flying safari
with tropic air
ethiopia
12 days through Africa’s most dra matic and exciting country
flying safari
itinerary
at a glance
day 1
Addis Ababa, Sheraton Hotel
day 2
Blue Nile scenic
Lalibela, Mountain View
Church visits
day 3 & 4
Danakil Depression scenic
Tigray, Gheralta Lodge
Visits to rock-hewn churches
day 5 & 6
Aksum visit, followed by flight over the
Simien Mountains
Lake Tana, Kuriftu Resort
Boat cruise to historic monasteries
day 7
Harar, Guest House
16th century walled city
day 8 & 9
Bale Mountains, Mountain Lodge
Wildlife and mountain scenery
day 10 &11
Omo Delta, Murulle Hunters Lodge
Cultural visit of Surma and Merci people
day 12
Flying safari ends
Return to Addis
day 1
addis ababa
Your expedition begins in the
Ethiopian capital – Addis Ababa.
Here you will meet your pilot and
Cessna Caravan aircraft.
In Addis Adaba, there are options
to enjoy a city tour and go to the
National Museum, which houses
the 3.5 million year-old skeleton
of ‘Lucy’ - the oldest hominid ever
found.
The Ristorante Castelli restaurant
is a great place for dinner - serving
world-class Italian cuisine.
Accommodation is at the
prestigious Sheraton Hotel.
addis ababa
Addis Ababa is the fourth largest
city in Africa - a melting pot of
cultures and a bizarre combination
of past and present - Italian Fascist
buildings sit alongside luxurious
high rise hotels; priests in medieval
robes mix with African bureaucrats
and wandering minstrels singing
songs that are centuries-old.
Around the corner, neon signs
light up modern bars and
discotheques beat with the latest
global hits.
Addis Ababa meaning ‘new flower’
was chosen for its beauty, hot
springs and agreeable climate by
Taitu, the consort of Menelik II.
Today, you can get one of Africa’s
finest tasting coffees in Addis,
visit the St George Cathedral and
Museum, see the legendary ‘Lucy’
in the National Museum, and dine
on the legacy of Italy’s colonisation
- pizza.
day 2
blue nile gorge
Spectacular flight to Lalibela,
through astonishing landscapes,
as we follow the course of the Blue
Nile Gorge.
day 2
lalibela
We arrive in Lalibela mid
morning, and for the rest of the
day, in the company of a local
guide, we will visit some of the
famous 12th century rock-hewn
churches.
Intended to be a ‘new Jerusalem’
following the capture of the Holy
lands by Muslims, the rural
town of Lalibela is an ancient
world with medieval rock- hewn
churches, hidden crypts and dimly
lit passageways, carved from solid
granite, a millennia ago.
Today, it is not only the physical
structures that remain frozen in
time, but a place of pilgrimage
for many of Ethiopia’s Orthodox
Christians.
Accommodation is at Mountain
View located on the edge of the
Lasta Mountain.
day 3
danakil
depression
This morning we fly over the
Danakil Depression - a place of
acid lakes, volcanoes and giant
salt pans. On route we’ll hopefully
have sightings of the camel trains
belonging to the Afar nomadic
people, gently snaking their way
across this inhospitable land to
collect salt.
More than 100 metres below sea
level, the Danakil Depression is
peppered with countless colourful
sulphurous springs & active
volcanoes.
salt plains and
the afar people
As we fly towards the Danakil
Depression we may have sightings
of the camel trains belonging to
the Afar nomadic people, gently
snaking their way across this
inhospitable land, following
ancient salt routes.
The nomadic Afar people that
inhabit this region are ‘belligerent
and proud’ as portrayed by Wilfrid
Thesiger.
day 3 & 4
tigray
After a morning flight over the
Danakil, we fly to Mekele , and take
a vehicle to Gheralta, where we will
spend the next 2 nights.
We will explore the amazing rockhewn churches are perched on top
of steep hills, or carved into cliff
faces only accessible by narrow
foot paths which scale up the edge
of the hills.
Accommodation is at Gheralta
Lodge.
tigray’s
rock hewn
churches
The Tigray Region has particularly
spectacular landscape - stratified
mountains and sharp peaks that
rise from the plains.
Very little is known about the
origin of the 120 year old rock
churches or their architectural
history. Local tradition attributes
most of the churches to the 4th
century Aksumite Kings, Abreha
and Atsbeha.
Access to the churches involves
some interesting hikes up the
steep (and sometimes sheer) cliff
faces. Inside many of the churches
are colourful frescoes - hundreds
of years old .
The priests who live on these
mountains follow a simple life
that revolves around the Orthodox
Christian calendar.
day 5
aksum
A morning spent in the fascinating
town of Aksum - famous for
Stellae and stone monuments.
