Northern Kenya to Ethiopian Highlands
Overview
Highlights
- Hike to Old Moses Point for views over the twisting valleys and rugged peaks of Mount Kenya National Park
- Embark on a game drive in the Ol Pajeta Conservancy, where you'll see giraffe, zebra, elephant, jackal, hippo, rhino, baboon and gazelle roam among the acacia trees and 'whistling thorn' shrubs
- Visit the crater lakes that sit atop Mt Marsabit. The aptly named Lake Paradise is partly covered by Nile cabbage and rimed by verdant forest
- Visit the Dorze people and immerse yourself in a culture well known for their unique beehive houses and colourful woven fabrics.
- Take a boat trip on Lake Chamo for a chance spotting of the resident hippos, thousands of Nile crocodiles, rich bird life and local fishermen.
- Search for the Gelada baboon in Ethiopia's Simien Mountains.
- Visit Ethiopia’s ancient cities including Gondar, Lalibela and Axum.
What's this trip about?
Details
Destinations
Attractions
Itinerary
Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm, but if you arrive early then why not head out on an Urban Adventure. Not only is Nairobi an energetic capital city, it's also the only major city in the world to contain a game reserve – Na...
Rise and shine: it's your first morning in Kenya! Enjoy breakfast in the hotel before the group travels to the Mount Kenya region, arriving at the hotel in time for lunch. Mount Kenya is Africa's second-highest mountain, rising to an elevation of 5199 metres, and the ...
Today, after breakfast, you'll set off for hike in Mount Kenya National Park. Begin walking from the park's entrance gate and continue through the forest to Old Moses Camp at an altitude of 3000 metres. If the weather's right you'll have fantastic views of Mount Kenya...
Drive north after breakfast to the Samburu National Reserve, where you'll be spending the next two nights, via an optional visit to the Ngare Ndare forest canopy walk and waterfalls. Samburu is a rugged, remote reserve that provides some of the best game-viewing in th...
Head off in search of the Special Five, this time on a full-day game drive through the reserve. Keep your eyes peeled for lions too, and crocodiles stalking the waters of the Ewaso Nyiro River that flows through the park. This region is home to the Samburu people, sem...
Pack your bags for a four-hour drive to Marsabit, a small town bordering Marsabit National Park and Marsabit National Reserve. The views of the plains during the drive are phenomenal, and you'll stop by the appropriately named Lake Paradise on the way. Arrive in the l...
Today the group will take a long drive through the highlands, allowing plenty of time to appreciate the beautiful scenery. Your destination is Moyale, a market town on the border of Ethiopia and Kenya that's split between the two countries. The larger section is in Et...
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast in Moyale before driving to Konso, a journey of approximately six hours. Stop en route at the beautiful El Sod Crater, which locals have been extracting salt from for centuries. Some members of your group will be departing tomorrow as this is...
Today is a free day until the rest of your group arrive on a flight from Addis Ababa. Take the time to walk around this World Heritage-listed town. Keep an eye out for the carved wooden grave markers in the area, a Konso tradition where the deceased warriors features ...
Visit a village within Konso and learn about the clan-based societal arrangement comprised of nine clans. Head onwards to Jinka to visit an ethnographic museum dedicated to the tribes speaking South Omotic languages. Jinka is a lively trading hub and known as a capital of sorts for the range of ethnic groups that call this region home.
Head into Jinka's lush surroundings, home to the traditional Ari people. Spend some time in their villages, some of the most beautiful in the country, surrounded by banana, mango, avocado and enset (false banana) trees. Travel on to Turmi and visit one of the Hamar vi...
Travel south towards Omorate this morning, driving down a 75-kilometre stretch of paved road passing through acacia forests. Omorate lies on the bank of the Omo River, close to the border of Kenya, and is a popular base for exploring the rugged area. Wildlife roam fre...
Travel north to Arba Minch after breakfast. This is a region noted for its variety of peoples and cultures, many of which are nomadic or semi-nomadic and live very differently to what most would consider a modern existence. Arba Minch is bordered by Nechisar National ...
Drive north and return to Addis Ababa. Have dinner at a local restaurant in the evening and meet your new group members.
Today we will take a spectacular flight to Bahir Dar. From the air we can gaze across the extraordinary nature of the Ethiopian Plateau, repeatedly cut by immensely deep gorges. Bahir Dar is a small but fast growing town on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the source ...
Head out to the Blue Nile Falls today. Located 32 kilometers south of Bahir Dar, the Blue Nile Falls measure over 400 metres wide and crash down 48 metres in full flood. These falls are known locally as Tis Isat (Smoking Water) and are a spectacular sight when the wat...
Head for the regal city of Gondar by travelling north around the edge of Lake Tana this morning, a drive that'll take approximately 4.5 hours including photo stops. Gond was the capital of Ethiopia through the 17th and 18th centuries, and is famed for its medieval cas...
Today you'll have free time to explore the quiet streets of Gondar for yourself. Take a stroll to the markets, or otherwise perch up at the hotel by the pool. You'll be heading into the mountains tomorrow so there's nothing wrong with enjoying a little bit of luxury while you have it.
Depart Gondar early in the morning and head towards Debark and the Simien Mountain National Park. The remainder of the day is free to explore the spectacular mountain scenery including Ethiopia's highest point – Ras Dejen (4550 metres). This area is home to much of Et...
Strap in for a long travel day up the winding road to Aksum. Though the journey will take approximately seven hours, you'll cross the lowlands of the Simien Mountains and the Tekeze River gorge and the views will be absolutely spectacular. Aksum was once the capital o...
Today is a free day with the option to tour the incredible historical sites of Aksum. Visit the stele fields, several tombs, the ruins of the Queen of Sheba’s palace and an archaeological museum. The field is home to over 100 stele – the largest one measuring 33 metre...
Leave Axum for Mekele, looking across to see the spectacular Adwa Mountains and the battlefield of Adwa, where the Ethiopians defeated the Italians in 1896. Stop to visit the Pre-Christian Pagan Temple of Yeha before breaking for lunch at Adigrat. Yeha is though to ha...
Start the long journey to Lalibela early in the morning on a smooth paved road and, after a couple of hours, reach the spectacular mountain range of Amba Alaje. Continue through green valleys and flat plains before turning west towards Lalibela at Woldia (approximatel...
Today you’ll use the morning and afternoon to visit Lalibela’s amazing churches, which look like they've been dropped down from the sky. Between 1137 and 1270, several astounding rock-hewn churches were constructed in Lalibela; astonishing because most are not built f...
This morning we trek to the rock church of Asheten Mariam, which sits on the 3,150-metre-high Abune Josef mountain that overlooks Lalibela. You will climb for 2.5 hours to the summit, where the church is carved out of a cleft into the cliff face. The monastery houses ...
This trip comes to an end today after breakfast. There are no activities planned and you are free to leave at any time.
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