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ETHIOPIAN EPIPHANY
Historical & Cultural Safari |
| LOCATION:
Ethiopia |
DAYS:
8 Days Northern Historic Route - 15 Days Historic Route & Omo Valley |
| FITNESS
LEVEL: Easy |
| SAFARI
HIGHLIGHTS: Limited Group Size * Addis Ababa * Bahir Dar * Gondar * Lalibela
* Axum * Site of the
Arc of the Covenant * "Lucy" Site * Complete Pre-Tour Documentation and Assistance with Visas * All Accommodations * Most Meals Included * Tour Portfolio
& Comprehensive Final Trip Documentation * Transfers to & from
Airport Included * All Entrance
Fees Included * Professional English Speaking Guides |
| "Rich
in history, the cradle of human civilization, Ethiopia
offers a land of many contrasts and extremes. Transport
yourself back in time in the rich ethnic history of the
people, the land and the spiritual sides that make Ethiopia
one of the most culturally magnificent destinations in
the world." |
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Tariff Coming Soon
| Contact Born Free
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Air Travel: Born Free will be pleased to assist in securing the best air schedule and fares possible. If you are planning to use mileage rewards, upgrades or purchase online tickets Born Free will also be happy to coordinate your plans.
ETHIOPIA
Day 1 - ADDIS ABABA
Welcome to Abyssinia and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city. Once through immigrations and customs, you are met by the local host and escorted to your hotel. Depending on arrival time - the day can be at leisure or arrangements will be made for a sightseeing of the city.
Sheraton Hotel or Hilton Hotel (Dinner)
Day 2 - ADDIS ABABA
Addis lies in the central highlands at an altitude of just under 8,000 feet. It is a combination of old and new world with colorful markets, colonial architecture and modern structures. On a full day tour visit Mount Entoto, the Trinity Cathedral and the Mercato. This market has a vast array of colorful goods and artifacts and is the largest open air market in Africa.
The highlight of today’s in-depth tour will be a stop at the National Museum. Move over "Lucy" and make way for viewing an exciting new find! Paleontologists have been scouring the arid Afar region of Ethiopia for hominid remains these past decades and are finally ready to reveal a new ancestor, Ardi. "Ardi" is short for Ardipithecus ramdu. Ardi shows an unexpected mix of advanced characteristics and of primitive traits seen in much older apes that were unlike chimps or gorillas She's more than 4.4 million years old and walked upright while Lucy, the iconic early human ancestor specimen walked a mere 3.2 million years ago.
A fun evening lies ahead as we all go to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant where we here local music and possible dance.
Sheraton Hotel (Breakfast, Dinner)
Day 3 - BAHIR DAR
After breakfast, a short flight takes you to Bahir Dar. Meet your guide and your are off through the beautiful countryside to the small town of Tiss Abay to visit the famous Blue Nile Falls. In the afternoon, take a boat ride on Ethiopia's largest water body, Lake Tana, where you visit the island monastery.
Tana Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4 - BAHIR DAR - GONDAR
From Bahir Dar, stop at what remains of one of the Falasha Villages (Ancient Ethiopian Jewish settlement). Stop at the Ploughshare Women's Crafts Training Centre which provides skills to disadvantaged women. Continue to Gondar, Ethiopia's capital for over 200 years. Visit the Castle which is connected to a series of tunnels and raised walkways and surrounded by high stone walls. This afternoon visit the Debre Birhan Selasse Church, famous for its ceiling paintings of Ethiopian saints.
Goha Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5 - GONDAR - LALIBELA
Journey by air to Lalibela - one of the highlights of any trip to Ethiopia and the countries holiest city. The town remains an isolated and undeveloped area. The whole day is dedicated exploring the world-renowned late 12th century rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. Continue this afternoon visiting theses unique churches. We'll meander among the dimly lit passageways and tunnels of the medieval churched, occasionally seeing a robed priest or monk. The smell of the beeswax candles still pervades. These churches, carved out of single rocks, date back to 11th and 12th century A.D. Our accommodations are in "Tukuls" gathered in a village style.
Village Tukul or Roha Hotel
(Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6 - LALIBELA
Something different today - if you wish you can travel by mule to visit the Asheton Marian Church situated on top of a mountain. Our guides and mules are very sure footed and it will be a fun morning! There is a third group of unique churches with beautiful mosaics which we will visit this afternoon.
Village Tukul or Roha Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7 - LALIBELA - AXUM
On to Axum, where a visit is made to what was once the Queen of Sheba's Palace and the famous Stele Field* (4th Century A.D. and UNESCO World Heritage Site), the ruins of the palace and tomb of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel (5th and 6th Century A.D.) and his son Gebre Meskel, where you can see a stone inscription of King Ezana (4th Century). On to the Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion, which is believed to be the last resting place of the Original Ark of the Covenant.
Remhai Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
* Stele is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living - inscribed, carved in relief (bas-relief, sunken-relief, high-relief), or painted onto the slab.
