Welcome to the update website for the Bradt Guide to Ethiopia by Philip Briggs
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Comments
Philip,
I’m leaving for Ethiopia in 1 month and reading your guide intently. I will post my reactions to Amazon after my return, but I have already found it to be very well written (compared to the lonely planet which is the only other book I’ve read so far.)
sincerely
John Drendel, Departement d’histoire
Universite du Quebec a Montreal
How are you doing Philip?
I bought the first two publications of the Ethiopia travel guide, an excellent read. In some parts made me laugh hard, very witty! I have been traveling to Ethiopia once a year since 2004 love Ethiopia very much.
I would recommend these books to travelers on a budget like myself. Hotel information, daily budget guide very helpful and informative. Issues like the Jamaican Rastafarian community in Sheshemane, Hailie Salessie and related information.
Handled sensitively without being patronizing being British with Jamaican parents I appreciated it, though I’m not a Rasta myself.
Anthony
United Kingdom
This book served me extremely well in the three months I spent in Mekele and its surroundings with two trips to Addis and one to Aksum. One point – some of the sturdier beggars were collecting compensation for manslaughter by a relative. I hope Philip can extend his writing to many more countries. I am from Tanzania and his Guide is fascinatuing.
The book will be my bible as I prepare to explore a new interest by spending most of this coming January in Ethiopia.
I’ve read other books, histories, trying to satisfy a curiosity. How did it come about that Ethiopia — or the leaders of what became Ethiopia — chose the small kingdom of Solomon as ally, friend, and model? Even in the 11th to 9th centuries there were larger, more powerful, and more advanced societies. One of them, of course, was much closer — Egypt.
going to Ethiopia on Oct 2 ,2011 to visit an old friend whom I met in Eritrea several years ago .
I have found your guide to be well written and very informative , a bit of a cut above re the other guides in my posession .
I will be kind of a medical tourist without agenda or formal group I plan to visit several sites mostly in Addis but prehaps Gonder regarding orthopedic issues and a bit of real tourism . Prehaps I’m getting a bit old for this sort of thing, certainly not the interpid traveler I once fancied myself to be , BUT I do believe that your guide will help me have a good trip.with no big surprises.
planning to leave for 10 day Omo valley tour with Adimasu Tours on Monday
kind of looking for any traveling companions to help defray transportation costs
I will be at Ghion Hotel as tomorrow or email I do not have a cell phone here in Ethiopia
or call Adimasu at 0910326002
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the message but this website functions more as a source of guidebook updates than a place to look for travel companions – a good place for the latter is lonely planet’s ThornTree, I suggest you try there!
You could also put up a notice at the Taitu Hotel in Addis.
Cheers, Philip
thanks Phil will try this am traveling with Adimasu he says he remembers you well and says hello
regards
Ken
presently staying at Ghion hotel it is OK, people very nice food fair elevator busted today but was working /certainly much much cheaper that Sheraton even at inflated $79/day single, my room is more than adequate for my needs
the gardens are very nice and relaxing to stroll in
did a visit to Red Terror Martyr’s museum on Meskal Square it was very interesting and pretty disturbing especially as it seems to be happening all over again in Eritrea so I am told
COUNTERFEIT 100br notes
Be aware. Counterfeit green 100br notes are circulating. At least 8 ( ie 800br ) of these were issued by one of the forex offices in the Hilton to a tourist late August when she changed 300 pounds. At least 800 of the 8000 plus br she got were counterfeit.
They are very difficult to spot visually.
The paper is more shiny than the real notes , more gloss than matt. Paper is also stiffer than real notes.
Serial number on all of the ones i have seen is BC7327060.
ATMS
. Having praised Dashen Bank in the past for introducing ATMs here i Must point out theirs are becoming very unreliable.
Recently I went to a part of town with 3 Dashen ATMs in 400 metres. ie Dashen BranchMedhane Alem, Edna Mall, Harmony Hotel 0845 – none of them working.( Exactly the same experience last June) Went back to Dashen to complain – to find ATM there being refilled…
The ATMs of the CBE/ Commercial Bank of Ethiopia are now much more reliable. Better software/touchscreens.
when I got back to Addis from Omo my trusty driver Tsefue set me up with a guy to get me around town which was a friend of his who drives a blue cab ( this one a Toyota not Lada)
This Driver is Yared and I would like to recommend him to anybody who wants to get where you are going in good time and he was able to explain to this farangi where in God’s name I was at any given minute in this confusing and polluted city .
My time to leave here draws close but he has been a good help to me here
Yared may be reached at 0911542536
Adimasu Tours can be reached at any time at http://www.adimasu-tours.com
I would definitely plan to use him again for future travel arrangements in Ethiopia
he was and is very helpful along with those people who worked with him particularly Tsefue our excellent driver and ace mechanic
the only thing that stopped us was the Kaska River which flooded over night making it impassable even for Tsefue and the trusty Land Cruiser
my time here is short now with a bit to be accomplished so I probably won’t be traveling out of Addis this trip BUT I sure will look forward to future road trips (as well as the off road parts) with these guys.
Greetings from Addis
have been staying here in Addis at the Astara Hotel which is on Debre zeit road just about a kilometer and a half south of Meskel Square
Have been here about 2 weeks while work around Addis and have enjoyed the stay.
The hotel is clean and very friendly the food is good TV/ lights /water etc all work ( occasionally the free wifi internet is a bit slow to kick in but it is free)
I have a small suite here for $60 us per day this is less than Ghion
the Ghion has that lovely garden and a good location but internet is 170 Birr/ 24 hrs
There are an almost limitless # of places to stay in this city BUT I would well consider the Astara on a return trip
I am departing for Ethiopia, 19 Feb., is anybody travelling to South Omo 19 Feb to 5 Mar? A solo tour is cost prohibitive. Feel free to comment here or email me. Thanks.
I have enjoyed your book so much ! I bought one for my son ,one for myself and one for my daughter-in-laws brother. He lives in Addis and he was so excited when I gave him the book. I loved Ethiopia and someday I would like to return ! We were there for two weeks ! Jean
Hi Phillip and all the readers of this site,
I wonder if anyone knows about the Internal Flight discounts in 2012. I have managed to get discounts in the past if I travel with Ethiopian Airlines on the international leg.
I think I recall somebody saying last November that the different prices on the airline might have been on its way out.
Does anyone have recent experience on getting the internal flights discount and what is the best way to get it. I am organising a small group to travel and can’t just risk it because I have to work out the budget.
Many Thanks
Bridget
p.s. People in Addis a little longer might want to check out Couch Surfing its a good meeting people site and can get you a place to sleep. Obviously stay safe, stay sensible.