Client Tour Reviews 2016
Reviews by clients of cultural, historical, wildlife, sight-seeing and adventure tours taken in
Ethiopia and organized by Highway Tours in 2016.
Olivia Wilkinson writes:
Great trip! We loved the country and everything it has to offer! We couldn't recommend it more!.
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We loved visiting Yemrehanna Christos, the church in a cave about 40km
outside Lalibela. Not many other visitors go there, but Eskinder knows how special it is and always includes it
in his tours. We hadn't heard of it before but it was the highlight of our trip so we are grateful to Eskinder
for including it. Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Our trip was 9 days, 9 nights and tailor-made so that it could fit in that
time schedule. We would have preferred to have
longer so our main recommendation is to plan for maybe a full two weeks if possible.
Olivia Wilkinson
London, England.
Places Visited Mar 09 - 17, 2016:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela.
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Alison Newman writes:
The The most memorable part of the holiday was visiting the Dannakil region - a hot mix of volcanoes and
tribal people eeking out a living from the harsh environment. Memories that will last a lifetime.
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The U.K. Government advises against travel to the Dannakil. We were very
well looked after, with a police and armed escort. Having a friendly local guide who knows the locals meant we
felt very safe.
Eskinder is always on hand by phone (great
mobile network nearly everywhere) and will help out with anything.We found Ethiopian airlines good - planes,
staff and security. Use Eskinder to sort out local flights - it is much better value and will mean you get to
see more of the country in the time you have.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Alison Newman,
England.
Places Visited Mar 05 - 18, 2016:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Danakil
Depression.
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Colin Luke writes:
It was a splendid holiday very well organised by Highway Tours.
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The company is run by Eskinder Hailu Senebata who is a delightful man, who
answered all our questions most professionally and on meeting turned out to be a most interesting
man.
Small problems were quickly dealt with and nothing marred our very happy
experience.The guides Eskinder employed locally were all excellent. The weather in February could not have been
better.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Colin Luke,
England.
Places Visited Feb 07 - 21, 2016:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches.
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Sally-Ann Shouler writes:
Extremely good. Well thought out and very good value for money.
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Do it! Highway Tours were efficient, punctual and employed good
guides whose knowledge seemed to increase as the tour progressed. Read the guide books (Bradt is excellent) either before or to refer
to during the trip for enhanced appreciation.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Sally-Ann Shouler,
England.
Places Visited Feb 04 - 18, 2016:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches.
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Lloyd Martin writes:
Visiting the various tribes in the Omo Valley ... a disappearing world. It was the most memorable part of my
holiday....
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A great holiday ... incredible sights and the chance to see several of the
tribal groups in the Omo Valley. My driver was safe/careful and provided good companionship on the
journey.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Lloyd Martin,
England.
Places Visited Jan 05 - 16, 2016:
Addis Ababa, Lower Omo Valley.
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Katie Gray writes:
We were really glad to have Highway Tours plan our holiday for us. Eskinder's network of local drivers and
guides was brilliant!.
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Obviously the three days we spent in Lalibela over Timket were
extraordinary - but so was watching our guide in Harar negotiate for a can of camel milk in a local village. We
also loved our guest house in Harar.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Katie Gray,
London, England.
Places Visited Jan 10 - 26, 2016:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Harer.
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Elizabeth Theherne:
We both loved walking in the Simien mountains and time spent with the gelada monkeys.
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A couple of the tribal visits in the South were uncomfortable as it felt
that the tribes were altering their way of life to get money from tourists, but others were excellent with
tourist income used to make improvements for the whole of the community. Visits to the local markets were
good - everyone carrying on their usual business and hardly anything done specifically for
tourists..
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Elizabeth Theherne,
Oxford, England.
Places Visited Nov 18 - Dec 09, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Lower Omo
Valley.
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Roger Tubb writes:
Excellent holiday, we saw some amazing buildings, paintings and scenery and met some really nice and helpful
people.
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Take very warm clothes for Simien Mountains (layers. take a torch each. If
getting a one month tourist visas from the Embassy note that they cannot be issued before one month in advance
of the last date of the holiday..
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Roger Tubb,
London, England.
Places Visited Dec 31 - Jan 14, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches.
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Teresa Winchester writes:
An excellent trip, fascinating and well organised which I would recommend to anyone wanting to see
Ethiopia. And we felt perfectly safe!
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The most memorable or exciting part of your holiday was seeing the bull
jumping and visiting the Hamer village to watch them dance and it was not a touristy event. Also drawing one of
the
women in the Murcii village. And sharing our picnic with the ravens in the Simien mountains
Don't encourage the children who will certainly beg by giving them
ANYTHING. Sweets, pens,books or money. Do not encourage
begging. If you want to give something then entrust someone you really trust with some money to buy something
necessary such as shoes. Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Beware of youths who want you to buy them a book to help with their
studies. It will be expensive and inevitably sold back to the shopkeeper and the profits shared. Be careful of
taking too much luggage if you have internal flights. Contrary to what we were told at Heathrow our hand
luggage was not weighed by the way.
