AAC Offers New Ethiopia Small Group Adventures

Since being named one of National Geographic Traveler's 2010 50 Tours of a Lifetime, Africa Adventure Consultants has been flooded with inquiries regarding our 12-day Ethiopian Epic Tour.

Many of these inquiries have been from groups of one or two people; for a private Ethiopian Epic departure, we need a minimum of four passengers. In response, AAC has decided to offer a small group version of the Ethiopian Epic. Currently we have an October 2010 Ethiopian Group Epic and an October 2011 Ethiopian Group Epic available for booking. These trips go to all of the same great destinations, with a group size of between four and eleven people.

We are also offering a longer 18-day Best of Ethiopia Group Adventure with Addis Ababa start dates on July 11, 2010 and September 26, 2010. This trip is for someone who has the time, and wants to see it all. It visits all four historic cities in the north (Bahir Dar, Gondar, Axum, & Lalibela) along with the Simien Mountains. In the south you will visit a variety of tribes including the Dorze, known for their beehive-shaped houses, the Mursi, famed for the lip-plates worn by some women, the Hamer, famous for their bull-jumping ceremony, and the Dasanech, who practice scarification. For more information on this trip please call us at 866-778-1089.

If none of the above dates works for you, please let us know which dates would work. We will enter your preferred dates in our client database, and do our best to pair you up with other travelers. Private departures are also available.

AAC Ethiopian Epic Trip Selected as one of National Geographic's 50 Tours of a Lifetime

Bet Giyorgis, one of the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela


Africa Adventure Consultants Ethiopian Epic Trip has been chosen as one of National Geographic Traveler Magazine's 2010 Tours of a Lifetime. The article will be published in the May/June 2010 edition of Traveler. According to the National Geographic website:

"We’re traveling again. Tour operators are reporting big spikes in inquiries and bookings. But an uncertain economy, ongoing wars, and the fragile health of the planet have, perhaps permanently, reordered priorities. Travelers now seek more perspective, meaning, and challenge. They want to see the unvarnished reality of a place, not just the fantasy. Outfitters have responded by dialing down the luxury and refocusing on core offerings. Their itineraries are more innovative and experiential—aimed at developing lasting connections between people. Here are 50 of the world's best guided tours for 2010, as chosen by the editors of National Geographic Traveler magazine."

The Ethiopian Epic gets top billing in the Africa category. This trip takes you to the highlights of the north, including island monasteries on Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, medieval castles in Gondar, and the fabulous rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. In the south guests interact with indigenous tribes with visits to Dorze, Hamer, Dassanech, and Karo villages, amongst others. The trip is the perfect combination of history and cultures that are unique to this up and coming destination. For more information give us a call at 866-778-1089.

Ethiopia: Amazing History and Great Food!

For a different kind of adventure, consider Ethiopia. This unique destination offers friendly people and tons of culture and history. Here you can visit remote island monasteries at Lake Tana, explore medieval castles in Gondar, and see huge monolithic pillars called stelae in Axum (the Ark of the Covenant is also reputed to be stored here). Topping things off, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are truly amazing—these massive structures were carved directly out of the bedrock by hand, some more than 800 years ago. Legend has it that angels helped carve some of the churches—a visit to this UNESCO World Heritage site may leave you awestruck as well! Our eight-day Historical Ethiopia Tour takes you to all of these highlights.

Another reason to visit Ethiopia is the food. If you have not tried Ethiopian food you are in for a real treat. Most meals are served on flat, pancake-like bread called injera, made from the highly nutritious local grain, teff. Injera serves as both plate and edible serving utensil for a number of spicy sauces known as wat. Many wats are vegetarian, but some contain meat—doro wat, made with chicken, is especially delicious.

Even if you have tried Ethiopian food in your home country, nothing compares to the real thing. One of my favorite dishes is known as shiro wat, a spicy vegetarian sauce made from ground chickpeas. This dish is quite labor intensive—it is hard to find people willing or able to prepare shiro outside of Ethiopia, but it is readily available within the country.

A final treat worth mentioning are the wonderful fresh-made juices. Pineapple, mango, orange and guava are usually on the menu, along with more interesting choices such as avocado—my favorite!

If you are interested in experiencing Ethiopian food, but your travel tastes lean more toward nature, then you might enjoy our thirteen-day Trekking Ethiopia tour. This trip combines visits to Gondar and Lalibela with a full week of trekking in the spectacular Simien Mountains. The Simien scenery is nothing short of epic, and you will have the chance to see rare species such as Geleda baboons, Walia Ibex, and the rare Ethiopian Wolf (Simien Fox).

