Ethiopia Untamed

Welcome to Ethiopia! Upon arrival in Addis, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Located on the highlands fringing the Great Rift Valley, Addis Ababa serves as the political, cultural and commercial centre of Ethiopia. This sprawling city rests in the foothills of the Entoto Mountains and is a mix of traditional homes, elegant villas, and tall office buildings. Take a tour of the city this afternoon including a visit to the National Archaeological Museum (home to the 3.25 million year old Lucy), traditional crafts and prehistoric fossils; exploring the copper-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral, a neo-baroque architectural landmark; and sampling rich Ethiopian coffee as well as memorable cuisine featuring spicy stews and Ethiopia’s signature Injera bread.

Overnight at the Jupiter International Hotel or similar

This morning, board your flight from Addis to Afdera. From here, you will begin your journey by 4×4 into the Afar Region, where the Danakil Depression really begins. The Afar Regional State covers the north-eastern part of Ethiopia and is one of the country’s nine regional states. The Afar region is home to the Afar people and is best known as the archaeological site where fossil specimens of the very earliest hominins were discovered. As a result, the area is believed by some palaeontologists to be the cradle of the evolution of humans.

In the north of the region, the Afar depression consists of a remarkable landscape predominantly made up of desert scrubland with stunning salty lakes and long chains of both active and dormant volcanoes. The southern part of the region consists of the valley of the Awash River, which empties into a string of lovely lakes along the Ethiopian-Djibouti border. One of the lowest places in the world, the Danakil Depression is an inhospitable landscape of sulphur springs, acid pools and colourful rock formations. Afdera is an isolated stratovolcano in north-eastern Ethiopia, located at the intersection of three fault systems between the Erta Ale, Tat Ali, and Alayta mountain ranges. (B,L,D)

Overnight Afdera

After breakfast, you will be driven to the Erta Ale volcano. Some 30 km after Afdera town, you turn right and head towards the village of Kisrawad, at the foot of Erta Ale. This is about 50 km on a very sandy and rough road, which takes about 2 hours. At Kisrawad village you’ll meet the camels which will carry your supplies, food, water, camping and cooking equipment, and the local guides and militia who will accompany us to the top of Erta Ale Vocano.

You set off up the volcano at about 17:00, the ascent should take around 3-5 hours hiking, depending on how fit you are. It is a walk, rather than a climb, and you can stop as often as required for a breather. At the top on the caldera, the Afar people have constructed simple stone shelters, there are no roofs, but the walls offer protection against the wind, which can make it quite chilly in the early hours of the morning.

The best time to see the lava pits of Erta Ale is at night – you can sit back some distance and see the lava bubbling like soup, with the occasional eruption which throws gobbets of lava up into the air, before subsiding once again. Overnight, you will be camping on Erta Ale. (B,L,D)

2 nights Camping

Rise with the sun this morning before another day exploring the Afar region. Today you will be driven to Hamed Ela. You start your descent of the Volcano Mountain around 06:00, to avoid the heat, and can enjoy breakfast at the base camp. Once you’ve reached the bottom and had breakfast, you will head by road to Hamed Ela via Erepti-Abala-Berhale, an attractive little town set among mountains. In Hamed Ela, you will have time to see how the nomadic people live out their daily lives in such inhospitable conditions. There will be time for photos and perhaps purchasing some items from the Afar people. (B,L,D)

Today you will drive to Dallol (at 116 metres below sea level – the lowest place in the Danakil Depression and generally considered the hottest inhabited place on earth). You will spend half the day here crossing the largest depression, to see the black salt mountain (Lake Asaele), colourful sulphur and salt lakes as well as thermo-active springs. The route passes many camel caravans laden with salt crossing the bleak landscape. You’ll also have time to meet some of the Afar people that live near Lake Assal. After lunch, drive to Mekele.

Departing at 7 am, drive to the rock-hewn churches of Tigray where you will visit some of the best rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia over the next two days named Abrha we Astsbawa, Abune-Yemata and Mariam Korkur churches. Some of the 125 very aged Rock-Hewn churches even predate those at Lalibela, and possibly represent a crucial link between Axum and Lalibela chronologically, artistically and technically. Until the mid 1960’s, the churches were almost unknown outside Tigray itself. Even today very little is known about their magnificent and precarious positions which has led scholars to think they were being hidden from Muslims. The landscape here is spectacular and for those wanting to combine some trekking with terrific art and history, this is the perfect place and we can tailor something for you this afternoon.

After breakfast visit Mariam Korkur church which is cross-shaped and is famed for its rich decoration of columns, arches, and cupolas with fine frescoes. Continue to visit Abune Yemata and Dugum Selassie churches. Dugum Selassie possesses a beautifully carved ceiling above the maqdas (sanctuary) but it is tough to climb up to. This afternoon, continue to Axum. Ethiopia is a place where history and myth blur together and nowhere is this more prevalent than in the capital of the great classical Axumite Empire. Believed to be founded by the Queen of Sheba and the final resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, Axum is a UNESCO world heritage site that is still being explored and excavated, each year throwing up new treasures.

Enjoy a visit to the Axum Stelae Fields, where 120 stelae (giant granite pillars) are found, dating back to around 300-500 AD. Like the Pyramids in Egypt, they were built by ancient rulers to mark their achievement so they would be remembered after death. In the surrounding area you will visit Kaleb and Gabra’s tombs and the Queen of Sheba’s Palace and baths. Whilst we will not be permitted to visit inside the Mary of Zion Church where the Ark of the Covenant is said to be, seeing the lines of white-clothed pilgrims visiting is a moving sight. This afternoon, you will fly back to Addis.

This morning take an early flight to Dire-Dawa where you will enjoy a city tour before driving to Harar. Here you will explore the walled city with 368 alleys crammed into one square kilometre. Considered by some to be the 4th holiest city in Islam, the old city is famed for its medieval townhouses and has 82 mosques, including three built in the 10th century. The walls surrounding the sacred city of Harar were built between the 13th and 16th centuries. African and Islamic traditions combine, creating a particularly unique character. One of Harar’s more unusual traditions is the nightly feeding of wild hyenas that wander the streets.

Today is a a full days to drive from Harar to Hargeisa crossing the border between Ethiopia and Somaliland on the way. As you progress you will pass out of the green Ethiopian lands into the brown scrub desert of Somalia, spotting camel trains as you drive.

After a visit to the Hargeisa Camel Market we will take you (with your security escort) to the wonderful cave paintings at Las Geel, one of the most intriguing sights in the Horn of Africa. On the overhangs of a rock in the desert are some of the world’s best preserved ancient cave paintings. Dating from 5000-9000 years old they depict cows, people, dogs and even giraffes. Return to Hargeisa in the evening.

Today is yours at leisure until it is time to transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (B)