One of the most important ancient
sites in sub-Saharan Africa,
Aksum is now something of a
rural modern town. Scattered
around this World Heritage Site
are ruins of palaces, underground
tombs and inscriptions that rival
the Rosetta Stone.
Pilgrims still journey to Aksum
and the majority of Ethiopians
passionately believe that the Art of
the Covenant resides here.
simien
mountains
Thousands of years of erosion
has worn down the Ethiopian
plateau and created one of the
most spectacular landscapes in the
world. At 4,543m, the Simiens are
Ethiopia’s highest range.
The jagged peaks and deep valleys
are home to rare and endemic
wildlife including the Ethiopian
wolf, Gelada Baboon, and the
Walia Ibex - a wild goat found
nowhere else in the world.
simien
mountains
The jagged peaks and deep valleys
are home to rare and endemic
wildlife including the Ethiopian
wolf, Gelada Baboon, and the
Walia Ibex - a wild goat found
nowhere else in the world.
Also found here is the lammergerie
(bearded vulture) - a massive
vulture with a wingspan of up to 3
metres, with a distinctive diamondshaped tail and black moustache.
Its old name of ossifrage (or bonebreaker) relates to its habit of
dropping bones from great heights
onto rocks beneath - bone marrow
is its favoured source of food.
day 5 & 6
lake tana
Our final destination of the day is
Dahir Dar, located on the shores
of Lake Tana. Lake Tana is the
source of the Blue Nile, which
plummets with tremendous force,
down the 45 meter Blue Nile Falls,
creating a spectacle of mist and
rainbows.
The lake has 37 islands, many with
monasteries of immense historical
and cultural values, decorated with
colourful paintings.
Numerous wetland birds, such as
great white pelican and African
darter, reside at Lake Tana The
African softshell turtle has been
recorded near the Blue Nile
outflow.
We will spend 2 nights at the
Kuriftu Resort.
day 7
harar - the
walled city
After breakfast we fly to the
Eastern Highlands, landing at
Dira Dama airport.
The 16th century walled city of
Harar is Ethiopia’s Holy City
for the Muslim community.
Its characterised by narrow
alleyways, whitewashed walls and
more than 90 mosques, steeped in
culture and history.
The old city wall is the main
attraction and symbol of Islamic
architecture, and the old town is
home to over 100 mosques and
shrines.
The presence of wild hyenas are
common on the streets of Harar
at night, and visitors can get a
glimpse of the ‘hyena man’ feeding
them by hand.
day 8 & 9
bale mountains
Our destination is the Bale
Mountains, located within the
South Eastern region of Oromia.
Accommodation is at the newly
developed Bale Mountains Lodge.
bale mountains
Known for its abundant wildlife,
including dozens of endemic
species, the Bale Mountains host
Africa’s largest area of Afro-Alpine
habitat.
The mountain terrain is marked
by deep gorges and alpine lakes.
From the high altitude plateau
rises massifs of rounded and
craggy peaks, including Tullu
Deemtu - the second highest peak
in Ethiopia (4,377 m).
During our 2 day stay, we will
explore the Mountains - walking,
horse trekking and scenic drives
are all great ways to spot some of
the endemic mammals. We will
also have an insight into the work
of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation
Programme.
omo delta
The Omo is undoubtedly one of the
most unique places on earth because
of the wide variety of people and
animals that inhabit it.
day 10 & 11
omo delta
A morning departure for the Omo
Delta, where we will spent the next
2 days, at Murulle Hunters Lodge.
Years of erosion has created the
amazing Omo River Delta – a
constantly changing floodplain
covering an area of 1500km2.
Living within close proximity
of each other are a multitude of
traditional tribes and nomadic
herdsmen that have walked this
scorched place for centuries - their
customs and traditions unchanged.
We will have the privilege of
meeting some of these most
interesting tribes, witnessing a
‘Hamer’ bull jumping ceremony,
and a ‘Surma’ stick fight.
day 12
flying safari
ends
After breakfast we depart for Addis
Ababa where our flying safari ends.
tropic air
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www.t ropicairkenya.com
A thrilling way to appreciate the diversity
of East Africa - its wide open spaces,
changing landscapes and spectacular
scenery - is from the air.
Our flying safaris link the most
exhilarating and sought-after
destinations in East Africa, making the
best of landscapes, wildlife and culture.
Safaris are pilot-guided. Aircraft used
are Cessna Grand Caravans - capable of
taking off from nearly all bush airstrips,
made possible by the large wheels, very
efficient wing and powerful engine. Its
wide spacious air conditioned cabin,
large windows and unrestricted view
make the Caravan very popular with
passengers.