The ‘smoking water’ of Blue Nile Falls
Ethiopia – Historical and Contemporary
8 – 21 February 2017
With Rift Valley extension
21 – 24 February 2017
“Fascinating country – really enjoyed the trip.
Glad I stayed for a bit of R & R in the Rift Valley.”
Carole Peden, Ethiopia November 2012
Rock church, Lalibela
Ethiopia has the longest archaeological
record in the world, is home to one of
the oldest Christian civilizations on the
planet and has been dubbed the ‘cradle of
humanity’, with the most ancient human
bones ever discovered found here. Its natural
landscapes are spectacular and diverse and
its rich cultural identity is firmly intact,
being almost the only African country to
have escaped lengthy European colonisation.
Saharan Africa. Visit the outstanding National
Museum, which contains finds made by French
archaeologists in the 20th century, the plaster
cast of ‘Lucy’ being the star attraction (when
she is not on tour). The Ethnological Museum
is the best museum in the country, with an
exceptional range of artifacts and Ethiopian
handicrafts. You will also visit Trinity Cathedral.
In the evening, hear a talk by Mulugeta Gebru,
an expert on development in Ethiopia.
And yet, this incredible country is still some
way off the tourist map. This tour unveils
the abundant offerings of Ethiopia, both
past and contemporary, and shows you a
remarkable land with a heritage matched
by few countries in the world. The tour is
led by Dr Richard Marsh, a regular visitor to
Ethiopia and an authority on the country’s
history, art, music and contemporary society.
Fly to Axum, Ethiopia’s most ancient city, littered
with astonishing archaeological treasures. The
Axumite Empire dominated the crossroads of
trade between Africa and Asia for one thousand
years and gave Ethiopia its first organised
religion, Christianity, in the 4th century AD.
A big sprawling city with a small town feel,
Addis Ababa cheerfully juxtaposes the old and
the new. A short city tour will orientate you
before you ascend Mount Entoto for a superb
panoramic view of Addis Ababa.
Start the next day with a talk providing an
overview of Ethiopia, before discovering
for yourself the superb museums of Addis
Ababa, some of the most important in subFruit market near the Piazza in Addis Ababa
Stelae Park in Axum
The churches and monasteries here are superb,
richly endowed with icons and some of the
crowns of ancient emperors. According to local
legend, Axum was also the Queen of Sheba’s
capital in the 10th century BC and you will visit
her palace here. Marvel at Axum’s enormous
stelae, fantastically well preserved stone
monoliths covered in fine carvings, which were
used to mark the tombs of rulers, and tour the
Axum Museum with its fine display of inscribed
tablets. Later that evening hear an absorbing
talk on Ethiopian myths and history.
Next day drive to Yeha, with spectacular views
over the Simien Mountains, to the site of the
great battle of Adwa, where the Ethiopian army
drove out the Italians in 1896. Visit the preAxumite Temple at Yeha, Ethiopia’s first known
capital, an immensely old site, with some of
the ruins dating to the 8th century BC. The
geometric temple is stunningly constructed,
so perfectly aligned without mortar that it is
impossible to insert a coin between the blocks.
Visit a typical Tigrean house and Church Treasury
and hear a fascinating on-site talk on Ethiopian
religious art. Continue to the church of St Mary
of Zion, where the Ark of the Covenant is said to
rest and where the Emperors of Ethiopia were
traditionally crowned. Hear a talk on “Politics
and People” that gives the background to some
of those who have shaped this ancient nation.
Fly to Lalibela, high in the rugged Lasta
Mountains, a city that ranks among the world’s
greatest religious historical sites. Its exquisite
800-year old rock churches, which are hewn
from solid rock, represent the pinnacle of a very
ancient Aksumite masonry style. Some of the
eleven churches stand in giant quarried caves;
others are hidden in deep trenches. Tunnels and
narrow passages connect them all with crypts
and grottos carved off the passages. Priests and
monks wander amongst the churches, many
of which display some of the most remarkable
examples of early Christian art. Visit the eastern
group of rock churches in the afternoon.
Next day visit the western group of churches
and take a drive to visit the cave church of
Na’akuto La’ab outside Lalibela.
Next day drive out of Lalibela to visit
Yemrehanna Krestos, one of the most
spectacular cave churches in Ethiopia, and return
via a local village for coffee. You will also learn
about the art of the region at the Tegegne Art
Studio and enjoy some mead at the Tej House.
