Ethiopia Tours

• Ethiopia used to be called Abyssinia.
• There are roughly 80 different dialects spoken.
• Ethiopia is the only country in Africa with its own alphabet. They use an abugida, which consists of 209 symbols and 25 letter variants.
• Addis Ababa is the highest capital city on the African continent at 2,400 metres above sea level.
• Approximately 70% of the entire mountain range in Africa is located in Ethiopia.
• Ethiopia has nine UNESCO World Heritage sites within its borders. This is more than any country in Africa.
• Amazingly, the Ethiopian calendar has 13 months and is technically 7.5 years behind the Gregorian calendar followed by the rest of the world.
• Africa’s first Olympic gold medal was won by Ethiopian Abebe Bikila in 1960.
• The Great Rift Valley cuts through Ethiopia from north to south and is the only physical feature of Africa that is visible from space.
• New Years is celebrated on 11 September.
• Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder in the Kaffa region, who noticed his goats ‘dancing’ after eating the berries of the coffee plant.
• Located in Ethiopia, Lake Tana feeds the Blue Nile, which joins the White Nile and makes up the Nile River, the longest river in the world

Australian passport holders travelling to Ethiopia need a visa at this time. An eVisa must be applied for before you travel online at: https://www.evisa.gov.et/#/home

We require that your passport is valid for travel for at least six months from the date you are planning to return to Australia. Your passport must be valid to travel internationally and must be machine-readable. You also need to carry a valid return ticket on you.

Whether travelling on an Australian passport or the passport of another country, all travellers require visas for a number of countries, and it is your responsibility to secure what may be required before departing Australia. You can consult with your travel agent, but it is also recommended that you check the foreign embassy website for your respective destination as it can also provide you with useful information.

Australian Embassy in Ethiopia:

Turkish Compound (off Cape Verde Street)
Bole Subcity, Woreda 3
PO Box 3715
Addis Ababa
Ph. +251 96 794 1377
Fax. +251 11 667 2868

The official currency of Ethiopia is the Ethiopian Birr (ETB). Notes come in denominations of 100 Birr, 50, 10, 5, and 1. Ensure you change a small amount into small denominations.

Advise your bank of your travel plans so that they can make a note of it, otherwise they may cancel your credit card as a safety measure due to the overseas transactions. Also make a note of the 24-hour emergency contact number of the bank or building society which issued your credit card in the unlikely event that your card is lost or stolen.

Whenever possible use ATMs when the banks are open (Mon – Fri) so that if a machine ‘eats’ your card you can then deal with it straight away. It is always advisable to carry a supply of cash in addition to your credit card.

If you don’t have US Dollars with you on arrival, we advise you to exchange some money into the local currency at the airport even if the exchange rate is not the best, this way you’ll have money to get a drink, snack or give a tip during those first few hours of arrival. Your guide will be able to advise you on the best places to exchange money.

Small change is also useful for paying for toilets while on tour which is customary in many places outside of Australia.

• The price of a cappuccino in Addis Ababa is approximately 35 Birr.
• The price of an inexpensive lunch is approximately 105 Birr.
• The price dinner in a moderate restaurant is approximately 1030 Birr.
• The price of a beer in a local pub is approximately 35 Birr.

Ethiopian cuisine consists of a wide variety of flavourful stews and curries, both including meat and vegetarian. Ethiopian food is designed to be eaten communally, food is often served on share platters and eaten with the fingers of the right hand. The staple that holds all the food together is the injera, a traditional pancake made from the keff grain which is eaten with almost every meal. The texture of the injera is soft and spongy and slightly sour and is used to scoop up other dishes and soak up the juices. Another staple food is called shiro wat, a vegetarian dish made from chickpeas, flour, garlic and onions and made into a thick paste. Misir wat is another vegetarian dish made from red lentils. Meat dishes such as doro wat, a delicious chicken stew, or key wat, a beef stew, are heavily seasoned with a mix of spices, onions and garlic. Raw meat is also widely eaten, often as a special treat or on a special occasion. Kitfo is made from raw minced beef and spices. Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee and fresh blended coffee is available everywhere. Beer and a honey-based wine called tej are popular alcoholic drinks.

Important: When dining at buffets (i.e. breakfast) please refrain from taking food away with you to ‘save’ for later!  If you feel that you’ll need snacks between meals, pack some dried fruit, nuts, muesli bars etc.

