Detailed Trip Notes
Suitability
Suitability
We've given each of our tours a comfort rating and a tour pace, walking or cycling grade to give you a general idea about the level of activity on each tour and the standard of accommodation you will be staying in at the end of your day's adventure.
Often you'll stay in different styles of accommodation during your tour; so we make an average rating across the entire tour. For more information on where you'll stay each night, please refer to the day by day tour itinerary.
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Tour Itinerary
Budgeting for your Tour
Other Sightseeing & Activites
The following excursions and/or activities are usually available and may be arranged locally. Estimated costs are provided below for guidance only, are on a per person basis unless shown otherwise, and may depend on the number of participants. Prices quoted are correct as of the date these trip notes were originally issued but may change at any time due to currency fluctuations.
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Excursion Prices
Addis Ababa - National museum £1
Lalibela - Naktuleab Church or Genete Mariam Church (price dependant on numbers)
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Tipping
Local Crew: Although entirely voluntary, tipping is a recognized part of life in this region of the world. Some local staff will look to members of the group for personal recognition of particular services provided. In order to make things easier for you, the Tour Leaders may organise a group’s tips kitty and if this is the case, they will account for it throughout the tour.
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Accordingly, you should allow US$40 for tipping of local drivers, guides, boat crew and for any miscellaneous tipping of hotel staff.
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Tour Leader: At your discretion you might also consider tipping your Tour Leader in appreciation of the efficiency and service you receive.
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Foreign Exchange
Local Currency: Ethiopian Birr.
Recommended Currency for Exchange: It is advisable to take your spending money in US Dollars cash. Euros and British Sterling cash are not as widely accepted. Please keep any receipts as unused local currency can be exchanged back.
Where to Exchange: Addis Ababa - your tour leader will advise you on arrival.
ATM Availability: Very limited and generally not reliable.
Credit Card Acceptance: Very limited.
Travellers Cheques: Difficult to exchange and are not recommended.
Additional Information: Video recorders at some sites can incur a charge of £2-£10 per visit, so please budget accordingly. Please note that any pre-1999 US Dollar bills are not accepted in Ethiopia.
Up-to-date information re:global exchange rates can be obtained at https://www.currency-express.com/explore/
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Local Costs
| |
UK |
Ethiopia |
| Tea/Coffee |
£1.50 |
£0.50 |
| Soft Drink |
£1.50 |
£0.50 |
| Bottled Water |
£1.50 |
£0.50 |
| Bottle of Beer |
£3.50 |
£1.00 |
| 2 Course Meal* |
£15.00 |
£3.50 |
| 3 Course Meal** |
£20.00 |
£6.00 |
| Bottle of Wine |
£14.50 |
£15.00 |
| Breakfast |
£5.00 |
|
*Cheap local fare in a small cafe or restaurant.
**Typical food in a simple, reasonably comfortable mid-range restaurant.
Important Information
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of joining any of our tours that you must have valid travel insurance. It must indicate that you have cover for (at least) medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury. We also strongly recommend your policy includes cancellation protection as all deposit paid are non-refundable.
If you require travel insurance for your tour, Explore Worldwide is an appointed representative of Campbell Irvine Limited, who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services authority. Our travel insurance policy is specially tailored to the needs of the adventure traveller and will cover you for any included activity on any Explore trip. You can either purchase this at the time of booking or call us 0844 499 0901 after you have booked.
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Visa Requirements
Entry visas are required by all nationalities. Visas are available through the Embassy or through Explore’s recommended visa service, Visa Swift www.visaswift.com/explore.aspx. All nationalities should consult the relevant consulate.
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Visas for British citizens can either be obtained before departure or upon arrival, although this often changes at very short notice and you should check the latest advice with your embassy. Be also aware that you might have to queue for a long time on arrival in Ethiopia.
