Most Inspirational Moment
We were there for the Timkat departure. I would seriously recommend taking this departure if you can, as the festival was a wonderful experience to be a part of, and there seemed to be parades and festivals everywhere we went - for example we also got caught up in the St. Georges day parade in Lalibela, and came across plenty of other related festivities. The moment when hundreds of young men jump into the Facilides pool in Gondar at the conclusion of the festival for the ritual baptism was a real highlight of all my travelling, not just this trip. It is difficult to imagine the trip without Timkat as this was such an integral party of the experience, so if you are considering this trip, try and do that one.
I was also very pleased to have spent some time with the Geladas in the Simiem mountains. I'm not sure how lucky we were to come across them, as they move while they graze, so you only have about 15 minutes before they're all gone, but it was great to see them. The Simiems themselves are beautiful - I am seriously considering the Simien Trekking holiday as a result.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Gebre was excellent. He has been leading Exodus tours for many years, and was clearly very experienced, knowledgeable and very patient with some of the more challenging members of the group. The trip ran like clockwork and we didn't need to really worry or think about anything. Gebre worked tirelessly for us every day and was a great tour leader who clearly enjoys his job.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I was very surprised at how good the hotels were. Many are resort style hotels, intended for tourists, and government owned I think (part of the Ghion chain). The downside was that there were often other European tour groups there, rather than Ethiopians, so you were a little removed from Ethiopian life, but there were certainly no issues with them, and there was generally wifi, hot water, bars and souvenir shops. They were a mixture of being close to town or a little out of the way, depending on where we were. The "Basic" hotel in Debark, near the Simiens, was actually perfectly good, and probably my personal favourite as they had a nice bar on the street, frequented by locals, and from what I recall, good food in the restaurant.
Every child in Ethiopia seems to have been told that foreigners won't give them money and that begging is bad. Consequently, they all want pens. If you bring a suitcase full, they won't last an hour. The ubiquitous "hello pen" ... became a constant companion everywhere we went, but this was more endearing than irritating, and the Ethiopian adults generally won't let them get out of hand, delivering sharp rebukes to any groups of over eager children.
We had been warned about pick pockets and things like that, but none of us really had a problem. It made you initially suspect people who were overly friendly, but don't let this cloud your behavior and most people are just very friendly, and basic precautions will most likely be all you need to be concerned with. Certainly, the towns and cities are very safe, generally.
Beer is readily available - costing between 12 birr (the cheapest I found in a local bar) up to 25 birr in the upscale hotels. It comes in half pint bottles and you can get it anywhere. St. George was the best I think, although there were other options.
I changed all the money I thought I'd need at the Ghion hotel in Addis, which offered a good rate I think - about 30 to the £. changing money elsewhere was not that easy, so I would suggest changing it up at the start. I managed with about £400 worth for the 2 weeks, which included quite a lot of beer and some souvenirs. Meals were generally about 100 birr, but with additional courses, anything up to 200, and you pay for most lunches and dinners. Most souvenir shops will quote in dollars too, so I carried some extra for that.
Lalibela is the place for souvenirs - there are loads of cheap shops in town, and opposite the hotel, and some of the stuff is quite good. There is a Tej bar in Lalibela (honey wine). This is surprisingly hard to get hold of otherwise - I tried - but Gebre took us to a nice local place on the final evening to try some. Talla is a locally fermented "beer" - it tastes like scrumpy that has gone off, but is ridiculously cheap.
I took a good pair of walking boots for the Simiens and around Lalibela. You will need shoes with a good grip, but good trainers or walking shoes will be fine I think. There is some walking on uneven ground, so if you use poles, bring them with you if you think you might need them. The optional walk in Lalibela is worth doing - although I opted not to use the Mules due to some not unfounded concerns about animal welfare. Check that your mule is healthy and fit before you get on it, please, as some looked very scrawny and others, not particularly healthy at all. The walk was actually very enjoyable too, so if you like your walking, you can always avoid the painful thighs that everyone else seemed to suffer from the previous day and take the views in from foot.
Take some sweets or snacks for the bus journeys, as they can be long, and there may be quite a gap between breakfast and lunch on some days. You won't really have access to any luggage while on the bus, as it will be on the roof, and during the day, only what you carry in your rucksack, so pack accordingly. A head torch would prove useful in some of the darker churches.
if people ask to have their photo taken, they may be expecting some "photo money" money - but they won't mention this until after you've taken their picture. 10 birr was usually fine, or 5 for the kids. If you're happy with this, then you may get some great pictures, but obviously, think before you take the picture and whether you want to pay for it. Not everyone is like this, however, but do ask first as many Ethiopians are not used to having their photo taken and, women in particular, not comfortable at all with it. Exercise discretion, essentially.