In the evening enjoy dinner at the architecturally
and culinary acclaimed Ben Abeba restaurant,
run by Susan Aitchison, a Scottish former
teacher.
Next day fly to Gondar, a city whose splendour
became local legend during its tenure as
Ethiopia’s capital in the 17th century. Explore its
dramatic castles and sumptuous palaces and the
ruins of Kusquam Abbey.
Fasilidas Palace, Gondar
Sudan
Eritrea
Red Sea
Axum 2
Gondar 4
3
Lake
Tana 5 Lalibela
Bahar Dar
Lake Ziway
Lake Langano
Lake Awassa
1 Addis Ababa
Extension
Ethiopia
On your final day in Addis Ababa visit the city
museum, Muya, founded by a fashion designer to
introduce the rest of the world to the rich heritage
of Ethiopian textiles, and wander on Churchill
Road to buy souvenirs and coffee. That evening
enjoy a farewell dinner in a traditional Ethiopian
restaurant with live music. The following morning
transfer to the airport for your return flight, or
join the extension to the Rift Valley.
“I can only congratulate you on the
excellent choice of visits throughout.”
Annette Synge, Ethiopia 2013
Visit the Women’s Ploughshare Project the next
day, stopping at the Felasha village. After lunch
visit the country’s most famous church at Debre
Birhan, remarkable for the eighty winged angel
heads that entirely cover the ceiling. Return
to Gondar and later in the evening hear an
absorbing talk on ‘Ethiopia and the World: The
Quest for Prester John’.
Drive to Bahir Dar, an attractive town of wide
leafy avenues set on the shore of Lake Tana.
The journey provides breathtaking views and
there will be photo stops along the way. After
lunch visit the former palace of Haile Selassie
and the Fistula Outreach Project, part of the
inspirational Hamlin Fistula Hospital.
Enjoy a boat trip on Lake Tana and visit Narga
Sellassie, a stunning 18th century royal church,
and hear a talk on ‘Sacred Geometry and
Ethiopian Church Painting’. After a picnic lunch
continue to the Zeghie Peninsula to visit the
church and treasury of Betre Maryam and return
to Bahir Dar.
Visit the spectacular Blue Nile Falls (Tissisat
Falls), aptly known locally as ‘Smoking Water’,
which is also a wonderful site for bird spotting.
After free time by the lake fly back to Addis
Ababa in the afternoon and transfer to your
hotel. That evening Richard provides his views
on agriculture and food in Ethiopia today.
The angel festooned ceiling of the church at Debre Birhan (top);
Take a boat to a monastery island on tranquil Lake Tana;
A priest with some of the stunning church murals on Lake Tana (above)
Itinerary
7 – 21 February 2017
B = Breakfast
L = Lunch D = Dinner
2 nights Addis Ababa - 2 nights Axum - 3 nights Lalibela - 2 nights Gondar 2 nights Bahar Dar - 2 nights Addis Ababa
7 Feb (Tue)
London
Pm
If taking UK flight package, depart London on Ethiopian Airlines
8 Feb (Wed)
Addis Ababa
Am
Pm
Arrive Addis Ababa and at leisure
Short city orientation tour followed by a
trip up Mount Entoto for a panoramic view of the city
L D
B L D
9 Feb (Thur) Addis Ababa
Am
Pm
Eve
15 Feb (Wed) Lalibela / Gondar
Talk: ‘Ethiopia – the context’ by Richard Marsh. Visit the National Museum
Visit Trinity Cathedral, and the Ethnographic Museum
Talk: ‘Development in Ethiopia’ by Mulugeta Gebru
B L D
10 Feb (Fri)
Addis Ababa / Axum
Am
Pm
Eve Fly to Axum. Transfer to the Yeha Hotel
Visit Axum’s sites including the Queen of Sheba’s Palace, King Caleb’s Tomb, the Stelae Park and museum
Talk: ‘Ethiopian Myths and History’
11 Feb (Sat)
Axum
Am Pm
Eve
Drive via the site of the battle of Adwa to the pre-Axumite Temple at Yeha. Visit a typical Tigrean house and onto the
Church Treasury.
Talk: ‘Ethiopian Religious Art’
Visit the church compound and see the church of St Mary of Zion, supposed repository of the Ark of the Covenant and the church treasury.
