About Experience Ethiopia Travel (EET)EET BRIEFING
About Experience Ethiopia Travel (EET)
EET is a private, wholly Ethiopian owned company, which is committed to developing forms of tourism which bring real benefits to both visitors and hosts.
As a private company, EET cannot set policy on how tourism in Ethiopia should develop but we are constantly seeking, through our membership of the Ethiopian Tour and Travel Agents Association (ETTA) and through our contacts with national and regional government, to contribute to the national debate and to the framing of a code for responsible tourism practice.
EET consults regularly with national and regional government, local councils, indigenous development associations and institutions like the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
EET firmly believes that tourism development should be in line with national and regional development plans and priorities, and that scarce resources should not be diverted to create a parallel infrastructure solely for the use of visitors. In our operations, we look to see how we can achieve "leakage" - how receipts from tourism can generate income and create jobs locally, and have initiated discussions with local indigenous development associations to assess how this can be done.
EET is conscious of the damaging environmental impact unplanned tourism development can have. In our trekking and camping tours, we carry our own fuel, and in developing off road and permanent camp sites, will use environmentally friendly means of power generation. EET is a corporate member of the Campaign for Environmentally Responsible Tourism, the Ethiopian Wildlife and Heritage Society and the Ethiopian Heritage Trust, and regularly raises issues or environmental concern with national authorities and regional bureau. Through its membership to ETTA, EET is calling for regular Environmental Impact Assessments in sites of tourist interest.
EET wants to break down the barriers between visitors and hosts, liberating visitors from the "quarantine" they often find themselves in, and promote real meetings and interaction between visitors and host communities.
EET is interested in linking professional associations and organizations in other countries with their Ethiopian counterparts.
EET wants to encourage the development of domestic tourism and is working to develop low cost holidays, camp sites and school exchanges between different regions of Ethiopia.
HISTORY There is a growing consensus among archeologists and anthropologists that the human species originated in Ethiopia. In 1994 the oldest human remains ever discovered, the 4.4 million old bones of Homo Ramidus Afarensis, were found in Ethiopia’s Afar region - the previous record was held by "Lucy" or "Dinkinish" (Amharic for "wonderful"), who at 3.4 million years was a relative youngster.
Ethiopia has extensive historic sites, particularly in the north of the country, where the visitor can see constructions dating from the first millennium BC, the stelae and tombs of the Axumite kings, rock hewn churches dating from the 4th century, the monasteries of Lake Tana and the 13th century monolithic rock hewn churches of King Lalibella in Wollo. In the east, the 1000 year old city of Harer, with its 99 mosques, is the fourth holiest place in Islam, after Mecca, Median and Jerusalem. South of Addis Ababa there are a number of Neolithic sites, including the 1.5-1.8 million year old site at Melka Kunture (Oromia Region) and the 400 stelae at Dilla in Sidamo (Southern Region). Elsewhere in the southern region there are remote, medieval monasteries and in Jimma, in Oromia, there is the recently resorted palace of Abba Jiffar, the last independent king of the area.
COUNTRY Ethiopia has every variety of scenery, from the peaks of the Simien mountain in north Gondar to the Dalol depression in the Afar region, tropical forests, lakes, savanna and deserts. In Bale National Park in Oromia, home to many endemic mammals and birds, visitors can see unique alpine fauna and flora, volcanic lakes and trout filled streams. For big game safaris, there are the Omo and Mago National Parks in the Southern Region, with their fascinating Mursi and Hamer villages.
PEOPLE Ethiopia is a land of enormous ethnic diversity, with people of Semitic, Hamitic, Nilotic and Omotic stock. There are more than 80 ethnic groups and as many languages. In terms of religion, Christians and Muslims make up approximately 40% of the population each (Christians being slightly more preponderant), the remaining 20% animists and others.
Under the new constitution, religious rights, and the cultural and political rights of all ethnic groups are guaranteed.
What unites Ethiopia’s many people is primarily their shared independent existence. Ethiopia was never colonized and though occupied by Mussolini’s Fascists from 1935-1941, its people put up a continuous, spirited and vigorous resistance. While ex-colonies are characterized by their resonances of former colonial powers, Ethiopia is Ethiopian and this will be obvious to the visitor from the moment of arrival in Addis Ababa. Courtesy and hospitality are prized qualities throughout the country.
