Ethiopia.. Land of Mystery
January 13 to 25, 2022
Led by Local Ethiopian Guide

Ethiopia is culturally one of the richest countries in Africa and home to some remarkable architectural gems. A journey on the Historic Route provides a glimpse of life from the past that is still relevant. It is a country where religion plays a prominent role and the celebration of holy days is a way of life. Ethiopia is truly a land of contrasts and extremes, a land of remote and wild places. Here you will find the jaggedly carved Simien Mountains (one of the 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites visited on this tour aside from Axum, Lalibela and Tiya). You will marvel walking amidst the exquisitely carved rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. It is a land in which ancient historical traditions and rituals have been preserved. One of these ceremonies is Timket, or the feast of the Epiphany, arguably the most colorful festival in Africa. Come along as an observer at this remarkable event marked by processions and chanting and find yourself transported back in time. Travel throughout northern Ethiopia to Gondar in the foothills of the Simien Mountains; to Bahir Dar and Lake Tana the source of the Blue Nile; to Axum the “home” of the Ark of the Covenant and to Lalibela to explore the famous churches carved out of rock.  Come and Experience Ethiopia!

Optional Extension to the Omo Valley (January 26 to February 03, 2022)

OR to our Horn of Africa…Eritrea, Djibouti & Somaliland tour ( January 25 to February 09, 2022) 

Trip Grade:
III Challenging - Parts of the trip are physically challenging, involving hiking on rough terrain or in sand or at high altitudes. There may be very long drives on rough roads; weather conditions with high heat or humidity, presence of insects. You may have simple picnic lunches, primitive bathroom facilities along the road and remoteness from modern towns or cities.

Lodging Level:
**  Simple: Comfortable yet on the Spartan side, usually small but usually with private facilities. Some stays in private homes or small inns that may lack western style amenities. Few of such smaller hotels may have unexpected poor services (3 stars)

***  Superior - Lodges and hotels with additional amenities, refined service and comfort level acceptable to western standards. (3 or 4 stars) in the main cities.

Important Special Trip Notes:
This is a poor country and the tourism infrastructure is lacking in many areas. Elevations could constitute problems for people with breathing difficulties (Addis is at 7000 ft. while the Simien Mountains can reach 11,000 ft). For this reason, participants MUST be in good physical health and able to walk for a couple of hours at a time, climb moderate inclines and walk over uneven terrain, so as not to cause delay or missing sites for the whole group. You should be aware that some of the accommodations are very basic.  While considered to be primitive by western standards, all hotels are at least clean and suitable for our kind of adventure. We use the best available in each visited town. Some of the drives are very long on dusty, gravel and dirt roads. Patience, team spirit, a sense of adventure and flexibility are required to enjoy this tour. At festival times, hotels can occasionally oversell and force us to make last minute changes. Airlines may cancel or change the flight schedule and impact the route we planned. While we always endeavor to avoid such situations, new tickets may have to be purchased. Please be aware that, if additional expenses are incurred due to situations beyond the control of Spiekermann Travel, all travelers will be asked to cover their own extra costs.  By joining this tour, you fully accept the conditions explained above and agree to abide by a spirit of adventure and flexibility throughout the tour.