One of the cradle of humankind and the only african country that wasn’t colonized

Ethiopia conceals many secrets, definitely on the path less traveled Perhaps due to the harsh civil war or the terror that goes when mentioning Africa, the name of a goddess long forgotten, for a continent that linger in memories

This trip was actually conjoined with East Africa, towards the end, I’ll tell you how I went onward to Kenya. It’s dating from July 2023 and was written in October 2025

Before diving in, a few considerations:

• The country isn’t exactly safe
• The cops are corrupt, Addis is a robber haven
• Solo travel is rarely done, for a reason
• Every part of the country has a different weather
• Scams are frequent -> More about that later
• English is widely spoken
• Ethiopia is super expensive and expansive
• A civil war broke out around 2020, the country is still shaken

Note: This article detailing logistic can be a nice read as well

Tips on how to travel Africa

Itinerary done quick

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

As you can see, I didn’t include the extreme north and the Dalol depression. I couldn’t due to the resuming fights Both Axum and Dalol were off limits for most (Some people managed to do it, I don’t know how, but congrats to them ^(=_=)^)

• Note: Konso is apparently named Karat now
• Taking flights from Lalibela to Harar is a fast way to do the trip, not an ecological one

Day 1 Addis Ababa

^Ethiopian food

Welcome to Addis, a city of contrasts, coffee and chaos, prayers and pickpockets.
Scammers will follow you around pretending to “practice English”, then demand tips.
Photos of poverty (Like slums and beggars), cultural centers, or government buildings are strictly forbidden.
Police might try to beat you up for it. Don’t trust the police.

Never try to flirt with policewomen. They’re not up for it.

Spend your day exploring Meskel Square, the Ethnological Museum, and the National Museum of Ethiopia (where Lucy rests).
I also really liked, Saint George’s church and its turtles as well as the Holy trinity Cathedral. In the late afternoon, I went up Mount Entoto*, it’s an easy hike up.

At night, Addis’ food scene shines, try Shiro, Injera, and local honey wine (if you’re an alcohoolic).

Day 2 Gondar

From Addis, I took a long and early bus (11h) to Gondar, the “Camelot of Africa.”
There were afew nice stops, but essentialy, it was a wasted day.

On my first evening in Gonder, I walked around my accomodation and spoke with other travelers. If you have more time, try to see the Fasilides Bath, a bit out of the center, or even the Debre Birhan Selassie Church.

(Wikivoyage) https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gondar This article is outdated, yet still useful.

Day 3 and 4 Simien Mountains

^Gelada Baboons

With a very small group I left Gondar early, heading into the Simiens
You need both a guide and an armed ranger to enter the park.

We waited nearly two hours at the ranger station before being allowed in (there was no one, lol).
In the meantime, we enjoyed coffee and watched the broken UN cars going through.

It was a nice visit, even though it was super cloudy. The mountains are beautiful, the baboons ever present and the air felt nice. Many locals around, showing you their handicrafts, the guide and the ranger telling little stories…

It’s a good trip, really.

By the time we set camp, the rain was coming down hard.
And on the same night, amidst the storm, a mexican tourist heard the gunshots By paying attention, yup, not just rain. Trust the mexican on that.

The second day was pretty much the same as the previous day, with a few other viewpoints, especially cliffs and waterfalls. We saw more Gelada baboons and a lot of birds.

Day 5 Gondar

^African Camelot

Stone castles rise from green hills; Fasil Ghebbi is a surreal sight, it looks a bit like medieval Europe.
After a morning around the castles (You HAVE to hire a guide), I spent the afternoon exploring the city and its sights.

I also met a nice chinese man named James with whom I travelled manyfolds during the same trip

Honestly, Gondar is not a very long visit. Some parts of the centers are nice and riding the many rickshaws is nice.

Careful for the scams, you agree on a price, then say it’s 100 times that amount. 100€ for 5 minutes is a bit much.

Day 6 Bahir Dar

The drive to Bahir Dar is short (3 hours), resting on the edge of Lake Tana, it’s a wealthy town.
On my day there, I went to visit the Martyr’s Memorial, ate at Bet Diplomat, went around the markets and walked around the lake, there’s a nice promenade.

Day 7 Blue Nile Falls / Lake Tana monasteries

^Blue Niles falls

An early bus ride and a muddy hike to the Blue Nile Falls.
Even muddy as hell in July, it’s still beautiful.

At the entrance, they will force a guide upon you, saying you will get lost otherwise: It’s a lie. The guide I had kept trying to offer me prostitutes and kept saying he let tourists fucked this or that girl (Sometimes, they were kids and teens. Absolutely disgusting.)

In the afternoon, I went to see Lake Tana and its monasteries.

Scammers are rampant here, especially for the boat tours. They’ll approach you, speaking of a “student boat association”, it’s fake.
Stick to official operators or boats arranged by your hotel/hostel.

Day 8 Road to Lalibela

The bus journey to Lalibela takes a full day, winding through dusty Gashena.
It doable in one day, you just have to start early. As soon as I reached Gashena, the bus driver pointed at shared taxis and I immediately got into one going north. It was easier than I thought.

Otherwise, there is nothing to see on the road, it’s essentially a wasted day.

Day 9 Lalibela

The fabled rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, twelve monolithic masterpieces carved directly into the mountain.