With its combination of history and culture, ethnic diversity, stunning and varied scenery, wildlife and birdlife (there are more than 850 species recorded, with 29 endemics), Ethiopia is truly unique in Africa.
Recent History
In 1974 the monarchy of Haile Selassie was overthrown, following a series of demonstrations and strikes in the towns and land seizures in the countryside. But the popular demand for democratic government (and modernization) was thwarted when a clique within the military under the leadership of Mengistu Hailemariam seized power. Ethiopia was then subjected to 17 years of bloody repression, war and famine.
Throughout Ethiopia and in Eritrea, people took up arms against the dictatorship. Of the resistance movements within Ethiopia, the most successful was the Tigreyan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) which in 1989 joined with other forces to form the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
By May 1991, EPRDF forces had succeeded in toppling the dictatorship, and Mengistu fled to exile in Zimbabwe, from where the Ethiopian authorities have so far unsuccessfully sought his extradition on charges of crimes against humanity.
Within a month of the EPRDF victory, a national conference was convened, representing more than 30 political parties and ethnic groups. The conference adopted a National Charter, based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and guaranteeing all the fundamental freedoms, of speech, the press, of association and perhaps most importantly in the case of Ethiopia, the right of all nationalities to self determination.
Ethiopia has more than 80 ethnic groups, and the lack of national and cultural freedoms had caused endless conflict, including the 30 year old struggle in Eritrea. (Eritreans voted for independence in a referendum organized in May 1993).
The conference set up a Transitional Government, to prepare the country for national elections, which took place in May 1995. A number of opposition parties, mainly based in the USA among Ethiopian communities there, boycotted these elections but international observers, representing foreign governments, international organizations such as the UN, EC and OAU, and various non-governmental organizations, found them to be free and fair.
Before the elections, a new constitution was drawn up and submitted to more than 26,000 local councils for discussion and ratification. Under the new constitution, Ethiopia is a federal republic, consisting of 14 Regions, essentially based on ethnicity. In southern Ethiopia, Regions 7,8,9,10 and 11, with more than 40 separate ethnic groups and languages, have combined to form one Region with Amharigna as its official language.
The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) won most of the seats in the National Parliament, while member or allied parties won control of regional assemblies. The next elections will be held in 2000. In its program for government, the EPRDF is giving priority to agriculture, where nearly 90% of Ethiopians earn their livelihood.
At peace with itself and its neighbors, Ethiopia now has the chance to devote its energies and talents to development. Food production can be increased through the extension of irrigated agriculture and the adoption of more efficient farming methods. There are export markets in the Middle East for Ethiopian fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products. There are proven reserves of natural gas and coal, gold, copper, tantalum, potash, zinc, ironore, nickel and marble. Ethiopia has the largest number of cattle, sheep and goats in Africa, and is now expanding its leather industry.
Ethiopia only uses a fraction of its potential hydro electric power. The Blue Nile, which has its source near Lake Tana, contributes to 80% of the main Nile flow and plans to increase existing power generation are being implemented. In the Oromo and Afar Regions, projects have started to exploit geo-thermal power.
However, Ethiopia’s immediate prospects while finding its feet depend on good harvests (which mean good rains) and a good price for its coffee (60% of foreign currency earnings).
The current government believes that real development can only take place in a democracy. It has also stressed that democracy cannot be installed by decree, but is a process which involves the development of a democratic culture and institutions, in which all citizens must play a part. While the process will take decades, so far the extension of human, democratic and national rights has been truly revolutionary, and for the first time in Ethiopia’s long history, a government has been set up which genuinely represents the regions and Ethiopia’s many ethnic groups. Perhaps alone among African countries, Ethiopia is acknowledging that it is a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.
SECURITY Despite years of war and brutal massacres carried out by the previous regime, in terms of crime and robberies, Ethiopia is still a very safe country to visit, and Addis Ababa is still one of the safest capitals in Africa. Visitors should of course take the usual precautions, not carry large amounts of money with them and leave particularly valuable items with hotel reception. Both men and women visitors should be careful about hand or money bags, keeping them close at hand in crowded places.
