Last November a friend and I visited the Simien Lodge in the Simien Mountain
National Park. We had a great time and were so impressed with the way the
English guy who built it was helping the local community that I filmed an
interview with him. When I sent him a DVD of the interview he forwarded me a
letter from a couple of Scandinavian Ambassadors who had stayed there a few
weeks later.
Reading the letter I did wonder if these people had got on the wrong plane
and thought that they were carrying out their Ambassadorial duties in
Switzerland. They complained about expense, bad service, untidiness and
fleas – all of which can be found in Ethiopia – but I certainly didn’t find
any of these things in the Simien Lodge.
Sure it is expensive – but the buildings are well designed, in local style,
very clean and comfortable, the solar shower was the hottest I found in all
the hotels I’d stayed in throughout the country, and there were certainly no
fleas or any other kind of bugs. The service, all from local people who had
probably never left the area in their lives was friendly and perfectly OK.
It was very cold at night, but there were cosy log fires in the large,
comfortable bar, and lots of new blankets and fresh sheets in the 4 person
dorm where we stayed.
My only complaint would be that maybe the restaurant is a bit too luxurious,
catering mainly for the large tour groups who come through by bus. I could
have done with something simpler rather than a 3 course meal though the
dinner in question was very good indeed, much better and more adventurous
than most of the restaurants I tried in Addis, and all cooked by a local
young girl.  Also the coffee at breakfast was not so great, and I could have
done without the tinned fruit juice.
But overall it was an astonishing experience of near Western luxury in the
last part of the world I would have expected to find it – expensive, but
definitely worth it.
Yours,
Pankaja Brooke

Firstly, by far the best place we stayed in on our recent trip was a new guesthouse in Addis, the Ankober Guest House.  Situated just beside the Baro Hotel on Piassa Muniyem street (PO Box 7342 Tel 011 111 2350 Fax 011 157 3163 email ankober.g.house@gmail.com).  Rates when we stayed were; Single $20 (252 Birr), Double $30 (379 Birr), Family Birr 505.  Certainly not the cheapest place we stayed in but far from expensive for Addis. It was also the cleanest place we stayed in in all of Ethiopia with far and away the best shower.  The only downside I can see is that if you stay there when you first arrive in Addis most reasonably priced places are of an inferior standard.

Vincent Cahill

p 381 – “Green Crater Lake”

The name “Green Crater Lake” is not known to the locals, and perhaps you should consider naming it Aranguade Bahir Lake which is the name the locals are using (and which you also mention in your text).  The name Hora Hado does not seem to be used, and it may be confused with Lake Hora.   The dirt road to the lake, which branches off to the west just south of Bishoftu is an awful rutted track, not passable by a gari.  The lake can be reached by walking for 2-3 hours from the main Bishoftu – Adama road or by a 4×4.

p. 465 – Awassa fish market

Entrance fee was raised to 20 Birr

2.  p. 420 – Harar – Feres Megala

Perhaps a few words about the curious monument in the center of Feres Megala could be of interest to your readers.  The monument commemorates the 1887 Battle of Chelenko, in which the Moslem forces lost to the Christian forces headed by Menelik II.  The day of the battle is commemorated by the Harari regional government.  I googled “the battle of Chelenko” and found this news item:

“The 121st anniversary of the battle of Chelenko was commemorated in the Harari Regional State on Sunday January 13th, 2008. Harari government officials placed a wreath of fresh flowers at the Chelenko martyrs monument in Faras Magala. A special prayer services were held for the martyrs, along with songs to commemorate their heroism and sacrifices.”

It definitely shows something about the current government of Ethiopia which allows its former vanquished enemies to commemorate their day of demise and use the term “martyrs” to boot.

Ron Bennett

Blue Nile Canyon

The road across the canyon is now fully paved, and there is a new bridge over the Nile – another project with the Japanese.

Bahir Dar

Someone told me that a new dam was to be inaugurated by the end of 2009 and that would eliminate the Blue Nile Falls altogether, but I was not able to verify that.

Guzara Castle

No evidence that there is any restoration work done there. It seems pretty deserted, with weeds growing around it.

