Last updated: 2010-03-12

Day by Day

Day 1

Gathering at the hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. It is a widely spread large city at 2400 m height. Use the day to explore the near surroundings.

Day 2

South along Rift Valley to Arba Minch by bus. A beautiful small town surrounded by mountains and lakes in a fantastic landscape.

Day 3-4

A little north of Arba Minch, you find the village Solla outside the small town Chencha. First by local bus, then you trek for a couple of hours. This is Ethiopia’s countryside and you will be a guest in the tour leader’s home village. The inhabitants of the village are gamo. Their main traditional occupation is to weave. You will get the opportunity to weave on a traditional loom and you will accompany the villagers when the textiles are being sold on the market in Chencha.

Day 5-7

Back in Arba Minch you visit the beautiful national park Nech Sar, the White Grass National Park. You also make an excursion on Lake Chamo. You will see hippopotamuses and crocodile at the “crocodile market”. One night you will probably get invited to a family for dinner. The Ethiopian cuisine is very tasty.

Day 8-10

Bus back to Addis Ababa. On the way you stop by Lake Langano for relaxation and bathing. There are no crocodile, hippopotamus or bilharzias here.

Day 11-12

From Addis Ababa by flight to Gondar, Ethiopia’s old capital, up on the plateau. It was founded by emperor Fasiladas in 1636 as a new capital. Odd palaces built by different emperors can be seen. In the roof of the small church Debre Birhan Selassi you see the famous angel paintings.

Day 13-14

Flight to Lalibela. Here you find the rock-hewn churches, monolithic churches, caved directly out of the mountain, in the 12^th century. Pilgrimages have been made here since the medieval times. The underground churches are bound together by a network of passages and tunnels that are used still today for daily masses. Along the roads the pilgrims are quartered in small holes, cavities, where they sit and read the old texts. Flight back to Addis Ababa in the afternoon.

Day 15-16

Two days in Addis Ababa for you own disposal. One of these days you discover the city together with the tour leader. The journey is finished.