Like everywhere else, pick pockets and snatch thieves like to create some kind of diversion before making their move, so visitors should walk purposefully and be cautious about sudden introductions in the street.
In Addis Ababa, such incidents as do occur tend to happen in the city center, in a circle linking the Ghion, Ethiopia and Ras Hotels.
Ethiopia requires all visitors to have an up to date Yellow Fever vaccination certificate. Generally, for their own protection, visitors should be immunized or "topped up" against hepatitis A and B, Tetanus, Typhoid and Polio.
Malaria- visitors to the Historic Route (Axum, Gondar, Bahir Dar and Lalibela) need not worry about malaria, but should bring insect repellent cream, gel or spray for mosquitoes. For other, lower altitude areas, chloroquine resistant strains of malaria have been identified so visitors should take both chloroquine and paludrine - ask your doctor for a prescription.
For visitors sensitive to insect bites, it is advisable to bring antihistamine cream or tablets. Some old buildings on the Historic Route, and some old churches are prone to flea infestation.
(Rafters on the Omo River maintain that insects there pay no attention of insect repellents, but then if you paddle through and occasionally over, herds of hippos and schools of crocodiles all day, you cannot really complain about getting bitten by insects at night.)
It is worth carrying some antiseptic cream, for minor cuts. Anti-diarrhoea tablets (Immodium or Lomatil) should be carried as a precautionary measure - if you do have a stomach upset, it might be some distance to the nearest toilet and either of these tablets is guaranteed to cement you up. (These only address the symptoms rather than what caused them, so for anything more serious than a stomach upset medical advice should be sought - there are government hospitals in most areas of tourist interest.)
The temperatures in the highlands (on the Historic Route) are moderate, rarely exceeding 30C even at the hottest times of the year. However, the sun is strong and visitors coming from cooler climates should get a high protection grade (15) UV barrier cream, particularly for the face. For the arms and legs, a lower protection grade would be sufficient. With the dry weather, lip slaves are recommended. For visitors who make the boat trip on Lake Tana, or even some of the longer mule trips around Axum or Lalibela, hats should be worn.
In the last 10 years, there has been a rapid growth in the number of reported cases of AIDS, so visitors should take the necessary precautions in the event of planned or unplanned sexual adventures.
All visitors are advised to take out standard holiday insurance covering health emergencies in their country of origin.
Visitors should take light, summer clothes for the day time and something warm for the evenings, like a sweater or jacket. The temperature drops quite rapidly towards sunset. Simien or Bale mountain trekkers should bring warm clothes and water proofs for unseasonal rains. (For the Simiens, 3-4 season sleeping bags are necessary.)
As noted above, although the day time temperatures are not very high, the sun is strong and people coming pale and pasty from a European winter should be careful of sunburn - long sleeved shirts may be advisable. For the same reason, people sensitive to the sun should take a hat, or prepare to buy one here.
For walking around the historic sites or in the countryside, light but strong walking shoes are recommended. Sandals will not provide protection against stones or thorns - most Ethiopians living in the countryside wear sandals or go barefoot but then they have hardened and tougher feet.
There are small rains in March and April and the main rains are from June to September - unless you are coming during the main rains, or are trekking in the Simien or Bale mountains, it is not necessary to bring rain wear.
CLOTHING Whether Christian or Muslim, most Ethiopians tend to dress modestly so short shorts and skimpy tops should be eschewed, for either sex, unless of course one is at the beach, on the lakes or at a swimming resort. Shorts and tank tops would strike most Ethiopians as underwear, and while it is unlikely that any one would say anything (what ever he or she might be thinking to themselves), attempting to go into any religious site "underdressed" would cause offense. Before entering a church or mosque, visitors should remove their shoes.
GREETINGS Handshaking is the usual mode of greeting, although friends or family who have not seen each other for some time will kiss on each cheek. (Displays of sexual intimacy, kissing or hugging, will arouse embarrassment among most Ethiopians.)
FOOD The national dish for most Ethiopians is injera, a flat, sour dough pancake made from a special grain called teff, which is served with either meat or vegetable sauces. One tears of a bit of injera, and uses it to pick up pieces of meat or to mop up the sauce. Berbere, the blend of spices which gives Ethiopian food its characteristic taste can be hot for the uninitiated, although vindaloo or hot curry aficionados will not have any problem.
