Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

Category Archives: Tours

Melkam Addis Amet / Happy New Year

Yadey Abeba -Meskal Daisy - Field in Gurage

Yadey Abeba – Meskal Daisy

We wish all or friends, family, supporters and partners Melkam Addis Amet: Happy New Year. Today – as the thirteenth month (Pagume) ends we say goodbye to 2015 and welcome in 2016 in the Ethiopian Calendar.

In this past year (2015), known as a Lukas year, (there is one for each of the four evangelists) the thirteenth month has an extra 6th day in it  (today) – a leap month pushing the New Year date in the western calendar to tomorrow – 12 September. 

The western and Ethiopian calendars will be ‘out of sync’ until the leap day at the end of February.  So known dates like Timkat usually the 19th January will be on the 20th January in the coming year (a Yohannes Year). But Gena (Ethiopian Christmas) is even more

Tesfa Agenda

complicated. So probably the moment to get your hands on a Tesfa Calendar or Agenda/diary. 

The Tesfa Calendar and Agenda are available with all the Ethiopian dates set into the western calendar so you can see what is coming

Tesfa Agenda pages

up. Weaving the many saints days, annual festivals, fasting periods, Islamic holidays and various curiosities, and even the full moon dates has been a labour of love for 17 years now! Conscious of the environment for the 3rd year, we are printing this on recycled paper.  It is available from Tesfa Tours and in some other locations in town. Contact us on calendars@tesfatours.com to get your copy, or call our office 011 124 5178 / 092 349 0495.

We pray that 2016 will be a peaceful and happy year for Ethiopia!

 

 

 

 

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Boya Guesthouse is repaired

Boya Community Guesthouse

Boya Community Guesthouse

Olivia Chapman visits Boya – one of the Tesfa Community owned Guesthouses near Lalibela (all photos taken by Olivia)

“I had the pleasure of visiting Tesfa Tour’s community owned guesthouse in Boya at the end of February this year and despite the structural destruction there is still a sort of magic about the place. The guesthouse was badly impacted by the conflict, with the Tigrayan army using the guesthouse as a base. Once the army left, they attempted to burn the remaining structures and took many materials with them. The community, managed to put out the fires before it was completely destroyed. Since then the community have been unable to make any money of the guesthouse, with tourism at an all time low and inadequate

Damaged kitchen/dining tukul

Damaged kitchen/dining tukul 

structures to hold the few tourist who visited.

However, the community have since received funding from a small and local NGO; Zegoch le Zegoch (ZlZ) who have focused on a new approach to aid in areas that have been affected by conflict. ZlZ’s irsho approach places communities at the centre of the emergency response, seeing them as capable of drive their own development. In line with this, ZlZ have granted the community in Boya 130,000 ETB (around $2,450USD) for reconstruction. The community have already started to fix the site and prepare for tourists to

Children in Boya home

Children in their home 

come again, estimating to be ready within a month or so. With the news that tourists were returning back to Ethiopia and business was picking up, the community members faces brightened.

The community invited us into their houses and offered us so much even though they have so little. This group is the perfect example of resilience, demonstrated by the continued loving approach despite the devastating impact the war had on them and

Raw honey & ambasha bread

Ethiopian hospitality -Raw honey & ambasha bread

their families. They are excited and ready to meet you with the warmest hospitality, as soon as the site is ready and up and running. Get ready to experience the real Ethiopia.”

We since received a call from the community to tell us that all is fixed and they are eagerly waiting for guests.

 

Farmer shaping wood for the doors and windows

Farmer shaping wood for the doors and windows

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Support for the Tesfa guesthouses in North Wollo / Recovery in Tigray

Community guesthouse at Boya, some damage

Community guesthouse at Boya, some damage

Dear friends

It has been a long time since I wrote last. In the meantime tourism has really begun to get going, and thankfully the peace in Tigray has taken root.

The peace treaty that was signed on 2nd of November in Pretoria, South Africa, has been implemented gradually over the last few months. The result is that military forces from Eritrea and Amhara region have withdrawn to border areas, Federal forces have returned to camp, Tigrayan forces have handed their heavy weapons to Federal forces and a large number seem to have been demobilised. Supplies have been getting through by road to the region, flight services to Mekele and Shire have been expanded, telecom and banking is being gradually restored across the Region.

