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10 Day Historic Ethiopia
Discovery Safari
[Breakfast
= B / Lunch = L / Dinner = D] |
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Day 1
Addis Ababa. You will be met on arrival
at the airport and transferred to your hotel. After
meeting up with the rest of the tour group we depart on
an afternoon city tour. Visit the National Museum, St
George Church and the Entoto Mountains with a great
magnificent view of the city. |
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Day 2
Kombolcha. Today we head for Kombolcha in
the Amaha region south of Dessie. There we can admire a
stunning view and if sun we visit the Oromo and Afar
people market at the Senbete village. Here you can try
your haggler skills to buy some jewelry, crafty work,
woven materials and baskets. [BLD] |
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Day 3
Lalibela. We drive to Lalibela. On our
way we stop for a visit to the Debre Estifanos Monestary
on a cryptic island in Lake Hayk. On the fourth day of
our tour we visit the world Heritage site by Unesco, the
stone hewn churches are again quite marvelous. You will
spend the day stepping back in time and exploring the
remarkable churches described as 'the creations of
angels' in and around Lalibela. [BLD / BLD] |
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Day 4
Gondar. Take a morning drive to Gondar,
the 17th Century capital of Ethiopia. Gondar has now
become one of Ethiopia's largest and most impressive
cities, with its walled royal enclosure. This enclosure
contains several well-preserved castles and other old
buildings. Spend the afternoon exploring castles and
churches in Gondar: castle's compound, the Debre Birhan
Sellasie church (light of Trinity), the King Fasiladas
bath, old Qusquam monastery, Empress Mentewab palace. [BLD] |
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Day 5
Simien Mountains National Park. We
continue on to the Simien Mountains National Park. This
fascinating and awe-inspiring wilderness consists of
hundreds of canyons and gorges, with mountain peaks that
soar to more than 4000 metres. The Simien's dramatic
topography is a result of the erosion of basalt lavas,
which have been calculated to be nearly 3,000 meters
thick. Cracks have developed, opening the way for points
of erosion; the cracks in the hard resistant basalt were
widened and deepened by floods creating deep trenches.
The result is an incredible array of jagged carvings
reminiscent of America's Grand Canyon. We will also
search for 3 endangered species found nowhere else in
the world, namely the Walia Ibex, the Simien Wolf and
the Gelada (an extremely rare baboon). There will be a 3
hour guided walk after which we return to Gondar and our
hotel. [BLD] |
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Day 6
Bahir Dar. We leave Gondar und make our
way to Bahir Dar. This city is situated on the southern
point of Lake Tana, wellspring of Blue Nile. Jesuit
settlers founded it in the 16. century from which the
historic buildings date. Today Bahir Dar is the
commercial centre of the Amhara province. Nearby you can
find the holy Selassie palace and the Blue Nile Falls. [BLD] |
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Day 7-8
Blue Nile Falls, Lake Tana. Today we
drive to admire the Blue Nile falls. These amazing
waterfalls are 400 meters wide and more than 45 meters
in height. Return for lunch in Bahirdar. Take an
afternoon boat trip of about 4-5 hours on lake Tana to
admire the beautiful monasteries (Ura Kidane Mehret,
Mahal Zeghie Gyorgis and if time permits the Asua Mariam).
The lake has an amazing network of 37 islands scattered
over the surface of 3000 square km. [BL] |
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Day 9
Addis Ababa. Return flight to Addis
Ababa. In the Omoro Language the city is known as
Finfinne or Shaggar. Today Addis Ababa not only a
political capital, but also a social and commercial
centre. You will see modern buildings beside traditional
houses, wide-open places und forest, mostly covered with
eucalyptus trees. Because of its altitude Addis Ababa is
the third highest capital. [B] |
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Day 10
Addis Ababa. You have the day free to
explore Addis Ababa on your own before your flight back
or continuing to your next destination. Tour ends after
airport transfer. [B] |
