Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

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Ethiopian Pilgrims celebrate Christmas in Lalibela

Gena ceremony in Lalibela

Gena ceremony in Lalibela

It was very special this year as Ethiopian Pilgrims celebrated Gena -Ethiopian Christmas-  in Lalibela, a town which was taken by the TPF several times in recent months. Lalibela is the most holy place to celebrate Gena in all of Ethiopia, the new Jerusalem, built by the Saint King Lalibela at the end of the 12th century as an alternative for Ethiopians from making the dangerous journey to Jerusalem for Christmas. Each year thousands of pilgrims walk across country to celebrate Gena in a special ceremony above the churches

https://www.africanews.com/2022/01/07/after-fights-pilgrims-return-to-ethiopian-world-heritage-site-lalibela/

Rufael & Gabriel churches in Lalibela

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Lalibela, with its labyrinth of churches hewn out of the bedrock in the 12th century, has become the flagship of Ethiopian Tourism, and is often described as the 8th wonder of the world. 

We hope that this celebration at the beginning of 2022 will be the beginning of Tourism restarting in Ethiopia. Near to Lalibela, in the mountains a little to the south are a series of community owned guest houses were tourists have been trekking in the beautiful countryside for the last 10 years or more. I will be able to find out in the coming days when we can restart this community trekking.

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Passing Gondar, Wild Wheelchair expedition to the Simiens 2019

Atse Tewedros, Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855-1868, is remembered in Gondar central square.

Atse Tewedros statue, Piazza, Gondar

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Did you spot Tesfa Trek in Selamta Magazine ?

This was in the May/June issue – but you can read it at your leisure on line (go to page 54) on the link below. Journalist, Terry Adby, who trekked many of the Tesfa trails in the mountains, describes the experience trekking and staying with communities across the Ethiopian highlands.

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https://issuu.com/selamtamagazine/docs/selamta_mj19_issuu

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Tesfa treks ‘are one of the best’ – in the Rough Guides

Tesfa treks are down in Rough Guides as ‘one of the best 7 walking trips you’ve never heard of!

Recognising the off the beaten trail nature of the Tesfa treks,  the Rough Guides have us – check it out

See the various community treks that are possible with Tesfa Tours in Ethiopia . – in Wollo near Lalibela, in Tigray’s Agame mountains, in the Simiens south of the National Park, and on the Rift Valley escarpment near Ankober in the Wof Washa forest
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In August there are celebrations in the countryside

Tigray offers great walking with wonderful views, even in the rainy season.

Yesterday was the 1st of the Ethiopian month of Nehassy – 1.12.10 in the Ethiopian calendar (7.8.18 for much of the rest of the world) and it signals the beginning of the final fast of the year – Filseta – a 3 week fast which commemorates the ascension of the Virgin Mary to heaven.

This is a really lovely time to be trekking in the mountains of Tigray. There is much less rain and more sun there than in Addis. The soil being sandy does not turn to mud, and there are colourful celebrations – Buhe and Ashenda to enjoy.  You can also enjoy the prickly pear fruit – Beles, which is in full season now.

Stick Dancing in Meket

Buhe is celebrated throughout Orthodox parts of Ethiopia on 19th August and commemorates the transfiguration of Jesus on mount (Debre) Tabor.

 

Young boys go around the neighbourhood singing outside homes in return the families will give them specially baked ‘ Buhe’ bread. People light bonfires with chibo – bundles of dried sticks and sing the Hoya Hoya song.
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Ashenda- girls singing in traditional dress

Ashenda is celebrated in certain parts northern Ethiopia (especially Tigray and Agaw areas) at the end of the Filseta fasting on or around 22nd August. Beautifully dressed girls with special hairstyles, and maybe skirts made from the grass that gives the festival its name traditionally gather to sing songs and play drums, with a few young men watching over them to be sure they are safe. You will also see them in Addis and will be expected to make a small donation.

 

So why not escape the cold and wet of Addis and soak up some sun and enjoy the local culture on a community trek?

 

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Wof Washa – A Land of Milk & Honey … and much more.

