Day Trip from Addis Ababa: Debre Libanos

I only got a small glimpse of Ethiopia outside of Addis Ababa and it was certainly beautiful. We took a day trip out to Debre Libanos which is about a two hour drive out of the city depending on traffic and stops.

On the way we stopped at a local village's Saturday market where people walk from surrounding areas to sell their produce or goods here once a week. It was quite overwhelming because we were the only foreigners there and people began crowding a bit to just look at us.

Saturday Market

We reached the monastery slightly past noon and they took us around for a tour. Dress code is strict here and women in sleeveless tops or tight pants had scarves wrapped around them to cover up skin. Inside the monastery we all took our shoes off.

We were told that this is not the original building but one ordered by the emperor to be constructed when the original burnt down.

Monastery

Interior of monastery

Our next stop was the Ethio-German lodge which overlooks the Jemma Valley Gorge. The river was completely dried up but the the valley was very deep and grand. We ate lunch overlooking the valley and as usual service was slow so remember to allow time for that. It took an hour before my simple vegetable and rice dish consisting of rice, potato cubes and carrots was ready. 

Ethio-German lodge

A short hike from the lodge brings you to the Portuguese Bridge. For 22 Birr, a local guide took us to the cliffs to see the Galada Baboons. The hike was rocky at times and we had to avoid the cacti on the sides.It was extremely hot as the sun was scorching but the view was worthwhile.

Welcome sign for the Portuguese Bridge

Portuguese Bridge

Jemma Valley Gorge

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Things to See and Do

We were told several times that Addis Ababa is not Ethiopia meaning that the country is so much more beautiful outside of the big city. I only went on one day trip to Debre Libanos outside of Addis and I would have to agree. The city itself can be quite dusty, polluted and crowded and I felt myself feeling more tired than usual while there.

Transportation

We traveled as a group so we rented a bus that cost about USD 150-200 per day including a driver and a guide. You can also take the blue taxis to go around but be sure to negotiate a price before you step in. They will often wait or come back for you to drive you back instead of waiting for another customer to flag them down. 

You can also take the local transportation called mini-buses which only costs 2-3 birr per ride but can be very confusing if you do not speak the language. They have signs on top of these vans that say where the final destination is and the van will be overloaded with people (about 12-15) who know where they're going. I tried it once and we felt accomplished when we reached our destination but it does waste a lot of time trying to figure things out.

Entoto Hill

On our first day here, we went to Entoto Hill for a high up view of the city. The view was great after the rain that cleared the smog because you could see how sprawled Addis is. There was a church and small museum there with an entrance fee. 

View of Addis from Entoto Hill

Church

Ethnological Museum

This museum is located at Addis Ababa University so you can see both at once. There was a tour guide who explained each section to us and the museum was quite well kept. There were sections on culture, the different ethnicities in Ethiopia and more. It even had Emperor Haile Selassie's bed on display.

Emperor's bed

Meskel Square

Meskel Square is a place you will probably pass by frequently. There are always people there from children playing football (soccer) to taxi drivers parked for a break.

Meskel Square

Red Terror Museum

Next to Meskel Square is the Red Terror Museum. Admission is by donation and it was a sobering experience. Our particular tour guide was a survivor himself and he led us through the stages of Ethiopia history before, during and after the genocide in the 1970s. I think it is worth coming to know a little more about the country you're visiting.

Red Terror Museum

National Museum

The National Museum hosts Lucy, one of the oldest human skeletons in the world at 3.2 million years old. The basement of the museum features the various skeletons including Lucy. The upper levels showcase art and other pieces but they are less well displayed. Admission cost 10 birr.

Market Tour

I joined a market tour with Addis Eats that started at 5:20am in the morning (USD 75). They are an American couple who has lived in Addis for 3.5 years. They have learned to speak Amharic and started this business to show tourists a more local side of the city. The tour started so early because the market we went to begins even earlier than that. The Piazza market is a wholesale one where mountains of fresh produce are brought in daily to be sold in bulk. The majority of produce you see at fruit stands or grocery places came through this market at one point. 

Market at dawn

Mountains of produce

Walking through the market can cause a bit of culture shock as everyone is there to do business so as the only foreigners you stand out and you're also in the way. Large baskets and crates are carried on heads so you have to dodge under these and between cars and people to navigate the market. 

Second market

Coffee pots at second market

Next on our tour we went to a coffee shop where we could buy some Ethiopian coffee to bring home and then to Kategna for breakfast. We went to another calmer market that sold everything from spices to live poultry to kitchenware. Our last stop was a gift shop called Salem's before we were driven back to our hotel by 11am. 