View Enaf Community Guesthouse - Tigray

View from Enaf Community Guesthouse Tigray – as it was before the conflict

Life has been extremely hard for people living in Tigray but at least with the fighting ended it has improved. There is limited economic opportunity for people living there and it is still hard for people to make any living.  I am planning to go to visit our community guesthouses in Tigray, as soon as I can get a return flight in, to meet with the people there and our guides in the nearby towns, as well as see what remains of the structures and materials. After the trip I will see how much needs doing and start looking to find ways to support the repair work in Tigray.

In the meantime we are trying to repair the guesthouses in the area around Lalibela that got damaged in the fighting. We have started with a guesthouse at Boya -next to a lovely old church called Boya Mikael. The TPLF used this site for a camp for a time during the conflict and they took off the thatched grass from the roofs. Some doors and windows also were taken although the community managed to hide a lot of materials in the local church.  They have now repaired the roofs on their own, but still need help with doors, windows and some other materials for hosting guests.

In discussion with Taga Mariam community

A wonderful local NGO called Citizen to Citizen (Zegoch le Zegoch – ZlZ) has been working in areas where the conflict has caused damage and hardship for local communities providing seed money to help get them back and working. They meet with communities and get them to make a proposal – including what they will contribute in return for the grant. At Boya they have agreed to provide 130,000 birr (around $2,450 USD or £2,050 GBP). Tesfa Tours needs to raise this money for ZlZ in order that they can go on and fund other Tesfa communities that have similar problems with damage to guesthouses and lunch stops.

ZlZ (website under development is here) have really helped local people recover from the conflict (see the case studies on the site). They also have an Ethiopian Bank Account that can receive transfers from abroad – details of which I can share too. For more details please contact me on What’sApp – +251 921602236 or email-  mark@tesfatours.com.

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Melkam Addis Amet / Happy New Year

Waterfall in North Shoa on the Ride the Rift trip

Waterfall in North Shoa on the Ride the Rift trip

ለአዲሱ ዓመት እንኳን በሰላም አደረሳችሁ።

Yesterday (Sunday 11 Sep) Ethiopia entered into 2015. The Kremt – rainy season is still drenching the capital and much of the north of the country with its monsoon rains. Much of the highlands is is now green, rivers are running in torrents, with waterfalls impressive everywhere, and the ubiquitous yellow Meskal Daisy adding a splash of yellow to the landscape. Over the coming weeks the rains should begin to peter out and by early October, Ethiopian skies should be blue, and sunshine will turn the emerald fields of crops to gold as harvest time approaches in November. This is the time to travel in Ethiopia!

We at Tesfa Tours wish all our friends, clients, partners, team members, and all Ethiopians. everywhere a healthy, happy and peaceful 2015.

By the way you can follow the dates and holidays in 2015 with the Tesfa calendar or diary/agenda – out now

and remember our Ride the Rift Meskal trip to the green Gurage highlands is approaching. Sign up soon.

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Tesfa Calendars ready

Its a labour of love: producing these calendars that are a synthesis of the Ethiopian Calendar with its 13 months starting on 11th September, and the western calendar with its 12 months. Woven into this are a multitude of Saints Days and cultural holidays, other special days in the Orthodox church including fasting periods, as well as the main Islamic holidays and some curiosities. I have even added the full moon dates. It has allowed me to learn a lot about the unique and intriguing Ethiopian Orthodox church .

Printed on recycled paper, hang it up in your office or kitchen. Use it to plan trips, learn when your neighbourhood church celebrates its annual day, or just covert Ethiopian dates to western ones. This is an essential key to life in Ethiopia.

At the same time the photographs show case the community guesthouses and treks that Tesfa have set up with local communities around the country. Proceeds go to support these communities. Copies are available for 400 birr from the Tesfa Tours Office at Kebena and several places in town.  The Agenda version will be out later this week.  Email calendars@tesfatours.com for more information

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‘Je m’appelle Demissie!’

Revisiting Lalibela and the North

Sebtretsemu Giyorgis festival Lalibela

Giyorgis church for festival in Lalibela

As I head back to Addis after four days travelling in Amhara region, I’m struck by how normal things are, yet Ethiopia is far from normal as we get caught up in processions to celebrate the Ascension of St Mary. It is the wonderful abnormalities that make Ethiopia so fascinating and beautiful.