Day 8 - ADDIS ABABA and YOUR JOURNEY ONWARDS
Return to Addis and back to your hotel with the rest of the day at leisure. There is time to shop and see the sights on your own. This evening transfers to the airport for your departing flight - Or you may want to continue today to southern Ethiopia and the Omo Valley.
Optionally Continue to Southern Ethiopia and Omo Valley
Be prepared for long drives and simple hotels - but travel to an area that is not often visited by tourists. Below is an outline of an itinerary in the Omo. Since we are respecting the local people - nothing will be prearranged. We will do our best to provide you with an interesting trip, meeting many people - but there is nothing that is guaranteed.
Day 8 - ADDIS ABABA - OMO VALLEY - YIRGALEM
After returning from Axum continue south to Omo and its uniqueness will start to unfold shortly outside of Addis.
Continue the drive to Yirgalem. As we drive we see clusters of unusual homes that look like straw hats. These are typical Sidama residents actually made of bamboo. We will also travel through Leku, a town associated with the legendary Queen Furra. According to local lore, Queen Furra a one-time female ruler of Sidama who endeavored to establish a kingdom dominated by women. She was reputed for making men's life hell and on an occasion left her entourages and servants bewildered by telling them to build a palace, without having the base on the ground. As time allows we will also visit Debre-Zeit and the Rift Valley Lake Zeway. This is the area where the human race is believed to have originate. It is also the birthplace of coffee and the friendly and gentle tribal people have very elaborate ceremonies when preparing and drinking coffee.
Aregash Lodge
(Breakfast)
Day 9 - YIRGALEM - ARBA MINCH
Breakfast at the hotel - board our 4x4 vehicles and head to a beautiful forest area inhabited by birds that are not found anywhere else. We stop at one of the small Dorze villages. They used to be warriors but have turned to farming and weaving. There success in weaving has been phenomenal and the name Dorze is synonymous with the best cottons. Each amazing Dorze bamboo house has a small garden surrounding it, with spices, cabbage and tobacco. We continue on to the larger town of Arba Minch for the evening. The area around Arba Minch is inhabited also by the Guaragie who were once nomads but have become farmers.
Paradise Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 10 - ARBA MINCH - JINKA
Up early this morning and continue to Jinka, one of the relatively big towns in the Omo Valley. Experience interesting cultural encounters along the way. The Konso, a pagan people, erect eerie wooden totems replete with phallic symbols over the graves of the dead and have numerous cults based around the breeding and veneration of serpents. The cornerstone of Konso culture, however, is a highly specialized and successful agricultural economy that, through terracing buttressed with stone, enable these people to extract a productive living from a none-too-fertile hills and valleys that surround them. This is an excellent day to meet the people, take photographs with them and learn of a culture that has had very little outside influence. This will be a day to admire the spectacular topography which continues to descend down to the Omo and characterized by warm temperature.
Jinka Hotel (Breakfast)
Day 11 - JINKA - MAGO - MURSI - JINKA
The Hamer are one of the most beautiful and dignified people in the Omo basin. Hamer women wear their hair in dense ringlets smeared with mud and clarified butter and topped off with a headdress featuring oblongs of gleaming aluminum. The insertion of wooden and terra cotta discs into the ear lobes is a widespread custom and Mursi women also progressively split and stretch their lower lips to make room for similar discs there too. Though lip plates may appear bizarre to outsiders, the Mursi regard them as signs of beauty.
Jinka Hotel (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 12 - JINKA - TURMI
Visit the Dimeka market this morning which draws many different tribes. Drive towards the Murulle area to see the Karo ethnic group, experts in body painting, using clays and locally available vegetable pigments to trace fantastic patterns on each other's faces, chests, arms and legs.
Buska Lodge or Evangadi Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 13 - MURULLE - TURMI
After an early breakfast in the hotel, head to Murulle, a settlement for the Karo people famous for their unique body decorating culture. Visit the village of Dus and back to Turmi for over night stay. It will be a most interesting day as we interact with each tribe and observe just how different they all are.
Buska Lodge or Evangadi Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 14 - TURMI - KONSO - ARBA MINCH
The journey continues alongside the Mountains of Men, providing splendid panoramic views, until it reaches the soft, terraced hills of Konso. Travel on to the Rift Valley is a deep fission that extends for over 3,500 miles. Travel alongside Lake Chamo and arrive in Arba Minch around lunchtime. Stop en route to meet the Erbore people who share many cultural features with the Oromo people in Borena and continue driving to Konso, a settlement which has a real African village and are known for their grave signs. Take time for pictures and visit in the village.
Paradise Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 15 - ADDIS ABBA and YOUR JOURNEY ONWARDS
Head back to Addis on a long days drive via the Hosana Road. En route we visit the Gurage settlement. If we have time we will stop to see TIYA, another World Heritage Site before continuing on to Addis Abba. Here there is an Optional Flight to Addis.
Today's journey ends in Addis - but this truly will be on the most interesting and special trips of your lifetime!
There is a dayroom available for your convenience before bidding farewell to Ethiopia.
(Breakfast)
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