When I arrived, the entrance price had jumped from $50 to $100.
Guides are extra (5–50 USD depending on the priest), and… most priests now carry iPhones.
Their greed sicken me.

Beware of fake priests: they’ll offer cheap tours, but can’t explain the ceremonies, or even where they “work.”

Still, nothing diminishes the awe.
Walking barefoot through dim tunnels carved in rock, hearing prayers echo, it’s timeless.

Day 10 Lalibela (Monasteries)

Another day around Lalibela!
I visited surrounding monasteries and met locals. The dude working at my hotel’s reception was quite nice and showed me around (for a price, of course) Other than the monasteries and revisiting the rock church, I advise you to eat at Ben Abeba, a scottish fusion restaurant in a nice area.

Day 11 Lalibela to Harar

Quick flight to Dire Dawa, then shuttle to Harar.
If you take the bus route instead (two full days via Dessie), be prepared for a whole bunch of nothing.

James did it, said it was disappointing, Dessie had nothing to do and the road was shitty.

Harar felt different, with its arabic influences, colorful walls and stronger tourism industry. Add to that the smell of Harari coffee, it sure is nicer. I arrived a bit late in the day, despite the flights, so I mostly enjoyed dinner and slept.

Day 12 Harar

^ Harar with Solomon

Old stone alleys, green chat leaves, and the instagram-famous hyena feeding.
Around early noon, I met Solomon, a witty Rasta-looking man who works part-time at a museum.
If he offers to guide you, he’s the real deal. Not a scammer.

You can even find him online, but this feels outdated: Solomon Harar, Ethiopia

We talked for hours about history and his life, with my friend James we toured the whole walled city, went people watching, enjoyed street food… And we met him again in the evening to see the hyenas, he showed us more cool things during the night. Truly the best.

Note: He might have moved to Israel with his wife, I met him in 2023, the ticker ticks, people move The ebbs and flows of life take people to the waves and the clouds.

^Harar without Solomon, but James’ cameo

Day 13 Return to Addis Ababa

I didn’t take the train, buses suited our timing better (we departed at night to get time in Addis).
Terrible choice. I got stuck beside a fat muslim woman over 100 kg, sweating rivers and stiking like poo. The ride felt eternal, the mercury went up to 47°C around midway.

Ethiopian hates opening windows in cars, something about bad luck, I think? That’s why I recommend taking the train, + it’s french infrastructure.

That night, I went out with my chinese travel partner to Yob Abyssinia, a traditional restaurant, famous on Google Maps.
It was fun seeing the dances and being invited on stage! The food was meh, though.
On the way back, we got robbed (James’ phone got stollen by three big guys, it turned into a fistfight, which we easily won.
We were two and they were only three, lol. Not a dull moment in Addis. Never…

Addis is full of prostitutes, robbers and glue sniffers, I don’t advise walking at night. Some robbers have knives. Unless you are strong enough to fend two weapon-wielding low lives, be careful.

Day 14 Arba Minch

From Addis, a long bus ride south toward Arba Minch, gateway to the Omo Valley.
There, James and I got approached by Miju, a Hamar guide with missing teeth.

We visited the town and around, see the lakes and the crocodiles. Apart from shopping for tours, the only real good thing to do is to see the Dorze tribe. I did it on the next day, so once again, it was pretty much a wasted day.

To find a guide, ask for Nairobi. He’s the leader, he may not always work as a guide, but apparently he’s the best. If he’s busy, he’ll recommend you someone else. That’s how I ended up with Miju.

Days 15 to 17 Omo Valley Tribes

^Miju in the market

You have a choice of transportation. I did mine.

With my guide, we rode motorbikes and hitched trucks after the second day since Miju was too lazy/tired to drive.

On the first day, I visited the Dorze, drank with the king and watched demos of cooking methods. As well as tasted dishes and alcohol.

On the second and third day, we met the Hamar, Mursi, and Konso tribes, each with their customs, beauty, and dignity.
And perhaps more, it’s hard to remember all the names.

The best things to do are:

• Going to local markets
• Go people watching
• Drink and eat with locals
• Party

I liked the lifestyle.

Even if they are naked in hut, I noticed they all have phones with online games on it. So, yeah, you will see young people playing PUBG and fortnite. Technologia!

In Turmi, I got into another street fight, but out of respect for the guides and the Omo valley tourism industry, I’ll leave the details out.

^A tribe in the wild

Day 18 Konso to Moyale

We ended the trip in Konso because I planned to go to Moyale, the border crossing into Kenya.

Travel advisories mark this area in red, tribal tensions still run deep.
Gunfire between tribes isn’t rare, and foreigners should avoid nighttimes.

The trip was busy and dusty, people were fighting to get into buses, the border was closed early, I had to sleep in one of the shittiest hotel I’ve ever seen. No toilets or showers, no water. Just a bed filled with cockroaches. 10€. Take it or leave it.

More?

If you visit Ethiopia, I recommend skipping Bahir Dar to see Dalol. Or if you have more time, squeeze it somewhere. The issue with Ethiopia is that the roads are terrible, so everything goes through Addis, a real shithole.

Final Thoughts

Ethiopia is a country that demands patience and respect (and a taste for street fights).
It’s chaotic, corrupt, alive, and endlessly complex, but it’s also one of the last places where travel still feels wild. I don’t recommend it, but if you’re keen for it, I hope that my itinerary will be of use.

Comments?