If traditional cultures and visiting remote tribal peoples whets your appetite , then a third option is our twelve-day Ethiopian Epic tour, which takes you to Lake Tana, Gondar, and Lalibela in the north, and then south to the famed Omo Valley where you will visit Hamer, Karo, and Dassanech peoples, amongst others.

Ethiopia - Africa's Undiscovered Horn

Ethiopia is not only off-the-beaten path for most travelers, but in many ways it is still shrouded in mystery and lost in time. We've carefully designed each itinerary to include the highlights, as well as hidden gems of the region. In addition to our set itineraries including the Historical North, Trekking Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Epic, we offer custom-crafted adventures to suit your interests - maybe you want to spend a week in the remote Bale Mountains hiking in search of the elusive Ethiopian wolf (Simien fox) or perhaps quietly watching priests deep in meditation on the island monasteries of Lake Tana is your dream...whatever your interest, we can design your personal adventure to meet your travel goals. Also, we're pleased to announce that our Ethiopia program was recently recommended in the San Francisco Chronicle.

While on our initial exploratory trip almost two years ago, our staff was accompanied by professional photographer, Andy Richter. You'll see Andy's work on the pages of our itineraries and here on our blog. He's an acclaimed travel photographer who has had work published in Time Magazine, Outside, NEED Magazine and others. Andy beautifully captured on film our experience in Ethiopia and helped to convey the adventure, mystery and energy of what we saw daily. Visit Andy Richter Photography for more information on Andy and his projects.

We recommend every traveler to Ethiopia visit the following sites:

Lalibela
Home to the famous subterranean stone-carved churches dating back over a thousand years. The collection of over 10 churches lies beneath the rich red-colored earth and is surrounded by hidden passageways, caves and crypts. The site is a living museum and travelers can freely wander among the churches, watching pilgrims and priests go about their daily lives. Visiting the site in the morning and evening light is magical. Lalibela is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gondar
Known by many as ‘Africa’s Camelot,’ Gondar looks more like a medieval city than an Africa town. With 17th century castles, bathing pools and churches covered in frescoes, Africa often seems a far-away memory in Gondar. The town is an ideal spot to enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony or a Ras Dashen beer at sunset from the terrace of the Goha Hotel.

Axum
Many travelers agree...upon arrival, Axum doesn’t seem to offer much. It’s a simple frontier town, windy and dusty, but after first impressions, Axum’s treasures are revealed. Axum was once the home of Ethiopia’s greatest ancient civilization. Throughout the town and surrounding area, travelers will find soaring steale, ruined palaces, holy churches (perhaps the resting place of the Arch of the Covenant) and underground tombs complete with ancient inscriptions. Axum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—one of eight in the country.

Bahir Dar
This lakeside city offer wide, palm lined streets, a true café-culture and beautiful vistas across Lake Tana. Bahir Dar is also the base for explorations of the mysterious island monasteries that dot Lake Tana. The Blue Nile Falls is also a short trip away.

If you are interested in a bit more activity and adventure, check our the Simien Mountains:

Simien Mountains
Trekking in the Simien Mountains can be both a challenging and rewarding experience. Ras Dashen, the fourth highest peak in Africa at 14,928 ft, is the tallest mountain in the range. Extended trekking options are available, as well as shorter day hikes. The mountains are home to several of Ethiopia’s rare endemic species including the Ethiopian wolf, the most endangered canid on the planet, and the populous gelada baboon.

And, of course the Lower Omo Valley is home to some of the most intact, traditional tribal cultures in Africa.

The Lower Omo Valley
The Lower Omo Valey is arguably one of the most remote destinations in Africa. Spanning a great distance from the Kenyan border north along the Rift Valley, the Omo Valley is home to many of the most well-preserved tribal groups in Africa. Travel in the region is arduous, with no few paved roads, only basic accommodations and extreme climate conditions. The pay-off is spectacular, other-worldly scenery and the opportunity to witness Ethiopia’s rich and colorful tribal population.

Culturally, the Omo Valley is quite rich with some 45 languages spoken by people of many different ethnic origins. These nations, from the many thousand-strong Borena to the just 1000-strong Karo, exhibit a fascinating range of cultural practices.

All photos by Andy Richter.