View from of Rift Valley edge near Gosh Meda

Wof Washa (meaning Bird Cave) forest blankets over 6,000 ha of the Rift Valley escarpment with natural forest. A mere 130km north east from Addis Ababa this forest extends from Ankober, seat of Menelik former palace, towards Debre Sina. At the highest levels (around 3,500 meters above seas level) the forest consists of Afro alpine vegetation of Giant Lobelia and Giant Heather trees (Erica arboreal). As you go lower increasingly there are massive Juniper, African Olive and Podocarpus trees. Some of these trees are over 500

Podocarpus & African Olive trees among the giant trees in the forest

years old. I have never seen such large Olive trees. There are many other species too, but I’m no expert. I saw Hagenia (Kosso) and the yellow flowered Hypericum in the forest but there was much I didn’t recognise.

With the changing altitude was a variety wildlife. Above the escarpment was Guassa grassland with little rodents scuttling into burrows before us and large troops of Geladas. Reliable reports indicate that Ethiopian wolves can be seen here too best seen early morning and late afternoon. Fortunately at one such location: Gosh Meda ( Buffalo grassland – but no Buffalo’s left these days!),

Gosh Meda guesthouse near the top of the Rift Valley escarpment

SUNARMA have supported the local villagers to build guest houses. The views from the escarpment here at an altitude approaching 3,600 m are stunning. But the wind and altitude can combine to make it very cold. None the less this is a great place to see the Afro Alpine flora and fauna with out having to travel far from Addis. The great raptors such as the Lammergeyer patrol the escarpments on thermals in search of rodents or Hyrax (which look like overgrown guinea pigs) large troops of Gelada graze on the grasses, and if you are lucky you could see an Ethiopian wolf.

Hagenia Abyssinica & Giant Juniper trees in the upper forest

There is a good path down from here past the villages developed spring water source (a great place to top up water bottles) into the forest. As you drop down in altitude Juniper and other relatively lower altitude trees appear. In addition to the trees you will notice a myriad of different coloured flowers, butterflies and birds. Anyone with an interest in plants will be fascinated and be scrabbling for their notebooks. The regular rain with the varied altitude make this one of the best places to see flowers and different plants.

In terms of mammals, in my few days I’ saw Geladas

Mescha guesthouse nestled into the forest edge

and Colobus, heard Hamadras baboon, saw trees moved most likely by Grivet monkeys, seen prints of leopards, heard hyenas, seen tree hyrax, seen excrement we were told was from what is either a Cerval or Civet (both are present), heard and seen Menelik’s bushbuck and seen porcupine quills. Wow!

The walk to the bottom of the forest ends in Mescha. Surely one of the most scenic places you can imagine. Jagged forested peaks ring Mescha on three sides. Low level fields were full of crops of barley and a kind of

The vale of Mescha on the lower edge of the forest

broad bean called bakela. Water gurgles by in streams. Another quite different village guesthouse awaits. It’s a place you never want to leave.

The name Mescha comes from an event in 1701 (Ethiopian calendar) during a famine. After praying Mana came down from heaven to feed the hungry population around the historical church of Mescha Mariam. This led to the naming of the area as Mescha meaning ‘comes down’ as the Mana did in the time of Moses.

Next morning I was woken up with the serenade of the

Kniphofia Foliosa – Red Hot Pokers – found throughout the forest in clearings

Colobus (Guraza as they are called in Ethiopia) a kind of rumbling roaring that is unexpected if you never heard it before. Shortly after we went on a forest walk south from the guesthouse with the hugely knowledgable camp manager. The highlight was seeing a number of scarlet winged, White-cheeked Turacos.

After breakfast we walked west around the valley to see the Thursday market in Mescha village. We walked through carpets of red hot pokers in the clearing and through attractive farmland. Milk production is very successful in this area, with all year round green fields,

Farmhouse near Mescha

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The market at Mescha, just below Wof Washa forest

superb cup of coffee before continuing on our way.

