This Operator Reviews
1.
| Client: | Gisele and Michel - from Canada |
| Trip: | Highlights Of Ethiopia Historic Route & Omo Valley |
| Rating: |  rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | It has been too long since we wrote you to tell you how much we enjoyed our three weeks in Ethiopia last April, and how we appreciate how you contributed to the quality of our entire holiday. The Africa Guide informed and advised us, and assisted in the e-mail exchanges with Abebe when communications were poor. Abebe was most flexible in setting out the itinerary, to accommodate all our concerns and preferences. And Dawood was the perfect guide – infinitely patient, always friendly and helpful, and most knowledgeable about Ethiopian history, architecture, culture and natural wonders. The drivers, especially Yessu, who was with us most, were all excellent, as were the vehicles. Accommodation varied from reasonable to excellent (we mentioned certain minor weaknesses to Dawood and Abebe as we went along, mostly, in our opinion, due to insufficient attention to service and training of staff on the part of managers/owners). Ethiopa is like no other country we have lived in or visited – and between us, my husband and I have covered over half the countries of Africa over our years working in cooperation for development. And yet, Ethiopia boasts the oldest known human beings, the source of the Blue Nile, the beginning of the Great Rift Valley, as well as some of the most fascinating historical and architectural monuments and diverse cultures, landscapes, vegetation and birdlife. The visits to the villages of Dorze and Konso in the South afforded us a small insight into the traditiional culture of that area and how people are adapting to change. We were amazed and enchanted by the number of birds we saw, and excited – albeit a bit alarmed—by our boat trip among the hippopotami and crocodiles on Lake Chamo. The National Museum, particularly the section on archaeology and pre-history, is a jewel in Addis Abeba. The various markets, churches and small museums we visited all contributed to give us a better feel for the country and its people. And my husband remembers his evening listening to jazz with Yessu as one of the highlights of his trip. Overall, a memorable trip, and our congratulations, thanks and best wishes to everyone who contributed to making it unforgettable. |
2.
| Client: | Cilla dÉlbee - from Zambia |
| Trip: | Ethiopia Timket Festival: Celebrating in Lalibela |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | )ur Timkat tour was wonderful. Our dedicated driver, Abdi, and guide, Measho, took very good care of us throughout our 14-day excursion and their combined knowledge of their country and customs (Abdi is a Moslem and Measho is an Orthodox Christian) gave us a fascinating insight to ancient and modern Ethiopia. Mr. Abebe was reachable by cell phone throughout our trip and dealt swiftly and efficiently with the few glitches we encountered en route. We felt throughout that we were in safe hands. Our overall impression of Ethiopia is that it is a very old country and very rich in culture and history. This was why we chose to travel there in the first place and we were not disappointed! We were also amazed by the beauty of the landscape – always dramatic! – and we often wondered why the “outside world” knows so little about this country and still only associates it with famine, deserts and war. The Ethiopian government and the nascent tourism industry need to do more together to promote the more positive aspects of Ethiopia via the international media. The road network in Ethiopia is being almost entirely rebuilt by the Chinese. This is a good thing as many of the roads are in a poor state of repair and for an itinerary like ours – which took us some 2000 kms around the country – can be a bit bone-shaking... Some of the hotels we stayed in need to improve their housekeeping and service standards – that is if they sincerely wish to attract upmarket, international tourists. One gets the impression that many of the hotels in Ethiopia are/were para-statal operations – poorly managed and maintained. Some have now apparently been bought over by private investors who, one hopes will inject new ideas, new standards of service and a better attitude towards customers along with new capital investment and facilities. By far the nicest hotel we stayed in en route was The Tukul in Lalibela which combines local architecture with overseas know-how – a winning combination! |
3.
| Client: | Glen Miller - from Canada |
| Trip: | Omo Valley, Gondar and Lalibela Tour |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | What a great trip we had! . I was very pleased with the services provided. I had many questions for Abebe, and we had many emails back and forth before we arrived. Abebe answered our questions quickly and clearly. We toured the northern part of Ethiopia, including Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela and Axum, and the southern part of Ethiopia including visits to the Arba Minch, Jinka, Turmi and Yabello. The sites we saw and the people we met were amazing. Ethiopia is one of the most interesting countries we have visited, and we have done quite a bit of travelling over the years. Abebe and his guides and drivers were all very good at identifying the birds of Ethiopia as well, and they turned me into an avid birdwatcher! In all our touring, Abebe ensured that we were well looked after. Our hotels were all very comfortable, our guides were very knowledgeable and fun to travel with, and our drivers drove carefully and safely. We became fans of the national dish, injera, and of course we love buna, Ethiopian coffee. We were also happy to discover that Ethiopia has delicious pasta as well! We were 110% satisfied with our tour, and would recommend Ethiopia and this operator for anyone interested in African travel. |
4.
| Client: | Luc Fazio - from Canada |
| Trip: | Ethiopia Bird Watching Safari |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | Five Canadians had the pleasure of taking a Nature Tour through Ethiopia organized very successfully through the operator. Our success in seeing most of the endemic birds and mammals of Ethiopia was due mostly to the leadership of our guide and the well thought out itinerary that optimized our chances. The drivers were excellent and patient with our demanding requests.The people, culture, history and scenery of Ethiopia are quite amazing. The memories from this trip will linger with us fo a long while. Personally, I shall try to return to Ethiopia with another group in the future and I would recommend this tour operator to anyone that wants to see Ethiopia's fascinating Nature or Culture. Thank you |
5.
| Client: | Charles and Lori Hatz - from United States |
| Trip: | Omo Valley, Gondar and Lalibela Tour |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | What an excellent job Abebe and his team did for our recent tour of Ethiopia. They made our vacation the very best it could have been, and their service and attention to detail were well beyond the norm. It was truly our pleasure to be in their hands. |
6.
| Client: | Joanna Sturm - from United States |
| Trip: | Ethiopia - Mountain walking, hiking, trekking |
| Rating: | rating 5/5 |
| Comment: | my daughter and i had an amazing and interesting time in Ethiopia, thanks to Abebe. He took very good care of us and was a very interesting and informative guide. He was also very knowledgeable about bird-life, which is important to me and is one of ethiopias finest points. I thought Abebe was very responsible and I thought we were very lucky to have found him. Our trip was quite varied, from cultural sites to hiking in the Simien mts. and ending w a visit to a religious festivals, and he was good humored and altogether excellent throughout. Thank you for your web-site. |
