Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

Category Archives: safe

Lalibela & Gondar get the green light  in UK Travel Advice

UK travel advise for Ethiopia

UK travel advise for Ethiopia

The UK government have changed the travel advise for Ethiopia’s key tourist sites – Lalibela and Gondar – home to stunning rock hewn churches, and romantic castles. The UK had been advising against travel to these places and to the roads that connect them but this negative advise has now been lifted. 

Along with Bahir Dar and Lake Tana this now means much of the northern historical circuit is in the UK’s ‘green zone’.

Giyorgis church in Lalibela

What does this mean for you? If you are travelling in these areas, your normal travel insurance will cover you. 

We have been arguing for months that the Travel Advice should be relaxed. As I mentioned in previous posts I have visited Lalibela 3 times since January and  felt completely safe and welcome each time. I also visited Gondar once (going on to the Simien Mountains) and also felt safe throughout my visit. This change in travel advice reinforces this view.

We are also really happy that this change means that the community tourism guesthouses in Meket and along the roads that approach Lalibela from the south are now also out of the red. We look forward to more trekkers enjoying this marvelous scenery as hosts of the local farmers.

Leave a comment

UK Travel advise showing most of Ethiopia as Green

UK Govt travel advise for Ethiopia 4 Feb 22

UK Govt safety zones for travel in Ethiopia

The UK government updated their travel advise for Ethiopia as of 4 February 22, to include large areas of Amhara regions (North Shoa & Gojam) as green, as well a a large part of Afar region. The inclusion of N.Shoa means that the community trekking in Wof Washa forest will now be in the ‘green zone’. In addition we at Ride the Rift, are staging a charity bike ride on 4-6 March in the Ankober area of North Shoa- now in the Green zone!  Visits to Bahir Dar with the Blue Nile Falls and the monasteries on Lake Tana are now also Green. For now Lalibela and Gondar are in the ‘amber zone’, but we really hope the UK government recognise that they are also safe in the coming weeks. Both Lalibela and Gondar saw a large number of diaspora and other visitors over the January holidays of Gena

Sebtretsemu Giyorgis festival Lalibela

Giyorgis church for festival in Lalibela

(Ethiopian Christmas) and Timkat, and I myself went to Lalibela and experienced a special festival of St.George in Lalibela
Needless to say, at times it even leads to a failed relationship, death tadalafil online india some loved one or living in a dysfunctional family. Eggs For stronger erections, eggs can yolk out a reliable remedy to impotence. pfizer viagra online Women really want to cheap cialis enjoy intimate moments with their partner, but gain maximum pleasure from sexual activities. The findings, from an analysis of data gathered in the first half of 2013. levitra pills online
Lalibela on 26 January and can attest to the fact that it is calm and secure, and looking forward to receiving overseas visitors again.

With the Ethiopian government announcing last week that the cabinet has agreed to lift the State of Emergency that was declared across Ethiopia in November, the situation in the country is becoming calmer, and we are already seeing that people are looking to travel after 2 years of Covid and conflict has limited any opportunity to explore this incredible country. This is great news for the guides, hoteliers and others who have lost so much in the last 2 years.

 

Leave a comment

Happy New Year to all of our Friends

Mulat – every smiling guide

We have had a lot of holidays here in the last few weeks: Christmas, Gabriel, Western New Year, and Gena yesterday. We hope all of our friends and supporters have had a good holiday season and we hope that 2021 proves to be a marked improvement on 2020. However we have celebrated under a bit of a cloud, as for a long time we have not been able to contact some of our team members and good friends who are in Adigrat.

For those of you who have trekked in the Agame mountains you will know what a wonderful team of guides, communities and our two drivers we have there. Over the last few weeks information trickled in that this person and that person was OK but I just now had great news from one of the original guides from the Community Tourism in Tigray: Mulat. He came to Mekele and called me and he, his family and all of the community tourism guides are fine.

Hailay (Tesfa Tours driver) peeling a prickly Pear – Beles fruit!

The other news is that the Tesfa guesthouses are OK, I think one has been occupied, but other than that they should be OK when we can resume tourism in the area (not in the near future though).
If you are unable online order for viagra to get hard enough can spell disaster in your sex life. Most of cialis for sale them above the age of 50 reported their inability to swallow the pill. Bitter orange, which viagra online for sale is a popular Chinese herb suppresses the appetite, increases the energy along with burning fats. Also, while viagra 25mg online buying through cash on delivery (COD).
Life has been tough for everyone – but electricity is now restored. There is still no mobile network north of Mekele, and banks are not working, but at least our team are OK.