The trek to Lik Marifya took about 4h30minutes, and went through lovely scenery, mostly following the contours around the edge of the forest and the higher agricultural land. One of my companions went off in search of honey and came back with delicious unprocessed honey as scraped out of a traditional hive. Honey is one of the important forest products that is sold locally. But much of it is used for making tej, a local honey wine (mead). Also on the trail we stopped to watch a pair of Verreaux Eagles being attacked by crows. As the afternoon wore on we climbed up a steep

Cutting hay and the view back towards Mescha

pass to get to the Lik Marifya valley. The views each way from the top were stunning, as was the descent into a forest of giant Olive trees. The biggest I had ever seen. Again the guesthouse is set on the forest edge with views out to the agricultural land below the forest and into the densely forested slopes adjacent to the lodge. We had spent the whole day on the go, and arrived shortly before sunset.

Next morning we went off down the valley to the Falasha monastery. The Falasha are an ancient Jewish people who have lived in Ethiopia since time

Forest of African Olive on slopes above Lik Marefya

immemorial. However there are very few left now as since the 1980’s Israel has ‘repatriated’ them to live in Israel. This community have however refused to leave. Intrigued, I set off down the dirt road spotting Colobus monkeys and White-cheeked Turacos along the way. After about an hour’s walk we came to the grinding mill owned by the Falasha. It was given by donation and they had just received a new mill the day before from the latest donor. We were received into the main compound and into a building – a 2 story mud and wood building, very simple and spartan inside. We

The forest & valley in early morning – Lik Marefya

discussed with two strong but older men from the ‘monastery’ one who was their leader. The most curious point was that they said they were Orthodox Christians and believed in Jesus. They claimed to have converted many centuries before, but claimed their ancestors travelled with Menelik I (son of King Solomon and Queen Sheba) and presumably the Ark of Covenant from Israel. However later they confessed to not really knowing their history as it went so far back. In addition on our way out I observed that there was a curious large round building at the centre of the compound with a

round design on the roof – which was not a cross. The

Falasha ‘monastery’ near Lik Marefya

women’s compound was to one side and the mens to the other. This would seem to suggest the round building was in fact their synagog. No married people lived in the compound, but rather married Falasha couples lived outside in other parts of N.Shoa. The population at the monastery consisted of ageing Falashas and some with disabilities. They employed local people to be their labour force.

We tried to discuss future tourist visits which they seemed happy to accommodate, and I suggested that

Colobus monkeys in the trees over a river

they sell some of the crafts that their community produce. But it seems little is produced at the monastery, although their associated population do produce artisanal goods (pottery and cotton shawls). However the leader firmly believed that monastery would need a donation to make this work!

We had by then spent all morning with the Falasha and so trekked back up the valley and climbed up to the top of the escarpment. It was a lovely but gruelling walk which took us some 3h30min virtually without a stop.

Lik Marefya guesthouse nestled in the forest

However the walk up from Lik Marefya to the top between Ankober and Kundi would take about 4h30m at a more leisurely pace with stops. As we were short of time we then got a lift along the top to within 1km of the Kundi guesthouse. By now it was set in the cloud, with Geladas grazing all around. After a look around the new guesthouse, I left Getachew in charge of the cook training and drove back to Debre Berhan and on to Addis. This was somewhere I would come back to as often as I could.

We are now able to arrange tours in the forest saying at the community guesthouses. To really appreciate the place I would recommend at least 4 nights with one night in each guesthouse, and if possible perhaps 2 nights in Mescha. The cost per person per night for a group is about $63 USD p/p, excluding transport and bottled drinks.

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Join a Tesfa Community trek 2nd part of May

photo of Ras Dashen while on a Tesfa Trek in Simiens, curtesy of Kevin Rushby

photo of Ras Dashen while on a Tesfa Trek in Simiens, curtesy of Kevin Rushby

We have one male American client flying into Ethiopia in mid May who would like to do a trek at the new Simien village guesthouses (but would also be happy to trek on other routes). He is looking for someone to team up with.
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If you would also like to do some trekking in stunning scenery please contact us to arrange your trip.

