Travel Tips

Climate and Clothing

• Because of Ethiopia's unique position at high elevations, temperatures rarely exceed 25°C (77°F) while in lowland areas, such as Awash, Omo and Gambela, temperatures and relative humidy can be very high. The rainy season usually last from May to September, but visitors should expect some rain in the months of March, April and October.
• Pack light clothes for the daytime and jacket or sweater for the evenings, and a good pair of walking shoes even if you are not going trekking. Many of the villages which are home to the historic site lack paved roads and paths tend to be uneven and rocky.
• People trekking in the in the Simian and Bale Mountains will need three layers of clothing including a rain jacket or shell and a 3 seasons sleeping bag.
• A cultural note: Ethiopians are generally modest dressers and visitors should be sensitive about going underdressed into places of worship. Shoes must always be removed before entering churches and mosques. For getting around sites like Lalibela with its many churches, sandals or an extra pair of socks are useful.

Electric Supply
Ethiopia uses 220 volts 50 cycles AC.

Time
Ethiopia is in the GMT + 3 hours time zone. Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar. Ethiopians measure the day in a way that the when the sun rises (6am), the Ethiopian clock begins. Hence 12 noon is actually 6am, and so on.

Language & Religion
Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with a great variety of languages spoken in the country, of which there are 83 and some 200 dialects. Amharic is the unifying language of the country and learning greetings or phrases can enrich the traveler's experience. Other major languages include Tigrinya, Orominya, Guaragenya, Somali, & Afari among others. On major tourist circuits, most Ethiopians can speak enough English for communication purposes.
An estimated 40-50% of the population practices Christianity, the majority of which practice the homegrown Ethiopian Orthodox traditions and beliefs. Some 30% of the population practices Islam and are scattered throughout the country. The rest belong to animist tribes and practice religions linked to their tribes.

Topography
Ethiopia is an elevated central plateau varying in height between 2000m and 3000m. In the north and center of the country there are over 20 peaks rising over 4000m. The most famous Ethiopian river is the Blue Nile (known as the Abay in Amahric), which flows over 1450km from its source at Lake Tana to Kartoum (Sudan) where it joins the White Nile and flows north toward the Mediterranean.

Economy
While Ethiopia's urban population continues to rise, the majority of the population continues to earn their living from subsistence farming. Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy and the principal exports from this sector are coffee, oil seeds, chat, flowers, vegetables, sugar and foodstuffs for animals. There is also a thriving livestock sector.

People
The population as of 2010 is estimated at 82 million.

Currency Exchange and Banking Hours
The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr (ETB). Birr notes are available in denominations of 5, 10, 50 and 100. Visitors may import an unlimited amount of foreign currency but this must be declared on arrival to the customs authorities. Foreign currency may only be exchanged at the international airport, authorized banks and hotels, and a receipt must be obtained. Visitors may change back any surplus Ethiopian Birr to cash at the airport before departure.
Banking hours are usually from 8am-5pm, Monday to Friday as well as Saturdays from 8am to 11am.

Communications
Telephone, fax and Internet access is available in Addis Abba in most hotels. In smaller cities throughout Ethiopia, the Internet may be more difficult to find. Country-wide connections often fail for many hours at a time.

Visa and Immigration Requirements
Visa applications may be obtained at Ethiopia's diplomatic missions overseas. However, nationals of 33 countries are now allowed to receive their tourist visas on arrival in Ethiopia at the regular charge. The list includes Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greek, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, citizens of United Kingdom and United States. Fro China including passports issued in Hong Kong (SAR China) and MACAO (SAR China), Visa is available on arrival.

Health and Medical

• All visitors should be in possession of valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. Immunization for Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid and Polio is recommended. Malaria: in many highland areas malaria is not a problem, for example: Axum, Gondar and Lalibela.
• Malaria does occur, however, in Bahir Dar at the end of the rainy season (October-November). Chloroquine resistant strains have been identified in some areas so you should consult your doctor about the prescription. Alternatively, you can keep mosquitoes and other insects at bay with repellent creams and sprays.
• Visitors should take a simple first aid pack, which would include: different size plasters, antiseptic cream, anti-histamine cream and/or tablets for insect bites, sunblock (while temperatures are moderate the sun is still equatorial) and anti diarrhea tablets such as Imodium for emergencies (they will not cure the problem but will control the symptoms). Generally, visitors should take out standard holiday health insurance in their home countries.

Food and Drinks
With people from so many different ethnic groups, the food and drinks of Ethiopia are varied. A typical dish is wot, a hot spicy stew of meat or vegetables, seasoned with a blend of berbere (hot pepper powder). It is often made with doro (chicken), and normally served with injera, the traditional spongy pancake made from a fermented teff flour batter. In most good restaurants, or in the local coffee house, you will find delicious dishes that reflect the customs and the ingredients of the region.
In Addis Ababa, visitors will also find a wide range of Chinese, Indian, Yemeni, Lebanese, Italian, French, Greek among others.
Ethiopia produces its own wines such as Guder and Axumite. Ethiopia is also famous for its honey wine, known as tej. Among other homebrews, Ethiopian drink copious amounts of tela, a local beer, and araki, a distilled liquor.

Accommodation

• Addis Ababa has 5-star hotels as well as many other hotels from every level.
• Outside the capital city, standards may vary. Most major cities have at leat 3-star hotels. And in many areas there are now a number of eco-logdes with in-suite showers and bathrooms. Travel by air, road and rail
• Ethiopian Airlines operates an extensive (43 airports and an additional 21 landing strips) and generally efficient and reliable domestic air service, but cancellations and delays do occur.
• Traveling by road allows visitors to experience Ethiopia's wonderful scenery, but road conditions are generally poor, and mountainous topography in the north will make trips very long.
• The 1-hour flight to Lalibela, for example, takes nearly two days by road.
• Ethiopia has recently secured substantial grants for the renovation of its road and rail network, but improvement will take time.

Bole International Airport
The New Bole International Airport is situated 8km from the center of the city (a 15 minute drive under normal conditions). Paid parking, luggage carts and uniformed porters are available at the airport terminal.

Photography

• Generally only 100 ASA is available, slide film usually not.
• As a matter of courtesy, permission should be sought before photographing individuals and in many parts of the country, particularly among the Afar and among the ethnic groups living by the Omo River, people will demand a fee.
• In some sites (Blue Nile falls for example) there is a charge for video photography.