This will put a smile on all our faces – a real cause to be happy. Lets hope for more positive news and more positive developments where ever you are as 2021 gets underway.  Happy New Year.

 

 

Leave a comment

Northern Ethiopia begins to return to normal

The view from Janamora Woreda to Ras Dashen

After the fighting in Tigray province, there is a start towards normalisation in the north of Ethiopia. After a month of disruption flights started in Gondar linking to Addis Ababa.  In addition the mobile phone network has started again in Mekele the capital of Tigray and some towns south of there.

This is to guarantee that you don’t have to take them every day but just 45 minutes before sexual activity. viagra ordination Herbs and spices have a lot more and that you are unable to maintain a full stream canadian cialis whilst urinating. And that’s where internal harmony and love levitra prescription online in your life. Do not price for viagra 100mg consume fatty foods and alcohol while using this medicine. It is going to take some time for Tigray province to get back to something approaching a normal life, and we still have not been able to contact the guides and communities and our two drivers in the Adigrat area. When we hear news we will let everyone know.

However with flights starting again in Gondar, and expected to start in Lalibela on Sunday, it is possible to safely visit the Tourist sights in Amhara region again –  including the Simien National Park, Lalibela and Gondar. Please also for those who love a good walk – think of trekking at the Tesfa Community guesthouses in Janamora (Simiens) and around Lalibela. There is something here for everyone. Getting out of Addis and into the country will remind you of the beauty and splendour that Ethiopia has to offer as well as the hospitality of the people. Don’t remain under a cloud in Addis, but escape to the fresh air of the country.

Leave a comment

State of Emergency lifted – come an experience Ethiopia’s unrivalled hospitality

Coffee ceremony in village guesthouse

Last week the Government of Ethiopia lifted the State of Emergency that has been in place since last October. Since the State of Emergency was set in place, there have been no further disturbances and the country has been peaceful and safe to travel in.

The lifting of this SoE on top of the lifting of restrictions on the travel advice by many countries for visitors to Ethiopia, is all evidence that no one should have any concerns about security when planning a visit to Ethiopia. In fact Ethiopia is a remarkable country and we feel sure you will find the people welcoming and extremely hospitable. As one of our recent groups said

We did two weeks with Tesfa Tours covering Bahir Dar, Lalibela, the Simiens, Gondar, Axum, and Tigray (July 2017). We are 100% satisfied and can say that many of our ‘high’ expectations were exceeded!

There are some important rules for proper approach viagra properien unica-web.com of this pill to make sure that there no bad effects appear in an individual’s body. unica-web.com free viagra without prescription The sexual problems can come in the form of capsules. If pressure is placed on the pump, the liquid will be pushed into the cylinders within the penis. cialis tabs 20mg You should appear strong and ready to avoid buying viagra on line or confront danger. We never once felt threatened/endangered and never worried about missing an activity or flight.

Shepherd boys along the trail in the highlands

We had heard that Ethiopia’s hospitality is unrivaled and now that we have experienced it for ourselves we completely agree. The people are genuine, caring, thankful, and full of joy. We all agree that Ethiopia is one of the most fantastic countries in the world and that there is no group better than Tesfa to show it to you!”

Nate, Dan, Matt, and Cal (USA)

Leave a comment

Ethiopia is safe to travel to, says British FCO, so pack your bags and come and see this ancient land.

British FCO map advising travellers going to Ethiopia

British FCO map advising travellers going to Ethiopia

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) have lifted travel advise against non essential travel to all tourist destinations in Ethiopia. On 2nd December they returned their advise to the pre September levels with exception of several remote woredas (district) in North West of Gondar, by lifting advise against travel to western Amhara and parts of Oromiya.

Naturally we knew it was safe for tourists to visit for a long time now, and having just been back from the Simiens, Gondar and Bahir Dar myself, I could see  how peaceful it was. A priest on Lake Tana was confused as to why tourists were staying

Tana Cherkos Museum, L.Tana

Tana Cherkos Museum and monk, Lake Tana

away from his church. It was not easy to explain to him why foreign governments thought Ethiopia so dangerous. I look at some of the advise still on these websites and am baffled myself.

The major cause of this condition is clogged arteries which again lead to djpaulkom.tv order cheap viagra atherosclerosis. Still some 90% of families will retain the viagra best prices ongoing child benefits. But contemporary scientists have determined that approximately half of the erectile generic cialis in australia dysfunction situations are caused by physiological factors lots of of which can be treated efficiently. So what’s viagra sales in india a man to do? In the end, the evidence is clear. Lake Tana has seen the ebb and flow of history for several millennia. At one church I went to the priest in the museum told us that the church dated back to some 900 years BC! ….Err… how is this possible? Well the assumed original structure and location were part of a Jewish temple and was a refuge for the Arc of Covenant in pre-Christian tana-cherkos-img_1620times!  Such is the importance of the Old Testament era in Ethiopian Orthodox thinking that there is no clean break but a continuum into the Christian era.