If you decide to apply for a visa before departure, please note that a single entry visa will be valid for 30 days from the date of issue and this will require you to submit a visa application no more than two weeks prior to departure. If, for convenience, you require a longer application period we would suggest that you apply for a multiple entry visa valid for 3 months.
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All visa information is subject to change. You should confirm all visa related issues with the relevant Embassy prior to departure.
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Vaccinations & Protection
An International Certificate of Vaccination against yellow fever is required for Ethiopia when entering from countries where it is endemic. Although not compulsory, we strongly recommend protection against typhoid, hepatitis A and polio. Travellers may also wish to immunise themselves against meningitis. Malaria exists all year round throughout the country below 2000m altitude. Note: Bahar Dar and Axum lie at an altitude of 1830m. Consult your travel clinic for latest advice on different prophylaxis available against malaria.
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The above is not an exhaustive list. Further information regarding vaccinations and travel health advice can be found by following the NHS and NaTHNaC links at http://www.explore.co.uk/Travelhealth/ and from your local healthcare provider.
Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure.
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Know before you go
We strongly recommend that you check your government’s travel advisory for up-to-date information and advice about your destination: safety and security, entry requirements, health, local laws and customs, including advice re: the legality of and local attitudes towards same-sex relationships. For UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Advice follow the link at http://www.explore.co.uk/Traveladvice/
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Preparing for your tour
Climate
Ethiopia is generally pleasant and warm, but varies with altitude. The long rains usually arrive mid-June to early September and the short rains between mid-February and April. Although this pattern has been completely erratic in recent times. After the rains, the highlands of northern Ethiopia are usually green and thus particularly scenic. The temperature all year round rarely falls below 18C, though in the dry season it can reach 30C.
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Seasonal weather patterns can be unpredictable. For up-to-date information on the weather worldwide please visit www.bbc.co.uk/weather.
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Packing for your tour
To assist with packing for your tour, we have detailed some of the essential items you should take with you.
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Luggage
Unfortunately it does occasionally happen that luggage does not always reach its destination on the same flight as its owner, or possibly it may be damaged in transit. If you are unlucky enough for this to occur, it is important that you file a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) with the airline before leaving the airport. This is essential when you come to make a claim either against the airline or from your travel insurance company
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One main piece of baggage and a daysack. Total allowance is 20kg (44lb) maximum.
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Clothing
Daytime temperatures are mainly warm and comfortable but evenings in the highlands can be cool. We recommend a thick sweater or warm fleece and lightweight wind/waterproof clothing. Take a sun hat.
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Footwear
Good walking shoes with ankle support are highly recommended as well as comfortable sandals.
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Equipment
Sun cream, a torch, memory cards for cameras. Insect repellent against fleas could be useful for the churches at Lalibela. You may want to consider taking walking poles for support on walks.
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General Information
Please note:
Fasting Days
During the 55 days preceding Easter and 40 days preceding Christmas (Genna), Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia abstain from eating animal products. During this time, therefore, local restaurants predominantly serve vegetarian food, though meat is usually available in some larger establishments.
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General Information
Ethiopia's culture, architecture and natural beauty are unique and travelling in this country is a remarkable experience. Its charme is certainly also due to its remoteness, however you should bear in mind that it is a developing country and its infrastructure in terms of transport and accommodation is in a formative stage. Domestic flight schedules can change at short notice which may result in a variation to the day-to-day itinerary detailed on these Tour Notes. The availability of hot water in the hotels is often limited and power cuts can occur. As we stay at some government hotels, these can be at times commandeered by government officials at short notice and our night stops may vary as a result. Even though we endeavor to operate the itinerary as described, please note that a degree of flexibility and a sense of humour may be required at times. With an open minded attitude you will be able to thoroughly enjoy the trip and to fully appreciate this fascinating country!
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Electric Supply & Plugs
For comprehensive information regarding voltages and plug types in use in the countries visited, follow the relevant link at http://www.explore.co.uk/Traveladvice/
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