Travel information on Security & Safety for visitors in Ethiopia

Community Treks

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Community Tourism that works

The Tesfa Tours treks take you on walks through the age-old agrarian landscape of the Ethiopian Highlands, following escarpments with birds of prey soaring in the thermals and Gelada baboon scrambling up and down the cliff face.

We set up community treks in Janamora Woreda in the Simien Mountains – to the south of the National Park, and in Wof Washa Forest, North Shoa, some 140km N.E. of Addis as the crow flies, in addition to the more established Tesfa treks in North Wollo (near Lalibela) and in the Agame mountains of East Tigray. Sadly with the exception of Tigray, these community treks are in Amhara Region and can not be accessed at this time due to ongoing conflict across the region

We are now extending the concept to the Gurage highlands, a zone south west of Addis in the newly created Central Region of Ethiopia. In these beautiful highlands villagers build lovely houses, and we have realised that the community tourism idea can be done through Homestays, as the houses are clean, spacious and comfortable. So we do not need to seek funds for the village to build a guesthouse. We are still working with the whole community, through the elders and so it is not run with one family but the whole village!

I MAY HAVE inadvertently unearthed the perfect holiday: affordable, unforgettable and in one of the most awesome, exotic and unexplored parts of the world. This is a trip that will enrich your life and that you will likely look back on from your deathbed with a smile.

Manchan Magan

You will cross meadows where local shepherd boys keep an eye on their flocks, while their fathers plough the fields, and their sisters collect water in clay pots. This is a window into the ancient world of the Ethiopian highlands with their churches and their way of life. It will be an experience you will never forget!

See our community trek options below

Community Treks



Mark Chapman with the Village Community at Mequat Mariam

"Let us develop a personal itinerary with you so that you can see the best of this wonderful country."

Mark Chapman, Founder

Where does the Community Tourism tours money go?

See examples of our community tourism tours ⇒
20-percent-300x300

Administration Costs

25-percent-300x300

The Guiding Enterprise

55-percent

The Community

Still not convinced by our community treks?

Watch this video about the TESFA trekking.

How our community tourism works:

Each hosting community is based around sub groups of a local parish church.

They are registered as cooperatives and are run for the benefit of all their members.

There may be as many at 300 households in one such community, probably around 1,500 people.

So the income a community makes from hosting you really does go to the community level!