Simien Mountains

For those on a budget it is recommended to stay in Debark upon arrival, and enter the park in the morning since every calendar day they should pay for a “guide” and an armed guard even if they do not intend to go for a hike.  I arrived in the park in the late afternoon and had to pay those fees for essentially no benefit.  Also, the guide and guard require two seats in your car so if you come with a fully occupied car, you may be in trouble. It is perfectly possible to do the Simiens in one day, driving all the way to Chenek (2 hours from Debark) and going for short walks.

p. 238 Gonder to Axum by road

Perhaps you may want to mention that, among other attractions, this scenic road passes the amazing Tekeze canyon just south of Shire.  The Tekeze is a major tributary of the Nile, and the canyon, with its red-earth slopes, is a sight to behold.  There is also a major dam built on the Tekeze (not seen from the road).

p. 258 Axum Stelae Field

The no-name Axum stele which was returned from Italy is referred to as the Axum Obelisk in some sources, such as the Unesco World Heritage Site list.  You may consider using the same terminology.

p. 262 Axum King Ezana’s park

The tablet in King Ezana’s park, protected inside a closed building, is bilingual – not trilingual as mentioned in your text.  The key to the building is held by a guard who sits in a small information booth across the road.  Near the booth there are remains of a large sixth century church which were excavated a few years ago.

p. 359 Lalibela tour practicalities

The entrance to the complex is now 300 Birr

p. 357 – Lalibela - the Alef Hotel

Paid the same price as the Asheton, $10, for a modern clean single with a shower – much less than the price mentioned in your text, and with no negotiations.

p. 324 – Hayk Istafanos

The entrance fee to the monastery is 100 Birr, which seems out of proportion.  You can not enter the monastery grounds without paying the fee.

p.  329 – where to stay in Kombolcha

The best hotel is Hikma Pension, with clean attractive rooms and a busy terrace restaurant.  They charge 140 Birr for a single with a shower, which seems steep for such a town. The Meron Hotel charges 90 Birr for a room with a cold shower, and is run down.

Ron Bennett

1.  P. 167 – “The churches of Kiddist Maryam etc”

The church which encloses the tomb of Menelik II is called Baata Maryam, not Kiddist Maryam as mentioned in your text.  Kiddist Maryam is another church in a different place, see below.  Baata Maryam church is correctly marked as “Baata Church” on the map in p. 170, but it should be marked as Baata Maryam, as the locals know it, since this is the name you have to give them if you ask for directions. Baata Maryam is actually part of a monastery, and the place is run by monks.  There is a fee of 30 Birr to visit the tomb of Menelik II, which will be charged inside the crypt after you went down there.  They give you a receipt, but the whole things seems to be somewhat on the sly, since there is no post that any fee is required to visit the crypt before you get there.

2.  p. 166 Tiglachin Monument

The Tiglachin (“Struggle”) monument is not “a tall geometric statue of a lion”.  The monument, in front of the post office building, consists of a tall central column with a red star on top.  There are large panels on both sides of the column describing the struggle for freedom of the oppressed people of Ethiopia, led by Mengistu.   On the right and left of the enormous plaza in front of the monument are memorials for Cuban soldiers who fell in the Ogaden war against Somalia, including their engraved pictures.  The place is now called “The Ethiopian Cuban Friendship Memorial” and there is a modest entrance fee of 5 Birr.

3.  P 167 Africa Hall

Africa Hall is the headquarters of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, not of the Organization of African Unity as implied in your text.  The OAU was dissolved and replaced by the African Union in 2002.

4.  Kiddist Maryam Church

This is a major church on Entoto Avenue, just south of Sahle Selassie avenue.  There seems to be a mausoleum in the courtyard which has some importance, since I saw quite a few people standing in prayer in front of it.  My internet search did not bring results, but you may have the resources to say a few words about this place.

5.  Haile Sellassie Jubilee Monument

The “tall geometric statue of a lion” mentioned in your text on p. 166 under the “Tiglachin Memorial” probably refers to this monument.  The monument, in front of the National Theater, commemorates Haile Selassie’s 50-year reign.

6.  The lion monument in front of the railway station

The monument has an interesting history.  It was taken to Italy during the occupation, and returned to Ethiopia after extensive negotiations.

7. Recommended travel company: Abeba Tours, with their office in the Ras Hotel.  I hired a car and driver from them for my trip, and I have nothing but praise for them. The car was well maintained, the driver a real professional.

