Client ReviewsReviews by clients of cultural, historical, wildlife, sight-seeing and adventure tours taken in Ethiopia and organized by Highway Tours. 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 full review 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 full review 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
Clare Nicholls writes: One of the best trips of my life. The Simien Mountains were breathtaking and the lodge is a haven. Lalibela
lives up to and supasses expectations.
One of the best trips of my life. review at ResponsibleTravel.comClare Nicholls
Places Visited Nov 03 - Nov 21, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum,Tigray Churches
Alexander Hoare writes: The country has much more to offer than I realised. It takes a certain leap of faith to book a holiday and send lots of money to someone you don't know. In our case we knew Eskinder was vetted by Responsible Tourism.
Anyway, he met us in the airport on arrival, and he and his affiliates looked after us perfectly, and we had a wonderful holiday in Ethiopia. The country has much more to offer than I realised. In the end, it was the countryside which made the greatest impression on me - but that's not to demean the history and /or the churches. Alexander S. Hoare
Places Visited Nov 03 - Nov 21, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum,Tigray Churches
Ryan Fowler writes: It was a good holiday, one of those holidays that the more you look back on it, the more amazing you realize the country is. We were really excited to see the Ethiopian wolf! Bisangari lodge was beautiful......watching the sunset over the lake, watching the sea eagles and pied kingfishers fish and playing cards with our guides in the tree bar. Don't try to do too much. Travelling on hot dusty bumpy roads is really tiring so trying to cover large areas of Ethiopia is really ambitious. We really liked the Dorze, Konso and Ari village tours. The guides were local to the area, we ate at local places and bought from local shops. It was a good holiday, one of those holidays that the more you look back on it, the more amazing you realize the country is. However, it was really tiring and the facilities are not always the best, therefore if we did it again we would have travelled less and spent more time in specific areas. I have to say though that our guide and driver were great and really looked after us. Read the fullreview at ResponsibleTravel.comRyan Fowler
Places Visited Nov 5 - Nov 19, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Rift valley lakes, Netch-Sar National Park, lower Omo valley tribes, Bale Mountains National
Park
Geoffrey White writes: ... a great holiday it exceeds all our expectations. Dear Eskinder,
Places Visited 13 Oct - 26 Oct, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Axum, Lalibela, Harar
James and Janet Hall write: Eskinder and his staff did an outstanding job of introducing us to the history and culture of this ancient and unique civilization. We only had a limited time in Ethiopia and made arrangements very late in
our Africa trip planning. In spite of these challenges, Highway Tours did a fine job and we had a great tour.
We visited Bahirdar, Gonder, Lalibela, and Addis Ababa over a period of six days.
We visited the magnificent rock churches of Lalibela, the ruined palaces
in Gonder, the island churches and the Blue Nile in Bahirdar, and the museums in Addis Ababa. James and Janet Hall
Places Visited 16 Oct - 21 Oct, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Lalibela
Rae A. Schmidt writes: I have traveled on every continent except Antarctica and this tour was my best tour experience ever. First of all, I want to apologize for not getting back to you sooner. As
you know I have been in Tanzania for the past month. Internet access was almost impossible while I was
there.
Places Visited Sep 21 - Sep 27, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Lalibela, Axum
Kay DeWeese writes: We were so pleased with the care an attention from Highway Tours ... Every anticipation and expectation was more than met. Hello Mr. Eskinder,
Places Visited Sep 21 - Sep 27, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Lalibela, Axum
Mark and Diane Williams write: 5 out of 5!!!! Our trip was GREAT ! Highway Tours really took time to specifically organize something me and my husband spoke of, even though it's out of the ordinary for tour companies to do something like that. Eskinder took great care of us and my husband and I will always remember what a great time we had contributing to Ethiopia ! Do not go for just ANY tour company! In a foreign place, you just don't know who you will end up with or what kind of events will be worth your money. My husband and I are really happy we chose Highway Tours. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD IN ETHIOPIA. From the food to the intimate tours - there was detailed attention put into every aspect of our trip. It was within budget AND we had an AMAZING time ! We had the opportunity to participate in socially aware events such as the World Food Walk. We visited natural scenery and local villages. Ethiopia has really tried to keep its originality. Our tour company was great - they organized amazing hikes at unbelievable locations. You will have memories and pictures for a lifetime ! 5 out of 5!!!! review at ResponsibleTravel.comMark and Diane Williams
Places Visited May 30 - Jun 08, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum.
Martin Roberts writes: Some wonderful memories, I would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend. The rock-hewn churches around Lalibela are not only outstandingly beautiful but a stunning human achievement which has stood the test of time. The Simiens provided breathtaking scenery, with something a little other worldly about the shape of the mountains in the distance.
