small market town, but possessed of a glorious past. From 200 BC to 700 AD it was the seat of an Empire, which traded with Arabia, India and China, had its own alphabet and notational system and constructed great engineering works. We see the famous stelae, the largest single pieces of stone erected anywhere in the world, and the so-called Queen of Sheba’s Baths. We also visit the Mariam Tsion Church, which Ethiopian Orthodox Christians believe contains the Ark of the Covenant. There will also be some free time to discover one or two excellent shops selling traditional and antique silver, unusual baskets and woven natural fabrics, and that most colourful of Ethiopian souvenirs: the ceremonial umbrella.
DAY 12
B, L, D included
We begin with a pleasant 1 hour walk through the countryside with magnificent scenery, our path bordered by gigantic Euphorbia Candelabrum. We then visit the 6th century tombs of King Kaleb and his son before beginning our drive to the Gheralta Mountains in N.E. Tigray. Shortly after passing through Adua, scene of Ethiopia’s defeat of the Italians in 1896, we come to Yeha, once a powerful city in the pre-axumite Da’mit civilisation. The 2,900-year-old temple is the oldest existing building in Ethiopia and the adjoining monumental building is still being excavated. The remaining 3.5-hour drive takes us through the dramatic Adua mountains up to a pass at 3,000 m. We arrive at our special lodge just before sunset over the Gheralta range. The lodge is Italian owned, with authentic Italian style – and meals!
DAY 13
B, L, D included
A half hour drive brings us into the heart of the imposing Tigrayan mountain scenery. Against a backdrop of red sandstone rock pillars, we spend the morning walking along local trails through farmland dotted with palm trees or strolling through fields where we may spot Abyssinian Ground Hornbill or glossy starling. We return to our lodge for lunch and in the afternoon drive to visit the remote Medhane Alem Adi Kasho, one of the oldest and finest of the rock cut churches for which the region is famous. We return to our lodge in time to enjoy sunset over an aperitif.
DAY 14
B, L, D included
Our final full day begins with a drive to Abreha we Atsbeha. This large hilltop rock cut church has a beautifully carved roof and colourful nineteenth century murals. We complete our drive to Mekele in time for an afternoon flight to Addis Ababa. We return to our 4-star hotel, where we celebrate our fascinating cultural and historical journey through Ethiopia at a farewell dinner.
DAY 15
B included
A morning airport transfer concludes your holiday.