Cultural Experiences

Of all the East African nations, Ethiopia is perhaps the hardest to describe. Ethiopia is an incredible blend of natural beauty, history and culture. The natural beauty of the country is obvious, you can't escape the sweeping views and mountain peaks. The history is all around you; staring up at a crumbling castle ruin you know immediately you're standing somewhere with a long and deep history. 

The culture is something else. It's less tangible, but even more powerful. 

In some sense, everything you do in Ethiopia could be labelled a cultural experience. Wandering the sprawling markets, visiting the ancient churches and monasteries, hiking across the plateaus, and sampling the local cuisine. Everything you experience in Ethiopia is shaped by its culture, and you'll be constantly in tune with how local way of life differs to your own, in both positive and negative ways. 

There is no separating an experience in Ethiopia from the cultural fabric from which it's borne. That's what makes Ethiopia so hard to describe. It's incredibly diverse, and a single destination can be described a thousand ways. 

The Omo Valley is the major force south of Addis Ababa that pulls travellers away from the classic northern trail. The Rift Valley and Bale Mountains play supporting roles, but few visitors venture into southern Ethiopia without visiting some of the tribal communities of the Omo. 

Exploring the Omo Valley, and spending time with the tribes that have long called this region home, is a remarkable experience. Few places so sharply illustrate the range of human experience on this Earth.

Community trekking involves peaceful walks through rural Ethiopian countryside, across sweeping plateaus and down into valleys.

You spend the nights at locally run community guesthouses perched on the plateau edge. The landscapes are extraordinary and the views among the most impressive in the country. 

The trekking is meditative, the viewpoints staggering, and the guesthouses charming. Community trekking is among our favourite things to do in Ethiopia. 

Whether you're heading to the Omo Valley along Butajira Road, or traversing the Rift Valley Lakes as you head to the Bale Mountains, the drive through the local villages, surrounded by incredible landscapes in a region that birthed humanity itself, is a wonderful experience. 

It's the small moments that compound over a few days on the road. Children showcasing their regional dance as you drive by, the local restaurants, the cattle wandering the bumpy roads refusing to move for any vehicle. It's kilometres of natural beauty accented by short bursts of wonderful chaos. 

The roads south of Addis have provided some of our most memorable experiences in the country.

Ethiopia's festival calendar is a busy one.

Ethiopian Christmas and Timkat are the two main festivals in January. Colourful processions characterise these events, and the main cities along the northern circuit are the best places to be.

New Year and Meskel take place during September, and combined with Ethiopia's post rainy season bloom, visiting during these events makes for a magical trip.  

If you're lucky enough to be travelling during these celebrations, it's well worth shaping your itinerary to pass through the right places at the right times - get in touch with our team, and we can help. 

It is impossible to separate Ethiopian culture from coffee. It's the birthplace of coffee, and it remains a major export to this day. Coffee ceremonies are pervasive throughout the country. They're played up for visitors, but the coffee they produce is exceptional. 

You can find coffee farms throughout the country and learn the process from harvesting the beans to drying and packing. You'll also be able to buy some beans right off the drying rack, as fresh as it gets. 

Ethiopian food is best described as a culinary adventure bursting with flavour, culture and religious history.

Depending on where you find yourself in the country, you will encounter an amazing diversity of dishes and dining etiquette that makes for an unforgettable stay.