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Pro
The churches' paintings are wonderful
Con
Not a big place
In a nutshell
A nice place to spend a day or two to unwind.
Elisabcn Says: The construction of this residential complex on the hills, at 4km north west of the city, is attributed to Queen Mentwab. Some texts say that the widow empress (her husband was murdered by his enemies) decided to build this castle to escape from the court’s intrigues and...
Elisabcn Says: This is a nice excursion at only few kilometres from the city centre. Fasiladas baths consist in a small pavilion surrounded by a huge swimming pool. This small oasis, encircled by a fortified wall with beautiful shady junipers (picture 4), was the relaxing place of the...
THE LAST STOP BEFORE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS
Elisabcn Says: If you are coming from the south of the country, Gonder is the last important stop before Simien Mountains. In the bus station you will find direct buses that go to Debark, (departure by 6.00am) the Simiens’ headquarter town. I have read on some guidebooks (and you will have...
Elisabcn Says: This church is a real wonder and if you visit Ethiopia you cannot miss it. Built at the end of the 18th century on the top of a hill, it is famous for its stunning pictures that decorate the inside walls. Like all the buildings that I visited in Gonder, this church is...
Elisabcn Says: Churches and monasteries hide ancient paintings created with a style that came from Byzantium and has not changed since then. The designs remind the parishioners the truth of their faith. The colour is as important as the shape having both the purpose to catch the observer’s...
Elisabcn Says: The religious architecture in Ethiopia is unique with a strong personality. Ethiopian Orthodox churches follow the same patterns since the 16th century. In the South of the country they have circular, hexagonal or octagonal shape which reflects the native building tradition...
Elisabcn Says: With its four egg-domed towers, this is the most imposing monument and also the oldest one. You can see the shape of its quadrangular tower, nowadays decorated with the Ethiopian flag, even before entering the site. This castle was built by king Fasiladas to be used as...
PARADISE RESTAURANT: OUTDOOR WOW!
DAO Says: During the day I thought this was a rich person’s house. One night I noticed the bonfire (pictured) and all the lights in a nice Garden. Welcome to the Paradise Restaurant. I stopped in during their first night! Wow! They were in the process of filling a large fountain in...
INJERA - SERVED IN ALL RESTAURANTS
DAO Says: Injera is the basic ingredient of any Ethiopian meal. It looks like a large spongy pancake and some of the sizes produced are huge. It is usually laid down in a large circular tray and sauces, meat and/or vegetables are poured right in the middle. Then you use you right hand...
Elisabcn Says: Apart from some local pubs of questionable reputation that I did not visit, there is not much nightlife in Gonder. But sunsets are always beautiful anywhere and Fogera Hotel has a nice terrace to enjoy them. After a whole day doing the tourist, a good book and beer was a...
flynboxes Says: Like every other major tourist town in Ethiopia this one has an Ethiopian Airlines office. They take cash only as I found out but no big deal. Was planning to drive to Lalibela from here but after we found out the roads were being worked on and the trip would take longer...
DAO Says: The easiest and quickest way to get here is by domestic flights with Ethiopian Airlines. Gonder has 1 flight a day and can connect you to Addis Ababa and the other northern historical cities of Lalibela, Axum and Bahr Dar. You can fly return or one-way for just a little over...
GIFT SHOP IN THE ROYAL ENCLOSURE NO. 2
DAO Says: There are 2 ‘gift shops’ inside the Royal Enclosure. Pictured is the entrance to the second gift shop. This place has more art type objects and ladies accessories & handbags. It’s the more up-scale of the 2. Prices are high by Ethiopian standards, but you can haggle. They...
GIFT SHOP IN THE ROYAL ENCLOSURE NO.1
DAO Says: There are 2 ‘gift shops’ inside the Royal Enclosure. Pictured is the entrance to the first that is more like a mini indoor market. They seemed to have a lot of basic sculptures and crafts in mass quantities. This should aid you in haggling down the price. They are a little...
DO NOT PUT YOUR NAPKIN ON THE PLATE!
DAO Says: After you have finished your meal you may, out of habit, place your napkin on your plate. Do not do it here! If there is any food left, the restaurant will give this to poor people after they close. If you put the napkin on it – they won’t. It is a really hard habit to...
Over60 Says: Gondar is full of unemployed adolescents and young men who want to be your guide, shine your shoes, or be your friend for the day. A walk through town thus brings an unending and extremely annoying series of "Hey Misters." Some of the would be guides are very persistent. Two...
boltonian Says: We were approached by a 'friend' of our taxi driver.He said he had a Dutch couple ready to go on a half day tour to the Simien Mountains and they wanted us to go to split the cost. 200 Birr each.We said yes.We met up with the guy, and he had some bad news. The Dutch couple...
DAO Says: Gonder has VERY limited shopping opportunities outside of some cold drinks and souvenirs. On top of that there is a 100% import tax on all goods from outside Ethiopia. Lalibela gets most of its goods overland from Addis Ababa, increasing the price. Finding women’s hygiene...
DAO Says: Whoever invinted football (soccer) was a genius. It only has a few rules and all you need is a ball. No goal, no grass, just about anywhere will do. These boys were playing on a small patch of ground just outside the entrance to the Royal Enclosure. They actually where quite...
DAO Says: Dashen beer is made just on the edge of town and people are, deservedly so, proud of it. I never tried a Dashen until I got here. Every restaurant I ate had had some refreshingly cold Dashen for me. It’s a good beer and you can’t beat the price. Expect to pay 20-40 US cents...
Plan a Gonder vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Gonder locals
There are 2 ‘gift shops’ inside the Royal Enclosure. Pictured is the entrance to the first that is more like a mini indoor market. They seemed to have a lot of...
Q: I can't find anything regarding address, phone etc on the Internet. Can you help me to the adress/phone/fax/email numbers...
A: i am trying to find address of capra walia Inn hotel in Gonder for you.soon i am so sure you will get what you want until then i wish you good luke.here is my e-mail...
Read 4 Replies
1
Gondar is attractive because of its churches and castles. Gondar became the residence of emperor Fasilades and his successors and capital of the country, starting in 1636, for the next 200 years. The...
2
Sorry, couldn't help the rhyme :-)) But indeed Gonder is a wonderful city, one of the main in Ethiopia and has a lot of highlights and things to see. The main attraction is possible the MEDIEVAL...
3
Welcome to Gonder, the one-time centre of the Ethiopia Empire and the only indigenous castle built in Africa. Emperor Fasiladas reigned from 1632-1667 and started the castle building. He, the castle...
4
One of the things that I liked most of Ethiopia is the diversity of sites and sceneries that the country has to offer. After getting lost in the narrow streets of the Muslim Harar and some relaxing...
5
Gondar, the former capital of Ethiopia is a charming small city with a lot of places to stay, some good eateries and bars. The guides here are not so annoying like in other places, same like the kids....
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