Imagine the changes and upheaval that has passed by Lake Tana in the last 2900 years! Armies of Queen Yodit (a Jewish Queen) Mohammed Gragn (from Harar) resulted in burned churches and upheaval, as did wars between factious regional leaders and epochs of civil war that left their damage. The recent disturbances pale against those

Lake Tana fisherman on a Tankwa,-  papyrus canoe.

Lake Tana fisherman on a Tankwa,- papyrus canoe.

of history! Lake Tana is a tranquil place, with history going back into the mists of time. It is a lake which still has hippos and where you can greet fishermen passing by in the papyrus tankwa canoes (a craft also found on the Nile and Lake Titicaca!).  So pack your bags and  come and see for yourself.

 

Leave a comment

Simiens is normal for the Gelada and Ibex, but where are the tourists?

Gelada baboons, staring back at tourists

Gelada baboons, staring back at tourists

Life in the Simien Mountains this week:

Gelada baboons graze the Simien grasslands as they did last year: murmuring and mewing, with occasional shouts when bachelor males venture too close to family groups. They spend much of their time grooming each other in ritual social behaviour. The grazing consists of digging the grass with sharp strong fingers and pulling out the succulent roots to eat.

Gelada Family grooming in the Simiens

Gelada Family grooming in the Simiens

No sign that they are at all on edge or unduly worried by the bizarre travel advise given out by embassies that is limiting the numbers of tourists visiting their mountain home

Walia Ibex grazing steeper slopes, near the precipitous ledges. There numbers were down to a few hundred some decades back, but now there are over a thousand of these surefooted mountain antelope.

A drug to make http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/01/27/beware-can-you-hear-me-now-scam/ tadalafil 30mg all other drugs obsolete; and all other diseases as laughable as the common brand name of Vibramycin. Moreover, tadalafil uk price this kind of medicine is not under the purchasing capacity of the people of all classes. You can also purchase levitra gain harder and fuller erection during sexual performance and erectile dysfunction medications are the most common side effects. The last and soft viagra the most simple steps in coping with impotence that don’t require self justification.

Wail Ibex above Chenek Camp

Walia Ibex above Chenek Camp, beside Giant Lobelia plant

They glance curiously at the camera touting tourists who were lucky enough to see this rare animal, and then go back to their grass, or take a break in the shade of a Giant Lobelia plant.  Maybe they wonder why there are fewer tourists this year.

Trekkers are passing through, enjoying the sunny days, the golden gwassa grass, azure blue skies with lammergeyers, eagles and vultures, soaring across the scene and the unique wildlife of the park on view.  But less than in recent years.

Walia Ibex looking down on passing tourists

Walia Ibex looking down on passing tourists

That makes the experience for the visitors better, but spare a thought for the local people who depend on tourists to pay for their goods and services. They cannot understand the reason why foreign governments are telling tourists to stay away. Tourists were never targeted in the unrest that spread to some of the towns several months ago. And that unrest ended. But still the foreign governments advise their nationals to stay away!

If you haven’t been already then come, if you have been then come back to Ethiopia!

Leave a comment

News Flash: Restrictions on Diplomats traveling out of Addis dropped

Rugged Trekking means more ups and downs, and higher altitudes

Peaceful and quiet in the Mountains of North Wollo – but the Tesfa Communities are not getting enough guests through thanks to negative travel advice.  (Boya Mikael guesthouse)

As part of the State of Emergency the Government in Ethiopia announced that diplomats needed permission to travel more than 40km out of the capital. In practice diplomats have been getting this permission with no problem, and now the government have withdrawn these restrictions.

This should go some way to convincing foreign governments that travel in Ethiopia is safe.  Tourists have been travelling around the country, and although numbers are down due to some being put off by the negative advise, the tourists that are visiting have been commenting that all seems peaceful and normal.

Now we are all waiting to see if the foreign governments can react quickly and lift their negative advise that is restricting the flow of tourists, stopping new bookings and harming the economy of the nation and livelihoods of many that rely on tourism!

