The Afar region lies in a triangle making up parts of Northern Ethiopia, Dijbouti and Eritrea. It contains magnificent scenery, interesting villages, unique historic sights and some of the best birdlife in eastern Africa. Your journey will consist of touring many of the unusual parks, remote villages and fascinating historic sights of this region. You begin in Addis Ababa by Entoto, and the archeological museum containing "Lucy’s" bones. You will then head off to visit Awash National Park where you will likely see Kudu, Bushbuck, Gazelles, Warthogs, many of the 460 recorded types of birds, and if you are lucky, lions. From here you will head to the old capital of Assayta to explore some of the local villages and areas around Lakes Abe and Afambo. The scenery and birdlife present in this area will dazzle you. Next, explore the famous Salt Route villages of Hamed Ela, Dalol and Mekele. Finish off your tour with a visit to Lalibela’s rock hewn churches, Haik’s Lake Monastery and the market of Senbete. From past to present, this trip will bring to life the Afar region’s great history through its ancient sights, as well as take you off the beaten path and into the rich wilderness areas and small villages which reveal the treasures of Ethiopia, Dijbouti and Eritrea today.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Arrive Addis Ababa and transfer to the Gedera Hotel, where we can have a couple of hours rest before lunch.
After lunch, we start our city tour. First we drive north up to Mount Entoto. In 1881 Emperor Menelik II made his permanent camp there, after remains of an old town (believed to have been the capital of 16th century monarch Lebna Dengel) were discovered, which Menelik took was a divine and auspicious sign.
Addis Ababa, at between 2300 - 2500 meters, is the third highest capital in the world and Entoto is a few hundred meters higher - as we drive up the hill there is an appreciable drop in temperature and the air is filled with the scent of the Eucalyptus trees which line the road.
From the top, there is a panoramic view of the capital and surrounding countryside. Our guide will point out the city’s major landmarks. Entoto is an important watershed; to the north, water flows to the Blue Nile and the Mediterranean Sea, to the south, to the Awash River and on to Djibouti.
Entoto was soon abandoned as a site for the capital - it was cold, difficult to provision and there was a shortage of wood. Empress Taytu was said to have led the move down to the plain of Finfine, and to have named the new capital Addis Ababa, or New Flower. However, two important structures remain within the old imperial compound on Entoto, the churches of Mariam and the Archangel Raguel. It was in the church of Mariam that Menelik was crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in 1889, and in the small museum in the compound there are various clothes, court and household implements and weapons dating from the period. The church of Raguel is unusual in that it is octagonal, rather than round. There is a first story balustrade around which Menelik liked to stroll.
Leaving the churches we descend to Addis Ababa, stopping off at the National Archaeological Museum. Here visitors can see exhibits ranging from the 3.5 million-year-old bones of Lucy, from the Axumite and Gondarene periods through to the period of the monarchs Tewodros and Menelik II.
This completes our city tour and we return to our hotel. o/n Gedera Hotel.
Day 2:
We leave for Awash, and for the lodge at Bilen. We drive south toward Mojo, past the resort town of Debre Zeit, and then turn east on the road to Nazereth. We will see interesting geological formations en route, with much evidence of past volcanic activity – perfectly formed volcanic cones and caldera. We will pass Lake Beseka (which has grown over the last decade, causing the Djibouti – Addis Ababa railway line to be raised on several occasions) and take the road running through Awash Park, and we might see some game, Soemmering Gazelle or Oryx. After Awash town the road forks, with one fork leading to Dire Dawa and Harer, and the other to the ports of Djibouti and Assab. We take the latter, and after some 40 km turn left, or north, off the main road and head towards Bilen. (Thessiger stopped here on his Awash expedition in 1934, and took photos which appear in his book Danakil Diaries.) We will take lunch at the lodge, then explore the area in the vicinity of lodge, particularly the forest next to the Awash River towards Engulile and Haledebbie. O/n Bilen.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 3:
Early start, and full day in Awash National Park with picnic lunch. The park is not in great shape, there is settlement within the park boundaries and large herds of camels and cattle, with flocks of sheep and goats. We might see the following animals: Greater and Lesser Kudu, Wart Hog, Dik Dik, Gerenuk, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Soemmering Gazelle, Hamadryas baboons, crocodiles and if we are lucky, lions. It is a very good place for bird watching, over 460 species of bird have been recorded in this area including: the Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Ground Horn Bill, the endemic White-tailed Swallow, Buff Crested Bustard, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon, Honey Guide, Woodland Kingfisher, Kori and Arabian Bustard, Black-shouldered Kite, White and Crowned Rosy Patch Shrike, Carmine Bee Eater, Orange-billed Parrot, Lilac Breasted Roller, Lappet faced and Ruppell’s vulture. O/n Bilen.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 4:
After breakfast we leave for Aissayta, passing through Gewane and Yangudi Rassa National Park – it is unlikely that we will see any game. As we approach Aissayta, the land becomes drier and with less cover. Aissayta was the old capital – the regional capital will be moved to Samara – and has a certain sleepy charm. The older houses are built in a certain style, with flat roofs covered in soil. The facility is located on a small height overlooking the River Awash. O/n Aissayta.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 5:
We will spend today exploring the area where the Awash River drains into Lakes Abe and Afambo. The scenery is striking, mountains frame the lakes and there is plenty of bird life. The Afar cross the lakes on reed rafts, and sometimes swim across shorter channels with their camels, despite the presence of crocodiles and hippos. O/n Aissayta.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 6:
We retrace our steps to the main Addis Ababa – Djibouti road, and head north at Serdo. Today we reach Lake Afdera, "the great salt lake". There is a small town at the lake. O/n camping.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 7:
We continue north to Hamed Ela. (We pass Erta Ale, an active volcano, but do not go up as it takes one night – it is too hot to go up in the day time – one day would be spent there and one night back.) Hamed Ela is a small village near the salt extraction area. There is a walk of about 1 hour to the salt pans, vehicles might sink if we attempted an approach by car. Here the salt bars are mined – one costs 1.25 birr, but up in Mekele will fetch 12.00 birr and more again in more distant parts of the highlands. Each bar weighs about 6.5 kg, and camels will carry up to 200 kg, or about 30 bars. The salt pans are supposed to be haunted at night by a devil or evil spirit called Abo Lalu. O/n camping.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 8:
We drive about 20 km to Dalol, where the land lies at 120 m below sea level. This was the site of an old mechanized salt extraction facility, and there are still a lot of old machines about. We may also see some gazelles. We now turn back to Hamed Ela, and from there head to Berahile the road up the escarpment to Mekele. We pass through the town of Agula, a major depot on the salt route, and will reach Mekele early evening. O/n Axum Hotel.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 9:
We will spend the morning visiting some of the sites around Mekele, the market, Bait Yohannes, the castle of Emperor Yohannes IV and now a museum, the martyrs monument to those who died in the war against the Mengistu regime, and after lunch will take a short trip to the village of Chelekot, and the 200 year old church of Chelekot Selassie. o/n Axum Hotel.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 10:
Drive to Lalibela. The route takes us through some spectacular scenery, over Amba Alage, through Maichew and then we turn west at Kobo. We will arrive in Lalibela late afternoon. o/n Roha Hotel.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 11:
At the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th centuries King Lalibela of the Zaghwe dynasty built a series of rock hewn churches – the New Jerusalem as he called it – now rightly acknowledged to be one of the wonders of the world. There are 11 churches in the town named after him, with others in the surrounding countryside. All are still in use today.
It is estimated that the churches took 25 years to construct – for the Kingdom based on Roha (later renamed Lalibela) to have kept a large work force engaged in economically unproductive labor for such a long period means that it disposed of a large economic surplus and was very wealthy. The area then was clearly fertile and agriculturally productive, whereas now deforestation and other forms of ecological degradation have made it barren. The area is particularly prone to drought.
We will spend the day exploring the churches of Lalibela, breaking for lunch at our hotel. o/n Roha Hotel.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 12:
We drive out of Lalibela towards the Woldiya – Werota Road, or the Chinese road as it is known. At Woldiya we turn south and pass through the town of Wuchale, where in 1896 Emperor Menelik II and the Italians signed an agreement about their border in the north. Differing interpretations led to a further outbreak of hostilities and the battle of Adwa later that year. Further on we come to Haik, where there is a monastery on a peninsula jutting out into the lake. We pass the turning for Dessie, and continue to Kombolcha, where we will spend the night. O/n Tekle Hotel.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 13:
: Spectacular scenery today as we pass though Senbete (where a famous market is held on Sundays), Debre Sina, (where we may see Gelada Baboons, one of Ethiopia’s endemic mammals), Debre Berhan (a former imperial capital), reaching Addis Ababa late afternoon. We will take a farewell dinner at the Crown Hotel, with national music and dancing. O/n Gedera Hotel.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 14:
Transfer to the airport for final departure.
(B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Ethiopia
History Whiz
Archeology/History
Cultural Journey
|
| Check out these similar vacation offers: |
|
|
