4 independent reviews for Ethiopia tours
Reviews for Ethiopia tours
Milla review 15 Jan 2020
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Joining the pilgrims on their 4+ hours of hiking to a monastery atop a mountain on Christmas morning. Locals were so friendly and encouraging.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Try to attend one of the religious festivals throughout the year.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Hotels, restaurants and shops were all locally-owned and run. Cafés and souvenir shops were mostly micro-businesses operated by women, which made me even happier to stop for delicious coffee/postcard.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This was my first time traveling with company, and I was throughly impressed by the organisation and itinerary. I'm giving 4 stars because the accommodation often lacked hot water and one hotel was particularly awful. Otherwise, very good. And Ethiopia was more than I could have hoped for.Lisa Valencia Svensson review 10 Nov 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The gorgeous scenery/ landscapes, and also the extensive knowledge of our guide Maleku. It was like being in a very customized course covering multiple very interesting topics!2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Ethiopia is not fully set up for Western tourism yet, so be aware that the facilities might not all meet your usual expectations.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It definitely benefitted all the local businesses whose hotels, restaurants and transportation services we used. The minivan provided water for us to refill our own bottles, which was very good, but the hotels did still provided plastic water bottles in the room, and sometimes I still had to make use of those, just because of the logistics of the day.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The trip was so wonderful specifically because of our fantastic guide Maleku. Without him it would have still been very nice, but it would have been much more routine and lacking in “soul” and true “insider knowledge.” I felt like a friend had introduced me to their country. Maleku expertly assessed our group’s needs, interests and abilities, and then suggested improvements to the schedule that made more sense given weather/ actual travel times/ other factors, and then went with what worked best for everyone. He was also patient and informative with logistical details and any of our specific requests and needs. He answered all our questions and had a great sense of humour. He shared his extensive knowledge about the flora, fauna, history, politics, religion, geography, etc of Ethiopia and the region with us, and I learned so so much. He organized optional activities for us for our free times that weren’t included in the itinerary but which were very welcome additions. He also provided options for some scheduled activities so that depending on our level of interest or ability we could each choose to do either the more involved or the less involved option. He also offered to, and then did, give up three hours of what would have otherwise been his free time to show me around the Lalibela churches. This was because I had missed the Lalibela rock churches day of the tour due to a minor health issue. I appreciated this greatly. I would say do not lose this guide, I only hope to always have guides like him on every guided tour I ever take in the future!Claudia Flisi review 4 May 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Sitting among hundreds of geladas in the Simien Mountains. Walking in those lovely mountains was also great. The castles of Gondar were gorgeous. Well- designed itinerary but be prepared for a few long days of travel.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Bring close-toed sandals. Walking boots for the hikes. Walking sticks for the longer hikes. I didn't take malaria pills and did not see mosquitos because we were at altitude. But others WERE bit by mosquitos so precautions should be taken. Don't change a lot of money at first. Meals can be very inexpensive, especially if you don't drink alcohol.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We didn't encounter many locals except at the hotels. An option of a cooking class would have been appreciated.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Our guide was excellent and professional, albeit a little jaded. He wanted our group to eat together at least one meal a day, but not everyone was inclined to cooperate. The bus was spacious and comfortable, but the operator should provide at least a bottle of water for each person each day and a refrigerator in the bus. I have never been on a vacation like this where the TO neglected to provide a minimum of water. Also, the operator brought us to two locations, Gondar and Aksum where NO tours were included. But in effect we all wound up paying extra for the tours offered as an "option". That is a cheap nickel-and-diming exercise; these two basic tours should be included, and if you want to raise your base price accordingly, you should do so.Patricia Ruble review 10 Apr 2019
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Gondor, Aksum, and Lalibela were simply wonderful. Lalibela has often been called the 8th Wonder of the World and I would believe it.2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
For me it was a more physically strenuous trip than I thought - there is a lot of hiking up and down hills.. I also took a side trip to Harar and I thought it was definitely a great add-on.3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I bought a Life Straw this year and it definitely reduces the amount of bottled water you need to buy. We always used local guides, had our meals outside of the hotel, and bought gifts etc. at the markets or local shops.4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
It was a great trip and I enjoyed Ethiopia very much.Holiday Reviews
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