He set up an itinerary which we felt was just right for the amount of time spent in each place, and his guides and drivers were all first class. Eskinder himself was so concerned that everything went well in Harar that he took a 12-hour coach ride both ways just to check out his new driver there. We had been wanting to go to Ethiopia for a long time and we were glad we finally went. There are so many outstanding and memorable places to visit... The people are all so welcoming, and there is absolutely no sense of any
danger, either to yourself or your belongings. The finishing touch is the food which will be an unexpected
delight for those not previously acquainted with Ethiopian cuisine, though you will need to develop a liking
for injera. Martin Roberts
Places Visited Apr 05 - Apr 18, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Blue Nile Falls, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Lalibela, Axum, Diredawa, and Harer
Roger Bradley writes: We enjoyed our trip tremendously ... editing the video reminded us of how enjoyable it was. Eskinder, We are sorry that we couldn’t have a meal together on our last night, we
had so much to tell you! Read the full story at: Remembering our Ethiopia Travels
Places Visited 2nd - 16th January 2009:
Addis, Bahirdar, Gonder, and Lalibela
Sandy Topzand writes: Fascinating, enriching, educational. Changed some of my perceptions about many things. Very enjoyable. This trip is really about the people of the country. Being in Lalibela at the same time as the pilgrims ... brought home the real value of the places ...
Don't go on this trip without a sense of adventure, a sense of humour, a lot of patience and the ability to just accept Africa on its own terms. The place is safe enough and the local guides are excellent. Water and electricity supplies are unreliable. Don't expect a hot shower every day, even at the best hotels. The food is fabulous, providing you stick to the local dishes. Sandy Topzand
Places Visited Dec 22, 2008 - Jan 02, 2009:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Simien Mountains, Axum, and Lalibela
Arthur Boylston writes: ...a wonderful trip which we shall never forget. Dear Eskinder,
Places Visited Nov 28 - Dec 12, 2008:
Addis Ababa, Bahirdar, Gonder, Lalibela and Harar
Charmaine Loewen writes: Amazing experience of seeing so much beauty and making many new friends ... Eskinder,
We wouldn't be doing coffee ceremonies with you, but if you came in summer we would certainly host a few barbeque suppers, which is the closest Canadian tradition I can think of in comparison. God was gracious to keep us healthy and safe during our journey. The few stomach upsets
and insect bites were minor in comparison to the amazing experience of seeing so much beauty and making many
new friends.
Places Visited Sept 27 - Oct 14, 2008:
Bahirdar - Lake Tana and Blue Nile Falls; Gonder; and Lalibela
Alvaro Vasquez writes: Ethiopia was a highlight of the trip ... Dear Eskinder,
Places Visited Sept 18 - 27, 2008:
Bahirdar - Lake Tana and Blue Nile Falls; Gonder; Simien Mountains; Axum stele and Lalibela churches
Laurence Leclerc writes: We will both recommend your country and your company very warmly to our friends ... Dear Eskinder, We will both recommend your country and your company very warmly to our friends. I would especially like to thank you for showing me around Addis, and smoothing things out for me while shopping (and shipping!) I enjoyed our talks very much! Please give my regards and heartfully felt thanks again to Antsokia and
Yared, who greatly contributed to making our stay so enjoyable. Kind regards,
Places Visited Aug 15 - 28, 2008:
Bahirdar - Lake Tana and Blue Nile Falls; Gonder; Simien Mountains; Axum stele and Lalibela churches.
Alice Klement writes: He is everything a guide must be ...
Besides that, he is everything a guide must be: reliable and courteous, informed and informative, timely and on time, fair and honest. Alice Klement, JD
Places Visited 2007-2008
Dr. Eva Ludi writes: His knowledge of the Simian Mountains, contributed greatly ...
Dr. Eva Ludi, Leader SMS 2004, Swisspeace
Places Visited 2004
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You are here: Main Ethiopia Facts > Reviews
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Ethiopia is an extraordinary country, with a deep, rich heritage and Ethiopians are incredibly
civilised, dignified and welcoming.
We drew some reassurance from his speedy and intelligent responses to our numerous and varied
queries, and eventually took the leap.
In spite of our short time in Ethiopia, Eskinder and his staff did an outstanding job of
introducing us to the history and culture of this ancient and unique civilization.
We were particularly keen to book with a locally-based company, and we were glad we did because
Eskinder, who runs Highway Tours, could not have done any better.
We enjoyed our trip tremendously and working our way through the photographs and editing the
video reminded us of how enjoyable it was.
It was a fascinating trip though, amazing sights and history and people.
It is our prayer that God would somehow allow us to return the favor and have you someday visit
us in Canada.
Habtamu is a wonderful guide in Lalibela.
During all his work our guide Semaamlak Kumie, provided an excellent input
into our study.
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