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Visit the new Tesfa guesthouses – now open

photo of Ras Dashen while on a Tesfa Trek in Simiens, curtesy of Kevin Rushby

photo of Ras Dashen while on a Tesfa Trek in Simiens, by permission of Kevin Rushby (posted on Instagram)

If you have been on a Tesfa trek before then why not try something new?

We have opened new guesthouses in the Simien Mountains. They are situated to the south of the National Park, in a woreda called Janamora. To access this area, until the new service roads are built you drive through the National park past Sankober and Geech, and over the back of Bwahit mountain, then down to Mekhane Berhan. There are 3 guesthouses, Taga Mariam, Khalid Abo, and Timbala, and we suggest a minimum of 4 nights, including a visit to the market at Wossen on Thursdays and Saturdays.  On the final day we would suggest trekking back up towards the park and getting picked up just south of Bwahit to

Khalid Abo guesthouse

Khalid Abo guesthouses

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View of Seheta Guesthouse

View of Seheta Guesthouse

We have also opened a new guesthouse in Tigray in the midst of the trekking we offer in the Agame Massif. The new guesthouse at Seheta, is set just above several farms on the edge of the village and is a great base to use to explore the valleys and local churches. Again we would recommend spending several days at Seheta. At this time of year there are feasts held daily in the villages and you would be most welcome to join in. You can also link staying here with a stay in one of the other longer established guesthouses in the area.

 

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Spend a few days walking with the Tesfa villagers in Wollo or Tigray.

Tigray offers great walking with wonderful views

Tigray offers great walking with wonderful views

What are your plans for the school break at the end of May? How about a few days walking as a guest of the communities in Wollo or Tigray.

The rains are far less as you travel north and in Tigray the soil is sandy so there is no mud. Most rain happens in the evening if at all. But the little that has fallen has greened up the landscape a bit. In Tigray it is also the start of the Prickly Pear season.

 

Tehlo ceremony in Tigray

Tehlo ceremony in Tigray, a common celebration meal at the priest parties

So why not come along and let the villagers show you how life is in the countryside and blow the Addis cobwebs out of the system. You will return with batteries fully recharged!

A 3 night walking holiday for a family of 4 people (2 adults, 1 teenager  and 1 child under 12) will cost $635.00 USD including meal, guide and local drinks.

Transport in Tigray in a good condition 4WD from airport (Axum or Mekele) to trek and back to airport will cost $225 USD. On the way in and out why not take in a rock church- one of the
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Kids enjoy riding (& feeding) horses on the trek

Kids enjoy riding (& feeding) horses on the trek

many in Tigray.

In Wollo transport from and back to Lalibela airport or town will cost up to $150USD depending on the trekking route (using a minibus).

While up in Lalibela or Tigray why not add a day to see the sites. We can make arrangements for hotels, lodges and guides.

 

Mequat Mariam Scones for breakfast

Mequat Mariam Scones for breakfast

 

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Latest Feedback – a great Tesfa Trek near Lalibela

“My 19 year old son and I did a three day trek west of Lalibela and absolutely loved it. The walking wasn’t too challenging which was a good thing as we are not used to the altitude. The scenary is stunning, the communities we lodged with welcoming, the food was varied and always delicious. We were really well cared for and deeply touched to be alowed to visit peoples homes, to see how they live, cook and care for their animals. I particularly loved the watching the chickens climb up to roost on a purpose built mud shelf above the cooking area! We were delighted to find a family of Gelada baboons digging for breakfast beside us as we set off one morning. I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see the pastural face of Africa and come up close to its wonderfully rich wild life. Thank you Tesfa.” 27 May 2015

Thanks Rachel – we are thrilled you both had such a great trip. Come after the rainy season and it will look less pastoral and more agricultural as you will see crops everywhere.

Photo taken inside a tukul near Mequat Mariam in Meket

Photo taken inside a tukul near Mequat Mariam in Meket


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Male Gelada baboons running by the escarpment in Meket

Male Gelada baboons running by the escarpment in Meket

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