Ethiopia Northern Adventure

We arrive in the capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa where we spend our first two nights in Africa. Next morning we will enjoy the view of Addis Ababa from Entoto Mountain, the capital of Ethiopia before Addis Ababa. Here you will have panoramic views of the city with fresh air from the eucalyptus forests. We will visit the Entoto Maryam church and museum. After the visit we proceed down to Addis Ababa via Shiro Meda, the city’s largest market for traditional clothes. We continue with a visit to the National Museum where Ethiopia’s oldest resident, Lucy is housed. We finish the day with shopping in merkato, the local marketplace which is said to be Africa’s largest open-air market. After two days spent in Addis Ababa we fly north to Gondar where we take the local guided tour around the city, before our preparation for our upcoming adventure.

We drive from Gondar to Debark where we obtain a permit before continuing to Sankabar (3250m) for the first overnight in camp. Our trek begins at Buytras and takes about 3-4 hours to walk to the Sankabar campsite. During the walk there’s a good chance of seeing your first Gelada baboons. Next morning we walk around 6 hours to Geech via the spectacular Jinbar waterfall. After descending down to the Jinbar Wenz a short ascent remains to our camp site near Geech village. The camp site (3600m) has great views of the mountains and is characterized by giant lobelia plants. The nearby Kedadit summit provides one of the best places to see the sun set.

We trek from Geech to the Imet Gogo promontory, for one of the most spectacular views in the whole mountain range. This is a great day for seeing the magnificent Lammergeier vultures. From Imet Gogo we trek about 4-5 hours to get back to the road near a village called Ambaras and meet the car for the drive back to Gondar. Tonight we will sleep in the ancient city of Axum. Next morning you will visit 2000 years old mysterious monolithic Axum Stelae, Queen of Sheba's palace and bath, Church of St Mary of Tseyon, Museums, King Kaleb Tomb place. In the afternoon we drive for overnight stay in Hawzien.

Today we visit Tigray Churches and the amazing ancient monasteries: Abuna Yemata Guh; Maryam Korkor and Daniel Korkor. All of them are very different in style but stunningly beautiful in their own way. To visit Abuna Yemata Guh, we have to walk for an hour to commence a steep ascent up the side of the Gheralta massif. This steep ascent soon turns into a climb using foot holds and hand holds chipped into the sandstone rock by the passage of many hands and feet. The climb and the walk along very narrow ledges with sheer drops to the side is not one for the faint hearted. The church itself can be reached by walking out on a ledge one meter wide and with a 200m drop to the left hand side. At the entrance there is a small cave and a wooden door built into the rock. Maryam Korkor is the most impressive architecturally with a huge, high ceiling is supported by 12 free standing pillars. Looking at it you could not help but wonder how the architect managed to carve so high from the ground. Overnight in Mekele.

The most impressive part of our journey is ahead of us. We are driving to Hamed Ela, which will be our campsite for our upcoming adventure. The Danakil Depression can be said to ‘begin’ here. It is one of the most inhospitable regions of the world, but is nonetheless spectacular, full of eye-catching colors. The desert has several points lying more than 100 meters below sea level. On your way you see many long caravans going to the salt mines and others coming out of the Danakil with their salt loaded camels.

We start early and drive to Dodom at the base of Erta Ale. This may be one of the worst road in the world and 80 km distance may take about 6 hours passing through changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand and the occasional palm lined oasis. You will trek from Dodom to Erta Ale which takes about 3 hrs. The camels will carry all our camping materials, food, mattresses and water to the rim of the volcano, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. Erta Ale ranks one of the most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions anywhere in Ethiopia. It is a shield volcano with a base diameter of 30 km and 1km square caldera at its summit. Erta Ale contains the world’s only permanent lava lake and you will spend an unforgettable night on the top of the mountain. Early in the morning you will rise with the sun and walk around pits and craters, before heading back to Dodom for breakfast. After some time to relax at our camp you will drive on to Hamed Ela.

Today we drive to Ragad (Asebo), the place where the salts are mined. We observe the breaking of the salt from the ground, cutting into rectangular pieces and loading on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and visit the difference landscape formed by volcanic activity. Excursion to Dallol (116 meter below sea level, one of the lowest places in the world) colorful salts mining, visit Lake Assal, follow up camel caravans and walk with the Afar people. Drive back to Hamed Ela and proceed to Mekele where we stay in Atse Yohanes Hotel.

Next morning we drive to the city of Lalibela where we start your tour of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, visiting the Northwestern Cluster of churches - Bet Medhane Alem, Bet Maryam, Bet Meskel, Bet Danaghel, Bet Mikael & Bet Golgotha (entry not permitted for women). After lunch, continue with the Southeastern Cluster of churches – Bet Gabriel-Rufael, Bet Merkorios, Bet Amanual, and Bet Abba Libanos.  Finally, you will visit the most famous of all the churches – Bet Giyorgis, constructed in honor of the patron saint of Ethiopia – Saint George. In the evening we take a local flight to Addis Ababa, where we spend our last night in Ethiopia. After the breakfast we buy the last souvenirs at the local markets, pack our stuff and catch our flight back home.