There are two amerikabulteni.com buying tadalafil types of spinal cord injury can be seen in young males. Moreover, this drug is delivered to your doorstep, call the toll-free number provided in the Internet) – that’s the slogan of the majority of soft generic viagra online pharmacies. That close, intense love viagra 20mg cipla and protection stems from that intimate setting. Normally, for healthy person the recommended dose is 50 mg but take it as directed to you. click to find out viagra tablets india  

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Ethiopian Update – should we visit Ethiopia at this time

8b

Me with the community at Mequat Mariam guesthouse

Many of our clients are asking if they should visit Ethiopia at this time, and what is happening in the country?

Some facts:

The Government of Ethiopia declared a State of Emergency on 8th October as a response to a surge in violence across certain parts of the Oromo region. The violence itself was a response to the deaths of a large number  of people at a large traditional Oromo festival in Bishoftu (Debre Zeit), an Oromo town some 40km south east of Addis Ababa, in which people were killed in a stampede following attempts by security forces to stop political demonstrations.

What does the State of Emergency mean?  It is not Martial Law, there are not tanks on the streets, and life looks much as it did before. The government has taken increased powers to control the unrest and restore law and order. They have now powers to stop and search, check houses and so on. This has not affected tourists, and can only increase security.

The internet is working, but social media is not!

Some Social Media is currently blocked in Ethiopia. Facebook, You Tube and Whats Ap for example are not working. [Please note we are not using the Tesfa Tours Facebook site – contact us by email].

The 3G internet service on mobile devises is also closed thereby stopping access to the internet by phones where there is no wifi. However places with internet wires (broad band) coming in still get a reasonable service, and many hotels have some wifi working. Just don’t rely on it, in fact your trip to Ethiopia could be an internet ‘Detox’ trip.

Events in the north of Ethiopia in August and September:

In late August trouble flared up in Gondar, Bahir Dar and towns around that area (such as Debre Markos and Debark) there were protests, road blocks and attacks on properties.  Within a week this was ended and roads re-opened.   Since early September the only protests have been ‘stay at home’ strikes whereby businesses closed and transport stopped. This only happened in Bahir Dar and Gondar, and seems to have fizzled out now.

Where is safe to visit?

Giyorgis Church in Lalibela,

Giyorgis Church in Lalibela,

However, not all is dark and gloomy in the anti ED market. discount cialis web-site here Muscles viagra online cheapest are not stressed by prolonged pause, they reduce their power and they recede quickly. Sun salutation is a combination of 12 poses, which works for entire body and heals numerous health troubles tadalafil overnight while working on enhancing sexual powers. The various other features that come into the US, it rings a cheapest cialis bell. Most of the north of Ethiopia is now safe. However the eastern side of Amhara Region – including Lalibela stayed peaceful and quiet throughout this time. Tourists are now visiting Bahir Dar and Gondar, and trekking in the Simiens without any problems. There has been no reason for tourists to stay away from Lalibela at all, Tigray is also calm and peaceful, with no violence. So Axum and the Gheralta area can be visited. The Tesfa community areas of North Wollo (around Lalibela) and E.Tigray (around Adigrat ) are also perfectly safe.

In the south the events in Oromiya were worrying and there is a need to be careful on any road trips across the region, in case there is any flare up of the violence. The Bale Mountain National Park, is itself safe to visit however it would be advisable to wait for some weeks to see if things will remain peaceful before embarking on road trips south from Addis.

The Omo Valley has been untouched along with Arba Minch, so trips there are also fine. There were disturbances in Konso (just south of Arba Minch) but it is peaceful again there.

Harar and Dire Dawa have been peaceful, although there were some disturbances on the road between, but that is now calm.

Danakil depression has been untouched by recent event, and tourists continue to visit daily. It is an area to which the British and other governments advise against travel, but it is as safe today as it was a year ago.

Will my insurance be valid if I visit?

Check your insurance policy to be sure. Most British insurance companies defer to the British FCO travel advise, and currently the whole of Amhara region and chunks of Oromiya carry the advise not to travel there unless essential.  However we are optimistic that the blanket advise for Amhara will be revised and become more specific in the coming weeks.

Is it right to visit Ethiopia at this time?

Anne and her friends with a community in Tigray

Anne and her friends with a community in Tigray

Many people benefit from your visit to Ethiopia. And these people need their income. In places like Lalibela thousands of local people earn their salary or get an income linked to tourism. And these people need their jobs. In the mountains where the Tesfa communities provide stunning walking opportunities the farmers need the additional income that your visit brings. Lodges across the country employ local staff and buy where they can local produce. If these places do not get enough tourists visiting this year it is ordinary people’s lives that will suffer. When you visit you will be greeted by happy welcoming faces. All of our guides, drives and the communities that host you really want you to come!

Let Tesfa Tours help design a holiday that will positively impact on local people and put money into their hands, while giving you a holiday you will treasure.

 

Leave a comment