If you have specific food allergies and/or preferences, we highly recommend you take every precaution before your tour, including carrying a small card with your food allergy listed in each language of every country you are travelling to show to table staff when ordering. Whilst we take all dietary requirements seriously, due to the serious nature of potential allergic reactions, it is your responsibility to be as prepared as possible.

Ethiopia’s weather is classified as tropical monsoon, characterised by a dry and a wet season. The dry season runs from October to February with a light rainy season running from March to May and a further heavier wet season running from June to September. With most places in Ethiopia at relatively high elevations, the weather is generally considered cooler than other countries with the same proximity to the equator. Having said that, the low-lying regions in the east of the country record hotter and drier conditions.

Want to get out and explore on your own?

Taxis are available in most Ethiopian towns and cities. They do not have a working taxi meter and all fares should be negotiated before getting in. Ensure it is a private taxi and not a shared vehicle.

When catching taxis, have small change on you and choose one with a meter, if it doesn’t have one then negotiate the price before getting in. We recommend you ask your guide or hotel staff the names of reputable taxi companies.

So, you’d love to bring home a special souvenir from Ethiopia…

A great way to support the local community is to try to buy your souvenirs in smaller shops rather than larger ones. Bargaining is expected and part of the shopping experience, although not bargaining too hard is another great way to support the local community. Ethiopia has a great variety of handmade crafts on offer including silver jewellery, which takes the form of religious crosses and pendants; handwoven cotton embroidered fabrics, some of which have been made into dresses and shirts; blankets or throws for the cold weather and a traditional coffee pot are all wonderful examples of souvenirs to take home.

Please remember to always declare all your purchases with customs when arriving back in Australia.

• The family is the centre of the social system.
• Ethiopians believe proper table manners are a sign of respect.
• Only use the right hand for eating – the left hand is considered dirty.
• As a general rule, Ethiopians are humble people and respect this quality in others. Talking too loudly is seen as aggressive.
• Don't take photos indiscriminately. Many people object to having their pictures taken, so ask permission first. Military installations, airports and bridges should never be photographed.
• Don’t carry around non-essentials and valuables. Use your hotel safe and don't flash expensive jewellery, watches and cameras.
• When taking an item from someone, or during any interaction with other people, it is important to use your right hand (regardless of whether you are left-handed).

Ethiopia celebrates various religious festivals throughout the year showcasing an abundance of colour especially for Timkat which marks the Christ’s baptism every January 19th. On the eve of Timkat, known as Ketera, the Tabots of each church are carried out in procession to a river or pool of water where the next days celebrations take place. The church choirs chant hymns and a special dance by the priests with prayer and sticks while drums beat, bells ring and the trumpets sound. Locals accompany the festivities in their colourful dress singing and dancing with the priests until the celebrations conclude on the 3rd day. The best place to attend the evenjt is Lalibela, Gonder or the capital Addis Ababa.

Meskel, the Finding of the True Cross, is an annual religious holiday commemorating the discovery of the cross upon which Christ was crucified by the Roman Empress Saint Helena, the Mother of Constantine the Great, in the 4th Century. After praying for help to find the Holy Sepulchre, Saint Helena was guided by smoke from a burning fire where the cross was buried. The first day is known as Demera where bonfires are built topped by a cross with flowers specifically Meskel Daisies are tied to it and blessings are conducted before the bonfires are lit. Then the dancing and singing begins surrounding the bonfire with priests dressed in their ceremonial dress. The day after, observers eat and drink and head back to the place of the Demera to mark a cross on their heads using the ashes from the fire. The best place to see the Meskel Festival is in Addis Ababa at Meskel Square.

Other national public holidays to be aware of include:

• Ethiopian Christmas Day (January 7th)
• Epiphany / Timkat (January 9th)
• Adwa Victory Day (March 2nd)
• Ethiopian Good Friday
• Ethiopian Easter Sunday
• International Labour Day / May Day (May 1st)
• Freedom Day (May 5th)
• Eid ul Fitr (first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal)
• Derg Downfall Day (May 28th)
• Eid al-Adha / Feast of the Sacrifice (end of Islamic month of Shawwal)
• Ethiopian New Year (September 11th)
• Meskel (September 28th)
• The Prophet’s Birthday (12th day of Islamic month of Rabi’ al-awwal)