Client Tour Reviews 2010Reviews by clients of cultural, historical, wildlife, sight-seeing and adventure tours taken in Ethiopia and organized by Highway Tours in 2010. Scott Abrams writes: This was an amazing trip for those travellers who want something out of the ordinary. This was an amazing trip for those travellers who want something out of the ordinary. This tour provided an opportunity to visit some of the cultures that remain relatively untouched by the effects of western society. Ethiopia is a beautiful country with a wide variety of people and landscapes. The people are warm, welcoming and unbelievably friendly. I highly recommend this tour ! See the Independant Review at MuchBetterAdventures Reviews Scott and Kelly AbramsCalgary, Canada.
Places Visited Dec 10 - 19, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Lalibela, Harer, South Omo valley
Anne Moir writes: The trek in the Simeon mountains - amazing scenery although tough trekking. The trek in the Simeon mountains - amazing scenery although tough trekking. The gelabi baboons were also wonderful - a rare treat to get so close to a wild animal. Also rock churches of Lalibella are definitely worth a trip. If trekking ensure you take sufficient thermal gear as its very cold at night. Ensure you have enough battery for your camera (or take a spare) - the trek is so stunning we ran out! It takes ages to get the right shot of the baboons! and too many options on the scenery. Everyone was careful on the trek to clear up rubbish etc and local people employed to work for us at all stages. Very well organised from logistics - not any single thing to improve on. Eskinder at Highways travel was brilliant - especially when we got stuck due to the snow at heathrow! Eskinder at Highways travel was brilliant - especially when we got stuck due to the snow at heathrow! Read the independent review at ResponsibleTravel.comAnne Moir
Places Visited Dec 07 - Dec 19, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela
Jack Vaughn writes: We were SO happy we picked this itinerary and even more so with Highway Tours. My girlfriend and I are usually go-it-alone, grab a Lonely Planet and read it on the plane-type travelers, but after a string of exhausting trips, we decided to let someone else handle the planning. We were SO happy we picked this itinerary and even more so with Highway Tours. The name of the guy who runs it is Eskinder, and he was incredibly on the ball and not once did we worry that something would go wrong, or if it did we were sure it would get fixed instantly. We took an internal flight almost every day and in each city the guides were great and friendly and always on-time and waiting for us at the airport. The hotels were comfortable and the food was really good, and we saw pretty much everything we wanted to see (all amazing stuff). But what made it all worth it was Eskinder, who is an awesome guy and who on various occasions would personally pick us up at the airport at horribly early or late hours and take us out to great Addis restaurants. It was always unwaveringly friendly service, even when we threw a big travel curveball at him. I can't speak of other Ethiopian travel companies, but we feel really lucky to have chosen this one. Read the full review at MuchBetterAdventures.comHanne Anderson and Jack Vaughn
Places Visited Nov 21 - Nov 27, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Axum, Lalibela
Paul Simonite writes: We both enjoyed every minute of the tour and will recommend it as a great trip for all ages. Julie and I were looking for a different holiday to celebrate my 60th birthday and found it in a two week guided cultural tour of the Omo Valley, Bale Mountains and Rift Valley Lakes. The tour was operated by Eskinder Hailu's "Highwaytours" company. We were driven throughout by a very pleasant and competent driver called Yared and our welfare was overseen by a thoughtful and efficient guide called Girma. Supplementary to this, local specialist guides were provided to enhance our experience. The tour gave us a brief but thorough insight into the different peoples and landscapes that make up this region of Southern Ethiopia. Our experience was further enhanced by Girma's ability to communicate with all of the different tribes with whom we came into contact and nothing was too much trouble for him. He did much of our negotiating and all of our bookings; handling money matters and social interaction with ease. We both thoroughly enjoyed this tour and would heartily recommend the tour and crew to anyone looking for an out of the ordinary holiday. Ethiopia is a vibrant and exciting country but visitors should be aware that sanitation is not yet a priority in many areas and the use of toilets can be challenging to say the least. It is also a very large country and two weeks can only brush the surface of all it has to offer. In conclusion, we wholeheartedly recommend Eskinder Hailu and his "Highwaytours" company for your Ethiopian experience. Read the independent review at ResponsibleTravel.comPaul Simonite & Julie Catterall
Places Visited Oct 29 - Nov 11, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Rift Valley Lakes, Omo Valley Tribes, Bale Mountains
Christine Tse writes: Our trip to Ethiopia was not only filled with exciting new experiences, but also very relaxing ... Our trip to Ethiopia was not only filled with exciting new experiences, but also very relaxing. The guides and drivers were extremely helpful and friendly throughout the trip and we never ran into any trouble that we initially expected. The Ethiopian people whom we met along the way were all gentle and courteous. To our surprise, many of them speak English and most stores and restaurants have English signs, which made everything much more accessible and convenient than expected.
