I am planning a trip to ethiopia in the next couple of
weeks and have heard that it is not sae there. Has anyone
been recently or has up to date information on the safety
of travel there. We will be three people, two women and
one man.
thanks and look forward to hearing from travellers
[There are 3 posts - the latest was added on Tue 25 May, 1:31]
Use the form at the end of this page to add your own post.
Topics
| Thorn Tree
| Home
ethiopia
yes I've been there several times and I'm planning to go
there again. If you don't go too far into the north
(there's still war)you will be quite safe. But be aware of
ripp-offs and hassels. Don't give money to children (if you
want to give something, give something to eat, like bread
or bisquits)The best spots to see are Lalibela, lake
Langano, the mountains, nile falls and the south (oromo-
park). Everything takes a long time to go, if you travel by
bus. But it's quite safe to travel by plane, but not cheap.
If you want to see Lalibela, it's a good idea to travel by
plane, especially during the rainy season (the roads can be
very dangerous).
Be careful with the food. If you're not used to it it can
be very uncomfortable for your stomach. Avoid especially
fresh salads (even in the more expensive restaurants)!!!
Are you sure that you want to go there? It is a very
difficult country to travel in. Lots of petty crime. I
was there in Jan 99 and every traveller that that I met had
had at least one robbery attempt. On the other hand there
seems to be little threat of actual physical violence (if
you disregard the threat of war that is). In January it
was possible to travel almost anywhere in the country if
you had time and patience. A month or so later all planes
and most buses stopped running to places north and east of
Addis. Tourists were stuck in Addis unless they wanted to
go south. With the war still ongoing I can't imagine that
the restrictions have been lifted although places like
Lalibela, Gondar and Harrar are a long way from the
fighting. You should check, maybe with the Ethiopian
embassy, as to whether the restrictions are still in
place. Flying is a quick way to get around and contrary to
the previous post I did not find flights expensive.
However, it was very difficult to get on flights. I was
stuck for 3 days in Dire Dawa because I couldn't get a seat
on a plane. 45 people with confirmed seats were left
behind that day that I finally flew out. A woman
travelling with me could not get a single seat on a flight
to Lalibela over a 10 period. I could not get to Axum
within a 7 day period. Must see places include Lalibela,
Gondar, the Lake Tana monastries and,if you are feeling
adventurous, Harrar. Send me an E-mail if you would like
any more specific information.
Karen,
I saw your post on Lonely Planet. I just returned from
Africa and I spent a month in Ethiopia in March. That was
probably the most interesting place I've ever been in my
life. Travel is not easy but if you determined you can get
to places you want. The buses are slow and crowded. I felt
safe everywhere except in Addis Ababa. I heard stories from
others but nothing ever happened to me. In March air travel
was not possible and I think it's still restricted. I keep
in touch with a few friends from there and they keep me
updated.
There are definitely a lot of husslers trying to get money
out of you. Just ignore them they won't hurt you. (I made
up stories that I worked for the UN and they stopped
begging.) You shouldn't miss Lalibela. They will bug you to
get a guide in the village. Ask for Tewodros, a really
nice guy and very knowledgable with good English. Everybody
respects him there so they will stop hassling you. If you
go on your own you'll spend hours locating the priests with
the key to the churches. Travellers are the their only
income so spend that few $ on it.
In the south you can forget about buses. I spent days on
top of trucks just to get to remote places I wanted to. Tre
tribes there are the most amazing in East Africa, but be
prepared to spend time to get to places.
I really liked Ethiopia with all it's dangers. Drop me a
line if you have any more questions about prices or places.
Tom