Benishangul Gumuz & North Ethiopia. price from 1560 USD
Duration 17 days and 16 nights.
Day 1: Addis Ababa- Nekemte 320km Meet and greet by the Guide and the Driver, then drive to Nekemte. On the way visit the old church of Addis Alem Mariam church built by Menilik the second when he tried to shift the capital from mount Entoto to Addis Alem.. Then have lunch at ambo and accordingly the time short visit Guder waterfall. O/n Nekemte Ijoo international hotel.
Day 2: Nekemte –Assosa After breakfast visit the palace of Dejaj kumsa who was high politician to the area during Emperor Menilik. It reflects much cultural identification of the Oromo people. Then visit the Oromo village. After lunch drive farther to Benishangul Gumuz regional state. Benishangul regional state is untouched region in Ethiopia regarding tourist sites. There are five indigenous tribes in this region, Berta, Shinasha, Gumuz, Mao and Komo. All these are identified one to the other by their costumes, traditions and cultures. O/n hotel
Day 3: Assosa-Ganzo After breakfast drive to Ganzo. On the way visit the colorful Wednesday market of bambasi where we can see Berta Oromo and Amhara people live in the surrounding. Drive to Ganzo. After lunch visit Ganzo village and late afternoon visit the small and beautiful market of Ganzo,Berta , Mao and Komo people. O/n camping. Day 4, Thursday Ganzo –Assosa In the morning visit the mosque in same place which was built by Nigerian sheikh around 1942 and the wise use of water for electricity, Mill and sanitation. Then drive to koshimando cattle market. On this market only ox, cow, sheep and goat are being sold. Come back to Assosa and visit the cultural museum of Assosa and judicial court of sheikh Hojele. O/n hotel.
Day 5: Assosa-Menge-Kurmuk Assosa. In the morning drive to the small town called Menge to visit the traditional gold extraction by Berta tribes. And then visit rain making stone called Bellbembesh.it is a spiritual ceremonial place to stop or to have rain. After taking the picnic lunch, drive to Ethio-Sudanese border to visit the couple of mountains that the local people believe as female and male mountains .they believe too it is Gold Mountain. Visit the border of the two countries. Sometimes it is allowed to cross and visit the Sudanese village. o/n the same hotel.
Day 6: Assosa – Gublak (317KM) After breakfast drive to Gublak crossing Blue Nile River. On the way visit the ruined palace of Mohammed Banjaw at Guba which were built by the Sudanese engineer and imitated the Gonderian style. It is a big compound including his wives tukuls inside. O/n Gublak camping.
Day 7: Gublak- Zengena After breakfast drive to the crater lake of Zengena. On the way visit Gumuz village and the small market for Gumuz and Agaw people exchanging their items. Have lunch box on the way and drive to chagni to stop for Dondor waterfall. O/n camping.
Day 8: in a morning walk around the small lake but the beautiful scenery, then drive to Bahirdar. Then have excursion boat trip on Lake Tana to visit the beautifully painted church of Ura kidane Mihret .After lunch drive 32 km to visit Blue Nile waterfall (Tis Isat). O /n hotel. Day 9: Bahir-dar -Gondar- S.M.N.P Having breakfast at the hotel, drive to Gondar to discover the 17th century enclosure compound built by emperor Fasiledas and his successors named as the Camelot city of Africa. Then the painted church of Debre Berhan Selassie. Then continue to Semien Mountains National Park which is home of many endemics, Fauna & flora and marvelous landscape ranging from 1500m-4620 m.a.s.l. o/n lodge
Day 10: trekking and drive to Chenek where we can see the endemics of Gelada baboon(common in each part of the park).walia ibex (capra walia)which was believed in Ethiopia as sacred animal before Christianity and the rarely seen Ethiopian wolf. The landscape, birds and flora makes the traveller feel unique. O/n same lodge.
Day 11: S.M.N.P-Axum After breakfast, drive to the ancient, cradle and archeological city of Ethiopia across Limalimo and Tekezze gorge. Up on arrival, visit the stele field and the tomb of Kaleb and his son G/ Meskel. O/n hotel.
Day 12: Axum-Gheralta. in the morning visit the church of St. Mary of Zion in the compound where the Ark of the Covenant that God gave to Moses is kept. After lunch drive to Hawzien but on the way visit the ancient center of Da’amat kingdom and were worshiping place for pagans later became to be Christians church. O/n Gheralta.
Day 13: Gheralta –Mekelle in the morning visit the mountain top churches of Abune Yemata Guh (with fascinated ceiling paintings) and Mariam Korkor. After lunch drive to Mekelle and at Wukro visit the most accessible church to the main road, wukro cherkos church built in the 4th century by the two brother kings Abereha we Atsebeha. O/n hotel.
Day 14: Mekelle –Lalibela. On this day admire the scenic beauty of Ambalaghe chain mountains reached upto 3949 m.a.s.l. o/n lalibela Day 15: lalibela On this day discovered the 11 rock hewn churches built in 12th century by king lalibela within 23 years to replace the 2nd Jerusalem in Ethiopia. These churches are classified in 3 groups. O/n lalibela
Day 16: Lalibela –kombolcha On the way visit wollo province women hair style and Hayq Estifanos monastery which was the church school center for a long years and used as the first informal library in Ethiopia. O/n hotel
Day 17: kombolcha –Addis Ababa. on this day if the day falls on Sunday, visit the colorful market of sembete where the Amhara, Oromo, Afar and Argoba people come to share their goods and items. Then visit the mouth of rift valley also called the window of Menilik II, Debre birhane Selassie church at Debre Birhane. After lunch, visit Oromo village. Finally in the evening have farewell dinner at a cultural restaurant with live music. Then departure We wish you a pleasant trip.