The most memorable experience around the Omo Valley was the opportunity to observe the Bull Jumping ceremony of the Hamer tribe. The local guide, who was a Hamer himself, led us into the valley where the ceremony was held, explained the rituals to us, and always brought us to the best spot to observe what was about to occur. The visit to Mursi and Karo are another two trip highlights. The photos we took were exactly like what one would see on National Geographics or guide books, if not better. The Karo people had beautiful scarification and body paints. The mountain where the village was located offers a grandiose view of the Omo River. The honey liquer brewed by the Karos was delicious ! We saw tribal merchants traveling from a distance to bring their goods to the market and we were able to purchase authetic local crafts from them. After the pleasant experience in Southern Ethiopia, I would definitely love to visit the Northern part of the country, where I could witness the historical heritage of Ethiopia, which is one of the oldest civilization in Africa and one of the only African countries free from colonial influence. When I do come back to Ethiopia, I would definitely ask for Eskinder's help to organize my tour again! Christine Tse and Stephen Mak
Places Visited Sep 19 - 30, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Rift valley lakes and lower Omo valley tribes
Freda Chan writes: I brought back some of the best travel memories ever ... I decided to go on a hunch and went without any expectations or ideas what I’d signed myself up for. Much to my delight and surprise, I brought back some of the best travel memories ever about the country and its people. Ethiopia can’t be summed up in a book, much less in a few paragraphs. All I can say from my 11 days of travel in Addis Ababba, Gondar, Lalibella and the Omo Valley is I had only a taste of a tiny portion of what Ethiopia has to offer.
The whole experience was very much enhanced by the hospitality and personal touch from Eskinder and his team members. He was very responsive from when I first made an enquiry. Based on my flight schedules, time and personal interests, he made such a well-thought-out itinerary. I was surprised to see him at the airport welcoming me at 6 a.m. All the local guides and drivers are very professional and did everything they could to make sure I had an enjoyable time. I’ve learned quite a bit from them about the history, culture and the peoples of Ethiopia. The only thing I didn’t like about the trip was that I had too little time. I’ll definitely come back some other time to visit other regions of the country and get to know about the people better. Ethiopia is a hidden gem and I’d recommend anyone who is interested to explore a place where it is still relatively under-promoted as a tourist destination. Freda Chan
Places Visited Sep 12 - 22, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Gonder, Lalibela, Omo Valley Tribes, and Rift Valley Lakes
Mamdouh M. Sakr writes: The trip was really great we all enjoyed our time. Dear Eskinder, The trip was really great we all enjoyed our time, I want to thank the guide at Gondar (sorry forgot his name) and Mario in Lalibella, they were friendly, cheerful and great.
Your country is beautiful, and I hope that the airlines will be better, and I suggest that they try to promote Ethiopia more as a tourist destination (trust me) nothing is missing except some promotion and punctuality in the flights. Again, Thank you thank you and don't hesitate to contact me if you need anything from Egypt. Of course I'll send you some photos, and feel free to use them. Best Regards, Mamdouh M. Sakr
Places Visited June 27 - July 5, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Aksum, Lalibela, Diredawa, Harer
Gerald Leach writes: This was an excellent holiday. We still have much to see in Ethiopia and will certainly use Eskinder and Highway Tours again. Eskinder and his team at Highway Tours ensured that our holiday was packed with exciting and memorable moments throughout. If we had to select one highlight it would be experiencing the beautiful scenary and variety of wildlife in the Bale Mountains, particularly seeing a number of Simien Foxes at close quarters (thanks to the sharp eyes and local knowledge of our guide Girma and driver Yaris). We also have warm memories of Eskinder, who was so friendly, reassuring and took a close personal interest in ensuring we had an enjoyable experience. Our guides and drivers quickly became our friends and good travelling companions and gave us many insights into Ethiopian life and culture. You can have complete confidence in Eskinder to ensure you have a safe interesting experience in as much comfort as possible. Some roads were in very poor state, but our vehicles were in good condition and our drivers excellent. Also to ensure our best possible comfort at Dinsho Lodge in the Bale Mountains, Eskinder arranged for new bedding to be purchased! We found Eskinder and our guides very flexible and sensitive to our needs; so let them know what you want and they will do all that they can to deliver. Also, they are all Ethiopian, so let them help you to experience the country in a way that European guides can never do. We were pleased that in our own small way we were able to benefit local people. Highway Tours is an Ethiopian business, the staff it employs are Ethiopian