Teresa Winchester
Brighton, England.
Places Visited Nov 17 - Dec 08, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Lower Omo Valley.
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Ann Burke writes:
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Words cannot do real justice in capturing our experience and Eskinder and
his team from Highway Travel were fantastic in so many ways- Eskinder made you feel that he genuinely wanted to
make the trip a trip of a lifetime- nothing was too much trouble. Read the
independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Be realistic about some of the practical issues - toilets, wifi, plumbing
etc - having said that we were pleasantly surprised at our accommodation. Sort out the tipping system and make
sure you always have plenty of small notes.
Don't be tempted to give money, pens etc to children - give to an
organisation - it only encourages a demeaning begging culture and can mean children stay away from school. If
you want to give practical things - pens clothes etc give them to someone responsible through your guide.
Always ask permission before taking a photo close up and pay when requested to for a photo. Travel
light..
Ann Burke
England.
Places Visited Nov 09 - 26, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Lower Omo Valley.
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David Kirkup writes:
We had an amazing time and have brought home very fond memories of Ethiopia.
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Try to see as much of the country as you can. The south is very different
from the north and it is well worth extending your holiday to try and see the Omo valley if you can. The
accommodation is much better than we were led to believe and the food was excellent. but perhaps that was
because we booked with Eskinder Hailu who made sure we had good accommodation wherever we stayed (even where it
was fairly basic)..
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
David Kirkup,
England.
Places Visited Oct 17 - Nov 04, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Lower Omo Valley.
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James J Ford writes:
It was a combination of History, culture, and nature - a wonderful and interesting trip. Thank You
Eskinder.
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Ethiopia, I think, realizes how important tourism is to their country -
but I wonder how tourism might adversely effect the
Rock-Hewn Churchs in Lalibela and the Different Tribes in the South Omo Valley.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
James J Ford,
Boston, USA.
Places Visited Oct 09 - 28, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Tigray Churches, Lower Omo Valley.
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Carolyn Scharf writes:
This vacation was everything we hoped it would be, and much more.
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This tour was the perfect way to expose my Ethiopian-born son to all that
Ethiopia has to offer. Being only 7-years old we didn't want a tour that would be fast paced with long
drives...
we needed to give time for the kids to play and expend some energy.
We worked with Highway Tours to customize an itinerary that had us visiting several tribal villages, but also
spending time in game parks and lakes seeing animals we only dream of in Canada. Read the
independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Don't over-pack! We spent 2 nights at most hotels, but it still
meant moving bags in and out of the car frequently. Many hotels have rough sidewalks so wheeling suitcases
isn't an
option; the poor staff has to carry them and some of our bags were pretty heavy. We definitely made sure to tip
them well!.
Carolyn Scharf
Calgary, Canada.
Places Visited Aug 19 - 27, 2015:
Awash NP, Lower Omo Valley.
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Francoise Wemelsfelder writes:
All the good things people say about Eskinder Hailu and his travel company Highway Tours are true -
friendly, efficient, reliable, good value, and above all, good quality.
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My holiday was to the southern part of Ethiopia, and included a diversity
of amazing wildlife and cultural experiences. The Bale Mountains are a stunning wild place, and thanks to our
local guide we saw many endemic animals and birds, including 12 Ethiopian wolves. A highlight was our 4 hour
walk on the Sanetti plateau, seeing wolves walk by us not too far away in complete peace. Read the
independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Fantastic, unforgettable. Ethiopia is such an interesting and beautiful
country, with much to learn about its history, proud independence, and rich natural and culture diversity. I
felt safe and cared-for throughout, and will certainly return, and ask Eskinder to arrange this. Highly
recommended!.
Dr. Francoise Wemelsfelder
Scotland, UK.
Places Visited July 13 - 26, 2015:
Awash National Park, Bale Mountains, Dorze villages, Konso villages.
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Orla Mackey writes:
The The most memorable part of my holiday was visiting the weekly markets. Travelling the dusty roads
of Ethiopia by jeep, we firstly saw hundreds of people making their way to the busy marketplaces..
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I loved the time I spent in Ethiopia. It was made even better by the
fact that we were in the hands of such a competent and capable bunch of people. Everybody we came across,
from guides to drivers to staff at the pre- arranged accomodations gave us a super service. I would be
more than happy to recommend both the destination, this website and my chosen tour company to a
friend.
Read the independentreview at ResponsibleTravel.com
Orla Mackey,
Ireland.
Places Visited July 12 - 22, 2015:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Lower Omo Valley.
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