Talk: ‘Politics and People’
2+, uneven*
12 Feb (Sun) Axum / Lalibela
Am
Pm
B L D
2+, uneven
B L D
Visit the western group of the rock churches
Visit the cave church of Nakuto La’ab
14 Feb (Tue) Lalibela
Am
Pm
Eve
2+, uneven
Fly to Lalibela and transfer to the hotel
Visit the eastern group of rock churches
13 Feb (Mon) Lalibela
Am
Pm
B L D
up to 2 hrs
2+, v steep
Am Pm 2+
B L D
Fly to Gondar
Tour of the castles of Gondar, the centre of the Ethiopian empire in the 17th and
18th centuries, and the ruins of
Kusquam Abbey
16 Feb (Thur) Gondar
2+, demanding
B L D
Am Pm Eve Visit Kossoye for spectacular views of
the Simien Mountains. Visit the Women’s Ploughshare Project and brief stop at the Felasha village
Visit the church of Debre Birhan Sellassie
Talk: ‘Ethiopia and the World: The Quest for Prester John’
17 Feb (Fri)
Gondar / Bahir Dar
Am
Pm
Travel by road from Gondar to Bahir Dar and check into the hotel
Visit the viewpoint by the former palace of Haile Sellassie and the Bahar Fistula Outreach Project
18 Feb (Sat)
Bahir Dar
Am
Pm
Full day boat trip. Visit Narga Sellassie Island. On-site talk: ‘Sacred Geometry and Ethiopian Church Painting’, picnic lunch
Continue to the Zeghie peninsula to visit the church of Oura Kidane Mihret and treasury of Azwa Maryam
up to 2 hrs
19 Feb (Sun) Bahir Dar / Addis Ababa
Am Pm
Eve
B L D
B L D
Visit Tissisat Falls (the Blue Nile Falls)
Fly to Addis Ababa
Talk: ‘Feeding a nation - challenges and opportunities’ - Richard Marsh
20 Feb (Mon) Addis Ababa
Am Pm
Eve
B L D
B L D
Visit the Addis Ababa Museum
Visit Muya and Churchill Road
Farewell dinner in restaurant with national food accompanied by traditional music
21 Feb (Tue) Addis Ababa / London
Am
Pm
Depart for airport for flight to London
Arrive London Heathrow
B L D
Drive out of Lalibela to see the spectacular church of Yemrehanna Krestos. Return via coffee at Yemrehanna Krestos village
Visit the local tej house and Tegegne
Art Studio
Dinner at Ben Abeba restaurant
* This tour requires a good level of physical fitness
with visits that entail an hour or more of walking
as indicated, often over uneven ground.
Rift Valley extension
The spectacular African Rift Valley is home to
a chain of scenic lakes rich in bird and animal
life. Drive down to Lake Awassa, with stops at
crater lakes en route, and check into your hotel.
During your three nights here, you will spend
time relaxing by the lake with options to swim,
go on walks or bird watching. You will also visit
local villages, banana and coffee plantations and
see ‘kocho bread’ being made from the enset
(false banana) tree. There is also an excursion
to Wondo Guenet hot springs, including bird
watching and the option to take a boat trip to
spot hippos.
One of the beautiful crater lakes in the Rift Valley
“It was a great introduction to
a fascinating country. I could
have stayed longer to really
absorb the atmosphere.”
Liz Rhodes, Ethiopia February 2011
21 – 24 February 2017
21 Feb (Tue) Addis Ababa / Awassa
Am Drive from Addis to Lake Awassa through the Rift Valley with stops
at crater lakes via Debrezeit, Ziway, Langano and Shashemene. Check into the hotel
22 Feb (Wed) Lake Awassa
Am Pm
2+ hours
Visit the town of Yirgalem, walk
through the plantation and visit Sidama village to see kocho making (bread from the enset or false banana, tree) or at leisure by the lake. Options include walks, bird watching and swimming
In the afternoon take a boat trip on Lake Awassa
23 Feb (Thur) Lake Awassa
Am Pm
The beautiful Rift Valley (top); Flamingos in Rift Valley;
Wallowing hippos in the Rift Valley (above)
Excursion to Wondo Guenet hot springs and bird watching
At leisure
24 Feb (Fri)
Lake Awassa / Addis Ababa
Am
Pm Eve Drive back to Addis Ababa via Butajira and a visit to the Tiya stelae field
Freshen up and change in a hotel room before the flight
If taking flight package, depart for late flight to London, arriving next day
The fully-inclusive price of the
tour is £3,580 / AUD $7,876
Tour Leader
Dr Richard Marsh has a long association with the
Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches and
is an authority on Ethiopia’s history, art, music
and contemporary society. He is the author of
Black Angels: The Art and Spirituality of Ethiopia
and Prayers from the East and is the Director
of Intelligent Giving, a registered charity that
aims to make charitable giving more effective
by helping donors evaluate charities. Richard
has travelled extensively and is an experienced
tour leader, having led many successful tours to
Ethiopia as well as Georgia, Armenia and Iran.
