This trip is one of our most varied to date. Starting in Addis Ababa, we learn about the history of Haile Selassie, the Rastafari movement, the Derg and the Ethiopian civil war which led to the famine of the 1980's. We then travel onwards to visit the khat markets of Dire Dawa and the beautiful UNESCO listed ancient walled city of Harar. As well as a wealth of cultural sites there is also the opportunity to feed wild hyenas that roam the streets at night! On to the self declared Republic of Somaliland where we learn about the Somaliland civil war which led to the breakaway state declaring independence. We will also visit 5000 year old cave paintings at Las Geel and the coastal resort of Berbera, where we can enjoy freshly caught fish and relax on completely deserted beaches.
We've been running our tours to Horn of Africa for 3 years now. Formerly known as British Somaliland Protectorate,
the region gained independence in 1960 and became part of the State of
Somalia along with Puntland and Somalia. In 1991 full civil war broke out in Somalia and the ensuing massacres led the people of Somaliland to fight for international
recognition ever since. With deserted beaches, 5000 year old cave paintings
and a tiny capital city full of warm friendly people, Somaliland offers a unique side of Africa that is so far, empty of tourists. Be
amongst the first to venture into this part of the world!
Day 1
Arrive in Addis Ababa and make your way to our
hotel. Day at leisure.
For those of you taking our Danakil extension trip, the group will arrive back from Mekele at 21:10 and be transferred to the hotel.
Day 2
After breakfast we will take a full day tour of Addis Ababa. In the morning we
will visit we will visit the National Museum, to view amongst many other
historical relics, 'Lucy'; the world's oldest humanoid skeleton, dating back
over 3 million years. Afterwards we head to St George's Cathedral before stopping for
lunch and sampling some Ethiopian coffee - arguably the finest you will
taste in the world!
After lunch we will will move on to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to see
the tomb of Hailie Selassie before finishing at the Red Terror Martyrs
Museum. Here we will hear moving first hand accounts of the bloodshed,
torture and mass killing carried out by The Derg; the military
junta during the late 1970's.
Evening at leisure.
Day 3
Early morning rise ready for a 5:30 departure to Dire Dawa by minibus. Stop mid way through the journey at a local
roadside restaurant for lunch.
Arrival into Dire Dawe around 15:30 and check into our hotel. Rest of
the day at leisure to relax in the outdoor swimming pool or go for a stroll
around the city.
Day 4
After breakfast we will take a tour of Dire Dawa Railway Museum. An
extraordinary site; semi abandoned, partly still in use; the station was
built over 100 years ago and has barely changed in all that time with most
of the original French built machinery still in place and in use.
Afterwards we visit the khat, camel and spice markets. Watch the locals sat
in the sun, chewing their khat without a care in the world and take in the
overpowering smells of dried chilli being crushed down into powder to sell
on at the markets.
We stop at a local restaurant for lunch before taking a private minibus to
Harar. One hour later we arrive and check in to the Heritage Plaza hotel.
Rest of the day at leisure with the option of feeding wild hyenas in the
evening!*
Day 5
After breakfast we take a tour of the UNESCO listed city of Harar.
We'll see the colourfully dressed local women, wild eagles circling the
butchers shops, fresh coffee being processed and khat being pulped into a
paste to make tea from. We'll also visit the tomb of Sheikh Abadir, the
Arthur Rimbaud Centre, City Gates, Ras Tafari's house, Ras Makonnen's
Palace, Jamia mosque and the Smugglers market.
Evening at leisure, with the option of attending a local bar and club in the
evening.
Day 6
After breakfast we take a private minibus for the 3.5 hour journey to the
Somaliland border. After passing through border controls we are picked up by
our Somali guides and taken on a further two hour journey along desert roads
to the capital city, Hargeisa.
Check into our hotel in the centre of Hargeisa before spending the rest of the day at
leisure.
Day 7
After breakfast we head out to the livestock market to witness the spectacle
of hundreds of camels and other livestock being traded. We then take a tour
of the city centre where we see the moneychangers with their piles and piles
of Somaliland shillings, the bazaar, Central mosque and the MIG monument
before stopping for lunch.
In the afternoon we visit Naasa Hasblood or Virgin Breasts Mountain,
twin hills situated just outside of Hargeisa. Chance to see wildlife
along the way such as tortoises, baboons and the rare beira antelope -
indigenous to the region. We will trek to the top of one of the twin hills
to see spectacular views of the Somaliland desert. On our way back down we
will cut through a pungent smelling baboons nest (if vacant!). Return to the
the hotel and rest of the evening at leisure.
Day 8
Departure at 8:00 after breakfast and drive by private minibus 60km North to
Laas Geel cave paintings. The ancient artwork dates between 9000BC
and 3000BC. They are some of the best preserved paintings in the world and
were only discovered by the Western world as recently as 2002 by a French
archaeological team.
In the afternoon we drive on to the coastal city of Berbera, stopping for
lunch en route. On arrival into Berbera we will view some of the English and Russian colonial architecture
before heading to the sea front to view the bombed and abandoned ships that
remain from the Somalian civil war. Afterwards we will check into our hotel, situated right on a deserted beach where dolphins and turtles
can regularly be spotted. Evening at leisure.
Day 9
Spend the morning at your own leisure; relax on the beach, swim in the sea
or take a stroll around the dusty centre of Berbera. In the early afternoon
we'll go for lunch at one of Berbera's fish restaurants before
taking a walking tour of Berbera town.
Rest of day at leisure.
Day 10
In the morning we depart back to Hargeisa, arriving in time for the 17:40 Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis
(not included). For anyone wishing to travel on to Djibouti we will put you
in touch with our partners who you can book with directly. You can travel
overland or fly with Jubba Airways.
For information on our pre trip extension to the Danakil depression, please
click here.
The tour includes:
- 3 star central twin hotel accommodation
- all road transport in Ethiopia and Somaliland
- all tours, entry fees and permits for Las Geel caves
- experienced English speaking guides
- accompanied by Western guide throughout the trip
- all breakfasts
Not included:
- Lunch and dinners (approx $10-15 per day)
- International flights and airport transfers
- Ethiopian and Somaliland visas (approx £55)
- Tips for guides (approx $20 in total)
- Flight from Hargeisa (Somaliland) to onward destination (£150 to Addis
Ababa, £200 to Dubai)
- Hargeisa airport departure tax (approx $20)
- Other personal
expenses
Rooms are on a twin basis and if you are travelling alone we will
allocate someone for you to share with if possible. To have your own
single room there is an additional cost of £115.
^flight upgrade available on request.
*The wild hyenas that roam Harar have been fed by a local family for over 60
years. For a payment of 100 Birr (£3) , you can feed the hyenas along with
the 'Hyena Man' who will entice them onto your back or to feed from your mouth!
However, although there have been no incidents with feeding these hyenas,
you must be aware that they are wild animals and potentially dangerous so if
you wish to join in with the feeding you do it entirely at your own risk!