8.  Yod Abbysinia – an Ethiopian restaurant with a traditional show of Ethiopian music, singing and dancing in the Bole Road area.  The food is excellent intoduction into Ethiopian fare, the program lasts for about 2 hours starting at 8PM.  The band consist of 4  musicians who play traditional instruments, there are 6 dancers who present a whole gamut of traditional dances from around the country, with frequent change of costumes, and there is also a singer.  Highly recommended.

9. p 145 map

On the upper right hand of the map there is an arrow pointing to a continuation of the map in the Siddist Kilo area on p. 158.  The map on p. 158 is of southwest Addis.  Instead the arrow should point to the map on p. 170With best regards,

Ron Bennett

We arrived in Labilela the night before Xmas and headed after dinner to the churches.  It was already hard to negotiate our way around because of the crowd that had already gathered. We went to the hotel for a few hours of sleep and came back around 5:00am. We stopped at the Tourist office (that was probably open the whole night…), hired an official guide and also got something like an official pass for the relative high price of around 300 birr per person.  That was the best money we spent during the whole trip.. Even though we still had to negotiate our way around, and would sometimes be stuck (and squeezed…) at the same place for 5-10 minutes, the guide managed to get us inside the church where the main ceremony was taking place.  It was a very intense and trance-prone experience that was the climax of our trip.

José Bonchristiano

a.       Stayed at the recently opened Kiriftu Resort (that I believe is listed as Boston Resort in your guidebook). Nice place even though construction work (of other bungalows and swimming pool) is still underway.  Bungalows were well decorated and food and service were of high quality.  Shiatsu massage (included in room price) was unexpectedly nice…

b.      ATM machine at Dashen Bank also very convenient;

c.       Lake Tana: what an experience!!

i.      We hired the boat from the Resort to take us to a few of the monasteries. It took us some effort to convince the hotel manager that it would be a one-way trip, since we wanted to end the boat trip at Tana Kirkos, cross to mainland, see Kristos Samra and continue our drive to Lalibela (rather than go back to Bahir Dar and drive all the way back to the Lalibela road). The manager thought it could not be done but we decided to follow your guidebook;

ii.      Ura Kidane Mihret: Our first stop, early in the morning.  We were probably the first tourists to get there that day which made the visit even more pleasant. When visiting the church, I saw a familiar face!! The monk on the cover of your guidebook was there, hanging around. We obviously asked him to pose in front of the same door and for the first time in our lives, we managed to take exactly the same picture that we saw in the cover of the guidebook… I think only in Ethiopia one could do that…

iii.      Getting off at Tana Kirkos was easy and a monk who probably spotted the boat during our approach was already down at the rocks waiting for us when we arrived (together with a hippo that submerged when the boat stopped).  Both wives were not very pleased to learn that they could not go beyond a certain point and gave us 30 min to visit everything!  My friend and I could not see the monastery itself since it is apparently “open” only during prayer time (i.e. from 3:00am to 6:00am…).  We were escorted to the pillars (now protected from the elements by a iron “house”) and heard all the interesting stories about their possible origins and uses. I found far more interesting though the visit to the “museum”, a 20 sq m room that is kept locked.  Two of the walls have shelves covered with centuries-old books, full of pictures and texts written on goat skin. While the monk was showing us the books, I could not stop thinking that they were not properly conditioned in that little room and if the church doesn´t do anything soon they may not last much longer…

iv.      After our visit, we wanted to carry on to the mainland as originally planned. We asked for help to find a papyrus tankwa that could take us over the small river that separated us from mainland and for directions to Kristos Samra. One of the monks was willing to help but charged us 150 birr for the whole package… Much more than the 20 birr we were expecting to pay… Given that the hotel boat had long left, we kind of realized that we did not have the upper hand on the negotiation table and accepted the price… Hopefully some of that money will help the monks better preserve the books they have… After making it to the other side of the river, it took us almost one hour to walk through some farmland along the river to Kristos Samra, where our car was waiting;

v.      Driving from Kristos Samra to the main road was a lot more challenging than what your guidebook sounds… And a lot more interesting as well. It was a tough one hour plus drive through farmlands and small villages. But it was the best opportunity we had to see how life is lived in the deep countryside of Ethiopia. By the reaction of the people (especially kids) along the way, we could tell that not many tourists opt for that “shortcut” during their visits…