When eating national food Ethiopians eat together, off one large circular plate. Visitors and guests will have choice morsels and pieces of meat placed in front of them, and when eating doro wot, chicken stew, the pieces of meat are eaten last, after one has filled up on injera and sauce. (If one were to finish the pieces of meat immediately, other bits would be added.)
Vegetarians should try "fasting food", what Orthodox Christians eat during Lent and other fasting periods, and which is free of meat and animal products.
You eat with your right hand, and should always wash your hands before eating - usually, a jug, basin and bar of soap are brought for that purpose but in a restaurant you should make your way to the toilets.
For those who find Ethiopian food too spicy, in Addis Ababa there are nor Greek, Chinese, American, Indian, Arabic, French and Italian restaurants. Outside Addis Ababa, European style food, particularly pasta, is available in all the large hotels.
Ethiopia produces its own wines - Dukam and Gouder are good, dry reds, Crystal is a dry white and Axumite is a sweet red - and spirits, like gin, ouzo and brandy. There are also traditional alcoholic beverages: in Amharigna, generally understood throughout the country (see Glossary), they are called tela (a local beer made from gain), tej (honey wine or mead) and kati kala (distilled liquor).
BEGGARS Ethiopia’s misfortunes over the last 20 years have created large numbers of destitute people, and this is particularly noticeable in Addis Ababa, the population of which has trebled in recent years. The end of the war, demobilization of the massive standing army and reduction of staff in many of the parastatal industries has created large scale unemployment. With may people, begging has now become a business, and one sees women carrying babies about, begging from people in cars and passers by.
The regime sponsored famines of the 1980s, and the high profile deliveries of western aid, Live Aid and Band Aid, have had their impact on people’s customs and traditions and have undermined values of self reliance and pride. Since foreigners are seen as dispensers of charity and aid, children routinely ask them for money, whether they need it or not. Unfortunately, begging is on the increase in many of Ethiopia’s historic sites.
There is no easy answer to the question of whether one gives to beggars or not. At the end of the day it is up to the individual to decide whether to give or not, but giving young children money does contribute to the formation of negative habits. People who have been crippled (often as a result of the war), the blind or the very old are obviously deserving cases. You should be aware however that if you give to one person, a flood of others will come running up.
TIPPING Although there is a service charge in most hotels and restaurants, visitors might like to leave a small tip, of around one or two Birr, depending on the size of the bill.
In some of the tourist locations young children and adults rush to provide services for visitors, such as looking after shoes when visitors are inside churches, carrying bags and cameras. Over tipping can end up doing harm; in too many tourist locations around the world, young children are lured away from their education by the possibility of earning what seems to be a lot of money. As time passes, and they are replaced by other youngsters, they remain uneducated and often unemployable. There is also the damaging impact socially of young people receiving in a day what their father might earn in a week.
Again, there is no easy answer to this, and inevitably visitors when confronted by poverty, will want to help in the most immediate way possible. However, giving money to individuals does not really address the problem. EET has good links with indigenous self help and development associations, as well as with local councils in tourist locations and is always happy to facilitate donations in cash or kind, for school or clinic building for example. In contributing to such projects, visitors will be helping the entire community.
PHOTOS Visitors should be sensitive about intrusive photography, people should be asked for permission before their photographs are taken. Generally, there will not be any objection but in some areas, particularly among nomads, among Afar and in the Omo Valley, people will often ask for money. Photography in churches is allowed, but in many areas of tourist interest, particularly in the north, there is a charge for video photography. (This also applies to the Blue Nile Falls.) As elsewhere, there are laws and regulations about taking photographs in sensitive areas like airports and around military camps.
CURRENCY The currency is the Birr, the rate of which is fixed against the US dollar every two weeks following a foreign currency auction.There is no limit to the amount of foreign currency that can be brought into Ethiopia, but visitors must declare all currency in their possession on arrival, and change foreign currency in banks or authorized foreign exchange dealers.On leaving the country, visitors will be asked to surrender to customs officials the currency declaration filled in on arrival.
