Dstv Packages And Prices In Ethiopia
Ramya Bradbury
Most come for Safari or Kilimanjaro. The smart travellers discover the world behind the negative stereotypes and crowds. The people are friendly, getting around is easier than ever and visas are simple affairs. Ethiopia is something special, Lakeside Malawi is chilled, Rwanda is stunning... and then there are the great grasslands and animals.
This is where you will see the landscapes and animals that are so imbedded into our heads as what Africa is all about. What shocks many is that travel is not cheap - despite the clear level of poverty - and normally getting to most of the iconic locations and animals requires long distances, high park fees and joining a tour (or having your own camping gear and transport).
What is really great about East Africa is that there is so much more to discover that you won't be expecting. English is widely spoken, people are open and friendly, cultural differences are pronounced and countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia are developing at a crazy pace. Furthermore you just don't get the huge numbers of young backpackers found in Central America or Southeast Asia.
Thus the real Africa you discover is within the sleepy villages aside numerous lakes/mountains/coffee plantations, in fast growing cities and with the personal revelations that Ethiopia is far from a wasteland and Kenya is not a total no-go area.
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Contra to popular belief, the high plateau which forms central Ethiopia - and for years kept it a virtual mountain kingdom - supports a huge population (Addis Ababa, the capital, is the 3rd highest on a global scale and the population ranks only behind Egypt and Nigeria on the continent). There are deserts (including Africa's lowest and most consistently hottest point), extending from Northern Kenya and Somalia, but they are thinly populated and few travellers ever see them. 90% of what is interesting in Ethiopia is in the highlands and it is the most widely travelled area. Looking very different than you might imagine Ethiopia to be, the highlands have high mountain plateaus, a moderate climate and, depending on the time of year, are pretty green.
Emerging from the 'Scramble for Africa' as one of only two African countries never colonised by a European power (the other being Liberia, which was a American quasi-colony), and with several hundred years of self-imposed isolation in its history, Ethiopia is as unique as it comes. Thirteen months in a year, a clock starting each day at six rather than midnight, Gregorian calendar never adopted... are only a few examples of such, with practically every facet of Ethiopian culture being unique. Ethiopia was also home to one of the world's great empires (Aksumite) with historic ruins abounding and is the world's second-oldest Christian country with examples of Christianity and religious fervour much closer to Christianity's Middle Eastern, Judaic roots than the Vatican inspired version we are familiar with today. The medieval capital of Lalibela with a cluster of churches carved deep into rock (putting Petra to shame) is at certain times of the year one of the most atmospheric and extraordinary places on earth. There are also 17th century castles, interesting food, small friendly towns, a lack of malaria at altitude and some breathtaking scenery - with every flight or bus trip in the highlands a jaw dropping treat.
Ethiopia is extraordinary and highly misunderstood. It is poor and parts might bring to mind Niger or Mali and cause sudden spasms of guilt. But people are friendlier and more relaxed than in West Africa and even big cities are fairly calm and neat, a far cry from the chaos in the likes of Bamako (Mali), Lagos or even near-by Nairobi. Infrastructure is equally poor, partly due to the terrain, with bus rides between major points taking long days (or two). However, a great network of cheap internal flights gets you most places with ease. It is not the perfect travel destination by any means and many of the short-comings of African travel are present. Yet for independent travellers it is cheap and easy with okay facilities for the most part and obviously it's fairly uncrowded.
The jury is out on: The tribes of South Omo such is the cost and effort of getting there. As unique and fascinating as the tribes are, constantly paying to take photos and the feeling of being in a human zoo sometimes can outweigh the interest.
Highlights: Lalibela (Lal-e-bell-a) with it's churches caved deep into solid rock, stream of pilgrims and remote location (rock hewn churches at Tigray remoter, less touristy and with stunning surroundings). The scenery, with the Simien Mountains being the most spectacular, anywhere in the highlands being a visual treat and easy to explore at random from towns/villages. The people, culture, convenient flight network and of course the coffee.
Lowlights: Travelling substantial distances overland in the highlands. Since the construction of several dams, the Blue Nile Falls are now more akin to a trickle rather than the gushing torrent seen on pictures and the one Bir note. Constant questioning and annoyance from kids in popular destinations. The obvious poverty and spasms of guilty it can cause. Prices have jumped in recent years and you can feel like a walking ATM. Travelling during high season (Ethiopian Christmas and Easter)
Visa strategy: Most nationalities need a visa, available (30/90 days) for about US$52/72 at the airport (a photo and yellow fever certificate is often listed as necessary, but never required in our experience) - make sure you have US$ to pay and time to spare as queue can be long, any other currency you will need to change into US$ to pay for the visa. You can also apply online before you arrive. Note that unlike a Kenyan visa, an Ethiopian visa cannot be issued at the border and if coming over land you will need to arrange in advance.
Typical tourist trail: Ethiopia has four obvious points of interest within the highlands (aka. the historic circuit): Bahir Dar - from where Lake Tana and the Blue Nile Falls are accessible. Gonder with its castles and access to the Simien Mountains. Axum and of course Lalibela with its rock-hewn churches. You could also add Addis Ababa where most arrive. Addis aside, using internal flights, there is no specific order in which you need to visit these destinations. Many internal flights serve one or more of the above en route to another and with flying being such an advantage you will continually meet the same people on the road/airport.
Some travellers add Harar to the above if they have more time and those with money/transport might head south towards the tribes of South Omo.
Getting Around: Getting around Ethiopia's main attractions is on one hand fantastically easy and good value and on the other, either fantastically hard work or both fantastically hard work and expensive. The difference lies in the route, the need for private transport and most importantly the use of internal flights. [go to map]
Public transport: In comparison to the GDP and other African transport, public transport is actually pretty good. Ethiopia is one of only a few countries we know of in Africa where it is illegal to stand in the aisle, thus buses don't get too crowded. Equally the practice, so typically African, of stopping every half km to pick-up or drop someone off is fairly rare. Overall buses and mini-buses are very cheap, have regularly organised breaks and overnight stops.
The problem is not the buses or their ridiculously early departures, the bumpy roads or even the perilous mountain routes - it is quite simply the distance. Ethiopia is huge and getting around even the basic sites (including Axum) is going to take around 10 days of solid exhausting bus travel.
Mini-buses are less common and faster than buses, generally used for shorter trips, where they can be used to 'town-hop' in order to get off the beaten track and avoid long stretches in a bus.
Air: Flying is by far the easiest and most efficient way of getting around Ethiopia. Even if you might prefer to travel overland and 'see' the country, buying a couple of flights for difficult legs makes a huge amount of sense and saves mountains of time. Equally by booking flights between all the main points of interest, a 3-4 week exhausting overland trip can be made into a relaxed 10-14 day short holiday.
Ethiopian Airlines has a good domestic network (see route map) and you can get to most places of interest even if you have to make a stop-off before reaching your final destination (a change of plane is not necessary). It is impossible to comment accurately on availability of flights. Many find flights even the day before departure, but given the alternative, best advice would be to book what you need before you get to Ethiopia and if flying with Ethiopian Airlines internationally to Ethiopia, with your international ticket (for the cheapest fare).
You can book multi-leg e-tickets with ease on the Ethiopian Airlines website, pay by credit/debit card and relax (make sure you have the credit/debit card which you booked with for presentation at your first flight). It is also impossible to comment on prices, which have been creeping up. Good value (given the distance) is the norm, but some dates and routes give crazy high prices. For the northern historical circuit, have US$250-400 in mind - but go to the Ethiopian Airlines website yourself and check some dates/routes.