In four days I’ve visited remote monasteries to be told that in actual fact the Ark of Covenant lies beneath its ancient stone floor, and carries a fearsome power that killed the only person who attempted to uncover it; I’ve seen the sacred

Giyorgis Tabot camps out near Yadukulay Guesthouse

tabots, the holy heart of the church, camping out in fields surrounded by brocaded umbrellas and chanting; we’ve been generously hosted in people’s houses with plates of enjara, spicy sauces, curds, local beer etc, I’ve visited people who have endured the horrors of war and yet emerged smiling and happy to have foreign guests.

As we drove in and out from Lalibela numerous times this week, we became well known at the checkpoints and were always ushered through with a broad smile, but I will remember one soldier most: each time we passed he called out: “Bonjour. Ça va?” And today he greeted us with: “Je m’appelle Demisie”.

Community guesthouse at Boya, some damage

Community guesthouse at Boya, some damage


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Wherever you go Ethiopia is full of surprises which give you many reasons to smile, and remind me why I love this country so much.

The big news from this recce trip is that the communities in Meket and the neighbouring areas are eager to host tourists again. Yes they have faced hardships, and many guesthouses have had materials looted by TPLF or damaged, but they were so happy to see me after this time. I was greeted with

Villagers from Wajela guesthouse want tourists back

hugs and smiles.

The community trekking guides in Lalibela are also desperate for work and want to start as soon as they can.

We have repairs to do and purchases to make to get the guesthouses up to standard and to help those communities that suffered the most. If you would like to contribute please get in touch with me.

But please also help to get the business started again. I can promise you or your friends an amazing adventure in Ethiopia.

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Melkam Timkat

Worshippers holding tapers on Jan Meda for Timkat

Worshippers on Jan Meda for Timkat

 

 

Huge overhead flag on Addis Ababa street

Flags decorate the roads that the Tabots will be processed along

Timkat is one of the most important festivals in the Ethiopian Orthodox church, celebrating the baptism of Jesus in the Rive Jordan. On the days leading up to Timkat, Addis Ababa is decked out with colourful flags and other decorations to make the routes that the sacred Tabots will travel on as beautiful as possible.  Roads are swept and drains cleared. Today (Tuesday) the eve of Timkat the tabots are processed out of the churches across the country to the special grounds where the baptismal ceremony will be staged on the day.
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Replica on St Georges church from Lalibela in Addis for Timkat

A replica on Bete Giyorgis church of Lalibela on a roundabout in Addis

This year I have seen remarkable edifices erected – such as the replica of Bete Giyorgis – the famous rockhewn church of Lalibela on roundabouts where the Tabots will pass.

Church music & flags for Timkat on Jan Meda

Church music & flags for Timkat on Jan Meda

But most moving is the many thousands of people that go to the special Timkat grounds across the capital and indeed across the country. Holding ‘twafs’ (tapers) they pray and hold vigil near the tabots. There is a serenity and beauty the I really love in these places and even the presence of a foreigner like me with his bike was welcomed by all.
I and the team at Tesfa Tours, wish everyone a wonderful Timkat holiday – Enkwanaderasachu!

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Keep informed about Ethiopia -Subscribe to our newsletter

A gorge in North Shoa

Ethiopia – Gorgeous !

Sign up to receive our updates on the situation in Ethiopia and how tourism is coming back. I will also be keeping you updated on the situation of our guesthouses and the communities who own them.

It should go without saying that your contact details will only be used by Tesfa Tours, we will not inundate you with too many updates, and you will always have the option to unsubscribe should you want to.

 

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Great-Ethiopian Homecoming

Mountain bike in sunset

Outdoor fun in Ethiopia

Following the call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopian all over the world to join the Great Ethiopian Homecoming Challenge, Tesfa Tours has been working with our partner Tour Companies under the banner of Ride the Rift to develop some exciting tours and offer them at a discounted rate to diaspora.

Ride the Rift Special Diaspora Tours

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We invite you to look at our trips and come and see some of these exiting places with us. Between us we have a huge experience across this beautiful country and would love help you see more.

 

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Tesfa Ethiopian Calendar 2014 (EC) ready

Tesfa Tours Calendar

 

 

 

 

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Tesfa Tours Calendar

 

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