Textile at Salem's

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Visas, Accommodation and Food

It has been a while since I have updated this blog but I recently traveled again in May, this time to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This was my first time on the African continent and there were quite a few differences, the most obvious being that I felt very much like a minority when walking around as the other places I traveled to had Asian tourists or locals around.

Local coffee shop

Visas and Addis Ababa Bole International Airport

After close to 24 hours of continuous travel including three separate flights and two layovers we were finally in Addis! The last I checked, only two countries are exempt from visas when entering Ethiopia so make sure you plan for this. There is the option of visa on arrival where you pay USD 50 for a stamp in your passport. However, this policy may change any time due to political circumstances. 

I opted to prepare my visa before departure with the embassy in Canada using their website's instructions. There is no online form version for this unless you use a third party visa company. I applied for a one month visa which is valid from the day that it is issued. This is very important because you cannot apply for your visa too far ahead of time or it could expire before you leave. For example, I went on a two week trip so I applied for the visa one month prior to the date of departure. It cost more to apply for a visa rather than purchase one on arrival but there is the ease of mind that I will not be rejected at the border for any visa issues.

When we were there, we had to fill a health form and have our passports checked to see if we were in any Ebola affected countries prior to arriving to Addis. After going through this part we went through the queue for customs and immigration. It was quite long and some people would cut queue. Fortunately, by the time we were finished with the process our luggage was already circling around the conveyor belt so we did not have to wait for that.

Accomodation

Addis Ababa is Africa's diplomatic capital hence there are people from all over the world here. There are some hotel chains such as the Sheraton and the Radisson. We stayed at a hotel called Dreamliner which had a booth at the departure hall of Bole Airport to get a shuttle bus to the hotel.

There was a man dressed like hotel staff who helped us with packing our luggage onto the shuttle bus but then asked for tips after. Be aware that the hotel staff will not ask for tips like this so you may want to just carry your own luggage.

At the entrance of the hotel is a bag and metallic scanner like the ones at the airport. Many places in Addis will have this such as in hotels and nicer restaurants. When I went to the post office, we were not allowed to bring our cameras in.

Hotel lobby

The Dreamliner hotel is about 15-30 minutes drive from the airport depending on traffic. It was clean with WiFi in the rooms and lobby. Be aware that the WiFi is quite spotty so be patient. Internet penetration is only 1% in Ethiopia. The staff are friendly and we enjoyed a buffet breakfast every morning with fresh fruit. This was the only place I had fresh fruit and I will explain more in the food section.

Now lets move onto things that the hotel could not control but may affect your visit. When we were there, only half the road in front of the hotel was level and the other half was rubble. On our last day there, a machine dug up the concrete parking lot right in front of the hotel doorsteps and left a pile of rubble there. I presume it is for construction purposes. There are cafes and coffee shops within walking distance of the hotel but the rubble makes it inconvenient to go to them especially at night when you cannot see as well.

Street in front of hotel

Electricity is not a constant here. Several times the power went out and the hotel does have a generator but it is extremely loud. Sometimes it turns on at 3am in the morning which can affect your sleep. On the topic of noise, behind the hotel is a large dirt football (soccer) field. People gather there and on frequent nights there was an extremely loud intercom playing music and reciting something in the late hours of the night like 4am. 

Food

A dietary staple of Ethiopians is injera made from a grain called teff. I would describe it as a spongey rolled up carb that is slightly sour. You eat with your right hand and rip up sections of injera to pick up the sauces placed on top.

Left: injera and Right: tibs (beef) wot

I was very careful not to eat any raw vegetables or fruit other than at the hotel. Even at a nice restaurant, the salad made a friend sick. I presume it was because it was washed with the local water which we were not used to. I did buy mangoes from a fruit stand nearby the hotel and cut it up to eat in my room without any problems.

Fruit stand

I brushed my teeth and changed my contact lenses using the hotel's tap water and that was fine. Needless to say, drink only bottled water while you're here. 

Some nice restaurants to try include:

Kategna for traditional food

Yilma for grilled beef

At Kategna

Coffee

Ethiopia is well known for their coffee and rightly so! I am not a coffee drinker but here I found myself wanting a cup quite often. The traditional style is served in what looked to me like Chinese tea cups instead of the mugs we're used to in North America. 

Down the street from the hotel was a local coffee shack called Messi Coffee. There were three tin/metal walls so you could see outside onto the street while sitting inside. It was a cozy place with small stools and tables that could fit 6-7 people maximum. The coffee cost 4 birr a cup and you could see the lady boiling the fresh coffee over a coal stove next to you as you drink. It was one of my favourite experiences there!

Brewing coffee

Coffee for 4 birr

If you're looking for a more cafe style, Tomoca has several branches there. They're famous for their macchiato and you drink standing around some tables. Each cup is 12 birr and I bought an abundance of packaged coffee here.

Macchiato for 12 birr