FOOD Restaurant prices depend on where you eat, it can vary from 3 Birr in the cheaper restaurants to about 25 Birr to 35 Birr per head in a restaurant with national music and dancing, or for European dishes in the state sector hotels. (In the Hilton and private restaurants serving non-Ethiopian food, visitors will pay considerably more.) These prices do not include drinks: a bottle of local beer can cost between 3.50 Birr to 11 Birr, a bottle of local wine from 10 to 50 Birr.Fresh fruit is cheap, but in many areas on the Historic Route in the north, is not easily available.
TAXIS Fares are largely a matter of negotiation - a price should be agreed before commencing the journey. Foreigners are expected to pay more, taxi drivers will often tell you this frankly, but most journeys within the city should not cost more than about 10 Birr. (From the airport to town is about 30 Birr). There are mini-buses and shared taxis, which are very cheap (less than a Birr for journeys in town), but the visitor may have some difficulty in catching the right one.
ADMISSION FEES There is admission fee to Ethiopia’s historic sites, varying from 10 Birr in some places to 100 Birr for the churches in Lalibela, and 50 Birr to all National Parks.
There are differential rates for visitors, resident foreigners and nationals in admission fees and also in the state sector and some private hotels. This is to ensure that access to Ethiopia’s heritage is affordable for the domestic tourist, while a reasonable income is made from foreign visitors.
AIR The international flight constitutes on average around 30% of the cost of a holiday, and so the Ethiopia can maximize the benefits from the development of its tourist industry, EET likes to encourage its clients to fly the national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines (EAL), which recently celebrated its 50th birthday, generally provides excellent service and has an excellent safety record.
Travelers to Ethiopia should also be aware of another reason for flying EAL - on the domestic circuit, priority is given to those who use EAL for their international flight. The cheapest and quickest way to get around Ethiopia’s historic sites in the north is by air. Most of Ethiopia’s major town and sites of tourist interest are accessible by air, and fares are still cheap by international standards.
However, in the last couple of years the increase in the number of visitors to Ethiopia has put pressure on EAL’s domestic capacity, and visitors should be prepared for cancellations and delays.
ROAD The best way to experience the variety of scenery that Ethiopia has to offer is travel by road. But road conditions in Ethiopia are poor and given the nature of the terrain a road journey to Axum for example takes three days, while the flight from Addis Ababa takes two hours. The scenery by road is of course incomparable, but many travelers lack the time.
The toll exacted by poor roads (and the 100% customs duty) makes vehicle hire relatively expensive, when compared to some other countries. There are cheap, but generally comfortable, public and private buses running between most towns.
RAIL The rail link between Djibouti and Addis Ababa has deteriorated over the last couple of decades due to lack of investment and while Ethiopia has recently secured renovation grants,train enthusiasts should be prepared for delays.
TRAVEL TO ERITREA Many tourists like to combine visits to Ethiopia and Eritrea. Separate visas are required for both countries,there are are reasonable road links between the two countries, and flights between Addis Ababa, Asmara and Assab.
Most of the arts and artifacts in Addis Ababa (and certainly along the Historic Route - Axum, Lalibela, Gondar and Bahir Dar) reflect the Orthodox Christian tradition: silver crosses, icons, paintings on animal skin, and woven garments - items with a Christian motif. A well stocked shop will also be able to offer Harari silver and basket work, and wooden carvings from the south and south west.
Other things visitors might like to bring back are filigree work and silver and gold, woven carpets, amber and of course coffee - the very name comes from Kaffa in south western Ethiopia. If you are looking for larger mementos, you can buy Ethiopian stools, chairs and other furniture from private shops and from the state sector Ethiopian Tourist Trading Corporation, next to the airport.
Like many countries, Ethiopia is facing a problem with the theft and illegal purchase of national treasures. Visitors should only buy what appears to be antiques from authorized shops, ask for a stamped receipt, and if in doubt, check with the National Museum in Addis Ababa whether the item may be exported or not.
VISAS Visitors require a visa, currently US$ 70.00. For visitors from those countries where there is no Ethiopian Embassy, arrangements can be made in advance for a visa to be available at the airport.
ELECTRICITY Voltage is 220 and plugs are of the two pin variety.
GUIDE BOOKS The Spectrum Guide to Ethiopia is now available in a revised edition, and the revised edition of The Bradt Guide to Ethiopia will be available by mid 1997.
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