“Richard was always helpful and very
knowledgeable and added an extra
dimension that many trips don’t have.”
Marian Guess, Ethiopia 2011
National Guide
Dawood will be the tour’s national guide
throughout Ethiopia. We have worked with
Dawood for over a decade and he is popular,
warm and extremely knowledgeable with
excellent contacts within Ethiopia.
Bahir Fistula Outreach Project
This is one of three sites supported through a
bilateral agreement between USAID/Ethiopia
and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia. Hamlin Fistula
Ethiopia (formerly known as the Addis Ababa
Fistula Hospital) opened a branch obstetric
fistula repair center in Bahir Dar to increase
access to fistula repair services for women
living in rural areas. USAID supports the Bahir
Dar Hamlin Fistula Hospital, a 44-bed facility,
to provide quality fistula surgery. The Bahir Dar
Fistula Center works closely with the Felege
Hiwot Regional Hospital in Bahir Dar (a large
public hospital serving the Amhara Region)
to facilitate women’s access to caesarean
section services. The fistula centre supports
a community outreach component to raise
awareness about fistula prevention.
The ground only cost (not
including international flights
and transfers) is £3,220 / AUD
$7,298
The full cost includes:
• Return economy flights on the scheduled
services of Ethiopian Airways between London/
Addis Ababa Business Class fares available on request
• UK airport tax
The ground only cost includes:
• 13 nights’ accommodation in twin-bedded
rooms with private facilities in medium grade
hotels
There will be a single room supplement of
£290 / AUD $640
• Full board throughout the trip
• A full programme of visits as per the itinerary
• UK tour leader (Dr Richard Marsh)
• Comprehensive briefing notes
• Admission fees where applicable
• English speaking national guide throughout
• All transport services, internal flights and
airport taxes in Ethiopia
• Tips
The cost of the extension is £580 /
AUD $1,276 and includes:
• 4 nights’ accommodation in twin-bedded
rooms with private facilities in medium grade
hotels (single supplement is £90 / AUD $198)
• Full board throughout the trip
• An allowance of soft drinks with meals
• A full programme of visits as per the itinerary
• English speaking national guide throughout
The cost excludes:
• All personal extras such as porterage, laundry,
inoculation fees and drinks not with meals
• All optional excursions, tours and visits
• Visa
“Dawood is an excellent,
considerate and thoroughly
professional guide, to be
recommended.”
Annette Synge, Ethiopia 2013
About Us
To travel with us is to dig below
the surface, revealing the deeper
destination. Of course, you will visit
the great historical sites; marvel at
the wonders of architecture and
engineering; be moved by the riches
of culture and art; and experience
the most spectacular landscapes in
the world. What we also do is make
sure that you see the country as it is
today, giving you privileged access
that independent travel and other
tour companies rarely get close to.
We give you a variety of experiences,
from the sublime to the humble, in
the company of intelligent, curious,
like-minded people. And while we
can be worthy, we also make sure
that you have a lot of fun.
All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays in
this brochure are financially protected by the
ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be
supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask
for it and check to ensure that everything you
booked (flights, hotels and other services)
is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions
for further information or for more information
about financial protection and the ATOL
Certificate go to:
www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate
Jon Baines Tours (London)
Hyde Park House, 5 Manfred Road,
London, SW15 2RS
Tel: +44 (0) 207 223 9485 / 5618
Fax: +44 (0) 207 228 7290
Email: [email protected]
www.jonbainestours.co.uk
Jon Baines Tours (Melbourne)
PO Box 68, South Brunswick,
Victoria 3055
Tel: +61 (0) 3 9343 6367
Fax: +61 (0) 3 9012 4228
Email: [email protected]
www.jonbainestours.com
Simien Mountains (top); Selling vegetables at Lalibela market;
Resting in the shade; One of the Lake Tana murals (above)