Top Ethiopia hotels
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Was told by the locals that Ethiopians have this paranoid presumption that exposing themselves to the wind in a moving bus will make them susceptible to bad luck, spirit possession, ill health etc.So don't attempt to open the windows unless you want to have your knuckles rapped, fingers jammed, and eyeballed at throughout your journey.It wasn't that bad when i was traveling the historical route as it was in the cool highlands. Just a wee bit stuffy...
Buses in Ethiopia are regulated and the drivers are not allowed to run after dark, around 7-8pm and don't be surprised if you get dumped, along with other passengers, in a god-forsaken town with no decent accommodation...It happened to me, on my way from Addis Ababa to Bahar Dar, which would be a 10-11hr journey. We started in the morning, but due to several delays along the way, we ended up at 2hrs behind time. The driver pulled over at Dangala (a stopover town) and I put up in a bug-infested room for ETB12.And even though the driver said the bus will leave at 4am, i woke up at 4am only to find that i'm the only waiting in the freezing cold. The other passengers appeared 1.5hrs later... and the bus resumed its journey at 6am.If you don't want this to happen, it'd be prudent to break up your journey to more manageable distances... at least you know the town/city you'll be putting up in.
I love Ethiopian Airlines!I flew domestic from Gonder to Lalibela and to Axum then to Addis Ababa.Service was pretty good, no food on short flights but you can request for a snack or drink and they'll be very happy to provide.Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's oldest and most established airline, known for its great service and in-flight entertainment on its 767s.Bangkok, Beijing, Washington DC are just some of its international destinations...P.S. For the misinformed or uninitiated: YES YOU DO GET FOOD ON BOARD! AND ETHIOPIA IS NOT ALL ABOUT FAMINE!!!
Tip #1: Bring along your earplugs. They might come in handy...Tip #2: Bring along cologne/eau de toilette. They might come in handy...Tip #3: Bring along your sense of humour. It WILL come in handy...
If you plan to stay in Turmi for days, do make sure the driver stock up the spare diesel and keep full wherever available.I have rented the car for 9 days (USD 100 incl driver/guide and fuel). Due to shortage of diesel, I couldn't alter my program in Turmi. I was annoyed with the driver for not advising me in advance.
While I recommend Ethiopian Air for those trying to squeeze a lot of travel in a short period of time, I do have some advice.Ordinarily I book my flights online. However, after great difficulty in booking in-country flights with a popular booking site, I called the airlines' 800 number in the US with no success. (The computer was always down - a problemthat plagued them when I visited their Ethiopian offices as well.)I finally decided to recruit a travel agent to book these tickets & rid myself of unecessary frustration.Two things worth remembering about Ethiopian Air when travelling in-country:ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS confirm your flights. I don't mean confirm before you leave home or confirm all your flights when you arrive in-country. I mean confirm the afternoon before a morning flight or the morning before an afternoon flight. I had a flight out of Bahir Dar cancelled suddenly after I'd...
I was asked "how to travel in Ethiopia"... I thought I should share the general parts of the response I made:I'm planning to go back to Ethiopia myself also - maybe autumn 05 or early 2006. Will do it the following way: go with one or two friends with whom I have travelled before, will connect with people and places I have visited before and use these as staging posts and make short visits and excursions, and a longish, expedition style transect of the upper Rift Valley (Danakil) and hire jeep for part of the way (expensive, but sometimes the only way) and camel and guide through the desert.The most commonly visited places in Ethiopia are accessible by bus (or even train) - see guidebooks for this info. Planes take you to some places of interest. But the absolutely best way of travelling is by a good 4x4 jeep - hired. You will need a driver to go with it. It costs a good 120 USD up per...
Probably most people travel at least once by bus, which is an experience by it self. Busses always leave early in the morning sometimes as early as 5 am. There are no busses driving through the night. The luggage is stored on the roof and somebody will ask to get paid for the service of carrying it up there. Tickets are usually cheap!For some reason the Ethiopians are paranoiac in closing the windows. `Immediately after the bus departs all windows are closed and fellow passengers will be very reluctant to open them. Even if half the passengers are graphically suffering from motion sickness, merely cracking open your window will cause pandemonium in the rows behind you! And do you want to know why? Health. Health! Its beyond me why a nation that cheerfully tolerates pissing and ***ting in the middle of the streets should be terrified of a bit of fresh air, but that’s Ethiopia!(Bradt Guidt...
Hitchhiking is an option but not easy because not too many people speak English and often you need someone to translate. But guess what: This guy might realise the situation and become a brocker and will ask for a commission for his service.Truckers employed by the government owned companies are not allowed to take passengers. If they do and they will be stopped by the police they risk getting fined (40 Birr).
To travel in Ethiopia means to travel with a lot of time, except you will use Ethiopian Airways. It’s the oldest African Airline and they have a good network that covers all the main place of interest. Tickets are not expensive and the safety standards are good. Overbooking is not uncommon, better check twice instead of relying on your ticket.
Sheraton Addis Addis Ababa
10 Reviews and 164 Opinions While I didn't stay here, I called in to view the grounds and hotel. Impressive place, with bars,...
Mountain View Hotel Lalibela
74 Opinions
Kuriftu Resort and Spa Bahir Dar
42 Opinions
Reviews and photos of Ethiopia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Ethiopia sightseeing.
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Q: Hello, I am going to Ethiopia February 8th till 27th. I am going for a friend's wedding at the start of the trip, then free to...
A: Hi, im unfortunately not going for a while yet but when I had thought I was going to travel around I found that Ethiopian airlines internal prices were pretty good - have...
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