and in many instances using the income they get to fund higher education for either themselves or members of their family. All accommodation, meals and other services used on the trip were providing income for local people. Fees paid to the parks and wildlife reserves contributed to their maintenance and as far as possible our holiday was organised to have minimal impact on the environment e.g. walking in wildlife areas, using existing local cafes. This was an excellent holiday. One of us had previously had a great experience of Ethiopia as part of a UK tour group, but travelling as a couple with an Ethiopian company and Ethiopian companions made for a much richer experience. We have never had a holiday operator make such effort to ensure our happiness, and we've previously had a lot of good holiday experiences! We still have much to see in Ethiopia and will certainly use Eskinder and Highway Tours again. Read the fullreview at ResponsibleTravel.comGerald Leach
Places Visited 7 Feb - 9 Feb, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Rift Valley lakes, Bale Mountains
Christine Hoyle writes: A wonderful country to visit and an excellent tour company to visit it with. Every day was exciting and I would not have wanted to miss out any of the places visited. Just a few of my memorable moments were experiencing the procession of the Ark at Lalibela, being fed holy honey by a priest in an ancient church, sitting surrounded by gelada baboons and interacting with the Hamar people. Also memorable was shopping in the market in Turmi and photographing Muris ladies with their lip plates. But also the care, professionalism and simple pleasantness of our guides at every location. Ethiopia is a big country and if you want to see it all, and you will, you must put up with long days travelling. Any hassles from children and young men are mild. Ethiopians are generally polite and friendly and you will enjoy interacting with people. Forget your preconceptions about famine and desert. Fortunately famine is infrequent and localised. Much of the country is green, lush and productive. Rural people are able to support themselves and their families and have hope for the future. It is a beautiful country with varied terrain. Generally warm to hot but cool at times in the highlands. Tourism is bringing foreign currency that is much needed for development. Even people such as the Hamar and Mursi need some money and tourists provide this without necessarily having a profound impact on their way of life. The company's guides provide good advice on how to behave to minimise negative impacts on the people and places visited. A wonderful country to visit and an excellent tour company to visit it with. In particular Highway Tours is managed in a very hands-on way by a man dedicated to making the experience as enjoyable and trouble free as possible. The level of service he provides is fantastic and all the guides who work for him strive to achieve the same standard. He's very willing to amend the itinerary as new opportunities arise. Just ask and he tries as best he can to make it happen. Read the fullreview at ResponsibleTravel.comChristine Hoyle
Places Visited 21 Jan - 7 Feb, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela, Omo Valley, Rift Valley lakes
Julie Stanhope writes: As an introduction to the African continent for me it was the best experience imaginable. The care and attention paid by the tour operator throughout the entire trip was most memorable as was the charm of the people we met and the time spent in the Simian mountains. The trip we took specified 2 nights at the Simian Lodge and then one night in Debark - we paid a little more to cancel the night in Debark and remain in the Simian Lodge - we would recommend any one else doing ths trip to do the same. The money we spent on the holiday remained in Ethiopian hands and the hotels guides etc were all Ethiopian. Driving is the only way to get to some places so obviously there is an impact on the enviroment but the experience of truely seing the country and an appreciation of the lives of ordinary Ethiopians was really memorable. Our driver, Yaret, is one of lifes gentlement, in particular who remained with us throughout our trip was unbelievably helpful as was the owner of the company who maintained regular contact with us during the trip. Guides were organised in advance at every location and all had reasonable to good English and knowledge of the sites we visited. As an introduction to the African continent for me it was the best experience imaginable. Read the fullreview at ResponsibleTravel.comJulie Stanhope
Places Visited Jan 21 - Feb 6, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mts, Axum, Lalibela