José Bonchristiano

Gonder:

a.       Walk from Royal Enclosure to Debre Birhhan Selassie, stopping by Church of Medhane Alem along the way, was very pleasant.  Participating in a funeral procession during walk was kind of unexpected but made walk even more interesting…

Simien Mountains:

a.       We stayed at the Simien Lodge.  We were quite lucky to have a clear dusk with very intense orange light. The lodge is in an incredible location but given the price charged we expected better infrastructure.  There was almost no hot water in our room (just a few drops) and the cold water (a little more abundant was freezing). My wife and I had to settle for a below standard shower that night despite all the dust accumulated during our drive up there;

b.      We went for an early, long and beautiful walk in the morning next day that kind of made up for the shower inconvenience… Getting to the top of the cliffs before the geladas arrived and watch them climb it and come towards us was quite neat.  When my three kids get a bit older, I hope I have the opportunity to take them there to share the same experience.

José Bonchristiano

a.       Restaurant: great, great meal upon arrival in Addis at a somewhat new restaurant, Fasika, that is not listed in your guide. We loved it so much that we also had dinner there when back in Addis after visiting northern Ethiopia. Meal for 4 people with lots of food and beers went for +/- 700 birr;

b.      Art Gallery: also not mentioned in your book, Saint George Art Gallery, next door to the Sheraton (tel: 011 551 0983). Incredible collection of Ethiopian and African paintings, masks, crosses, furniture, etc. Picture of owner with Bill Clinton right at the entrance suggests that gallery is already attracting due attention from “foreign dignitaries”. Prices, unfortunately, have already been “westernized” and there was not much room for bargaining.  Owner was a bit cold, with monosyllable answers, at the beginning but became very nice and attentious once we started buying a few items…

c.       Armenian Club: we tried to have lunch there but apparently they are only serving meals at night time nowadays;

d.      Addis Ababa Museum: despite the information on the guide, corroborated by the sign at the entrance, that the Museum is open till 12:30 on Sundays, we got there at 11:30 and museum was already closed. When back to Addis at the end of trip, we were more successful and managed to get in.  Very interesting collection of photographs from various periods.  I found it amusing that a picture of Mengistu with Fidel in back room was the only picture without a label…

e.      National Museum of Ethiopia: we went there for the archaeological section, which we found somewhat disappointing. The rest of the museum though was very interesting and made the visit worthwhile.  As you well pointed in the guidebook, hiring a knowledgeable guide at the entrance made all the difference…

f.        ATM: there are two ATM machines inside the Sheraton that allowed us to get birr at a very decent exchange rate. Much more convenient (and probably safer) than having to exchange money at foreign-exchange bureaus.

José Bonchristiano

ADDIS ABABA: Taitu Hotel (the main building) is charming and has a very good price (300 birr for an en-suite twin room). If you do not sleep there and you are at Piazza, you should have a look-in to the hall in the upper story. The meals are quite good, but you should avoid the necessity of using the general wc.

AXUM: Yeha Hotel is good with a marvellous outlook to the stelae, not cheap (53 US $ twin), but worth the money. The restaurant is not bad as reported (slow service seems to be common in Ethiopia).

LALIBELA: Jerusalem = Lasta Hotel: OK (46 US $), and nice restaurant. Free airport transfer is an antiquated information, instead we could not avoid to pay the normal fare (40 birr/person) for a minibus with a breakdown that fixed us nearly one hour in hot air.

GONDER: Capra Walia Inn: I SUGGEST TO EXCLUDE THIS HOTEL FROM BRADT TRAVEL GUIDE1 On arrival the owner affirmed we had booked two twin rooms, not one. When paying he affirmed we agreed a price of 50 US $. We could refuse both wrong assertions – as we could show him our e-mail correspondance: 35 US $ (which proved overpriced) for one room. (We booked all hotels from Germany by e-mail, but that seems not to be essential – with the exception of Capra Walia.)

BAHIR DAR: Summerland Hotel: Rooms ok (the only bathroom we had in Ethiopia without any defect), good location, but 610 birr? Good meals, but very slow. Free airport shuttle still valid.

HARAR: Heritage Plaza Hotel is an agreeable new hotel with a nice garden café and a fine terrace where you can have dinner and feed the eagles gliding down from the air. 495 birr is ok (avoid to pay the website price 49,50 US $ instead).

Theodor Siegel (German)