Cathy Condon writes: We highly recommend using Eskinder because he was so considerate and attentive. I would not hesitate to recommend him to a friend. Our walks in the Simien Mountains were impressive as the scenery is magnificent with steep gorges, Geluda baboons and plenty of bird life. It was our 2nd trip to Ethiopia but other than the abundance of new roads being built but not yet completed, and many new buildings being constructed in Addis little has changed. Hotel accommodation in Addis is excellent but the city is very highly polluted by black smoke belching out of exhaust systems. Outside Addis reasonable accommodation is not easy to find and sometimes you will be without running water and/or electricity. Local people benefitted as we booked directly with Eskinder of Highway Tours, so there were not any "between men" - all our expenditure went directly to the people there. We would highly recommend using Eskinder because he was so considerate and attentive. He provided us with a tailor made tour and virtually everything went according to plan. The drivers and guides he used were very good, particularly Girma who accompanied us to the South. Read the fullreview at ResponsibleTravel.comRichard Condon adds: Thanks to you and to a series of capable and well informed guides, especially Girma, we felt in a position to understand and value many aspects of Ethiopian society, culture and life that we would not otherwise have discovered. We certainly did not learn half as much on our previous visit to Ethiopia. Cathy & Richard Condon
Places Visited Jan 17 - Feb 6, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Gonder, Simien Mts, Lalibela, Aksum, Rift Valley lakes, Lower Omo Valley tribes
Barbara Gallani writes: The organisation was excellent. Overall, our holiday was immensely enjoyable and totally hassle-free ! The most memorable part of the holiday was driving through breathtaking landscapes, being on the "roof of Africa" with the Gelada baboons and experiencing the magnificent rock-hewn churches of Lalibela during Leddet. As well as accommodating our needs and being very reliable and careful on the roads, Abush our driver was also great company and made us feel very welcome and comfortable during our many road trips on the historical circuit. Ethiopia is a beautiful country with a proud history and magnificent sites. Eskinder organises his trips in a way that is sensitive to the needs of local people. Our guide for our stay in the Simien mountains showed great knowledge and respect for the local environment. The car, driver, hotels and guides were all of a high standard and within our budget. Read the fullreview at ResponsibleTravel.comBarbara Gallani
Places Visited Dec 28 - Jan 10, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mts, Axum, Lalibela
Janet Burgess writes: The churches at Lalibela are stunning, the stellae at Axum magnificent. The travel arrangements were good and we were met at each airport by English speaking, local guides who were very knowledgeable and proud of their country's history. The churches at Lalibela are stunning and the stellae at Axum magnificent. The altitude may affect some people as for the majority of the time we were above 2000 metres and in the Simien Mountains over 3000 metres. In the south the countryside is beautiful but roads with tarmac are few and many hours each day are spent negotiating what are little more than donkey tracks through the mountains. On the whole the people are extremely kind, helpful and friendly but unfortunately a culture of asking tourists for money is becoming obvious. This was an EXPERIENCE not a holiday. It is not for anyone wishing to see the country from cushioned 5* travel. It is a fascinating place to visit but only for people who are prepared to accept the differences in culture and standards without being too upset. My travelling companion and I were 70 and 69 at the time, both reasonably fit and had previously travelled to Nepal, India etc but felt that this was the most challenging trip. Read the full review at ResponsibleTravel.comJanet Burgess
Places Visited Dec 19 - Jan 4, 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela, Omo Valley tribes and Rift Valley lakes
Jennifer Makepeace writes: ... thankyou for organising our holiday, which went without a hitch. Dear Eskinder, You have some excellent guides and drivers - particularly Semma - who seems to know the names of every plant, mountain and animal in the Simiens, he is such a nice guy. Also Girma and Hamtoto who make a good team, Girma is very sensitive about the tribal people and we found our little visits to the non-tourist places with him very rewarding. Strawberry Fields is a model of excellence and probably a good place to stay, as is the Rastafrin Alex's place which is immaculate and thoughtfully done. Harar was a highlight, the Muslim Rowda guest house, characterful and enjoyable, although their bathroom facilities could do with being cleaner and perhaps updating a bit. Harer is so unique and different to all other towns we saw and will be splendid once the powers that be have restored it. The lack of obvious tourism there is great, the market local and interesting and feeding the hyenas with the Lenny Henry (a great black English comedien) lookalike fascinating. Jennifer MakepeaceDorset, UK.
Places Visited 25 Dec 2009 - 14 Jan 2010:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela, Harer, Omo Valley, and Rift Valley Lakes
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We visited numerous different tribes and were able to observe their ways of life not influenced
by western culture and modern technologies.
I was most impressed with its rich history, unique culture, beautiful scenery and the diverse
tribal peoples. The rock-hewn churches in Lalibella are awe-inspiring; the Ethiopian food is just
delicious; the different peoples of the Omo Valley are so intriguing ...
It's a huge thank you, I just wanted to say that the guides at Gondar and Lalibela WERE
SPECIAL.
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