Wildlife and Wilderness of Ethiopia

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 18 reviews.

Chris Lillycrop

WILDLIFE & WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written February 2012
A really great trip to a beautiful country: the variety of frequency of birds was astonishing, and the mammal life was also fantastic. As Exodus warn, the mammal viewing in Ethiopia is not like being in Kenya or Tanzania, but in my view it was better: there was plenty to see, including some fantastic sightings of hippo and Ethiopian Wolf, and it felt like we were the only people there.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing Ethiopian Wolves in the Bale National Park. Very wisely, our guide had managed everyone's expectations so that we weren't too confident of seeing a single wolf. As it turned out, we saw half a dozen over the course of a few hours, including one stopping very close to our bus to catch and eat prey!
The night-time Hyena watching while staying in Awash National Park was also totally unforgettable. This isn't actually an official part of the itinerary, but Exodus should strongly consider adding it in. (If Exodus don't include it, I strongly recommend anybody going on this trip to do it anyway. The hotel in Awash can arrange it for you if you ask them when you arrive, and you won't regret it!) Generally, staying at the Lodge in Awash was a fantastic part of trip - it's such a beautiful and tranquil place (and I almost walked into a warthog in the dark).
What did you think of your group leader?
Gebre was wonderful - he was a big part of it being such an enjoyable trip.
He was helpful, funny, friendly, patient and astonishingly knowledgeable. (He also dealt very calmly with one couple on the tour who were very rude to him - and he earned a lot of respect from everyone else by doing so.)
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip is really not too daunting or difficult - if you're adventurous enough to be thinking seriously about a trip to Ethiopia, then you're adventurous enough to cope fine with this trip.
For what it's worth, the Trip Notes give a slightly misleading impression about two hotels. The hotel at Lake Awassa is listed as Standard, but is really not nice - very run down and rather dirty, especially in the bathrooms. (Fortunately there's only one night there, and it's the only unpleasant hotel on the trip.) Conversely, the hotel in Bale Mountains is listed as Basic but is perfectly comfortable and has en-suite bathrooms etc.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Be warned, if you're not a birdwatcher, there is a lot of birdwatching! Most of the areas you visit are great for birdwatching, so the trip attracts some very keen birdwatchers. But there are always other elements of the day to see mammals or great scenery, or just wander around a local market, so doesn't feel like too much of one thing.
All in all, I recommend this trip really highly - it's a really good opportunity to visit some unforgettable places that see very, very few tourists.
KATHRYN HOLLAND

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written February 2013
A very varied trip visiting areas with spectacular scenery, seeing the traditional way of life in the countryside and an amazing array of colourful birds. We had good views of all the mammals we saw but this isnt a safari .
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Bale mountains are a wonderful place to visit , so wild and unspoilt with the highlight being the chance of seeing Ethiopian Wolves. We saw the rodents scurrying round first and then the Giant Mole Rat in the entrance to his burrow , it's such a vast area we wondered what the chances would be but we saw seven in the end and had fantastic views of one hunting very close to the bus.
The baboons and monkeys are all pretty special and we saw lots of them
What did you think of your group leader?
Our leader was excellent , I cant praise him highly enough
He had a lot of knowledge of the wildlife , culture , history and politics of Ethiopia and was friendly and patient with everyone.
The driver was also first class and very considerate of his passengers.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Read the trip notes carefully and ask questions to ensure this is the trip for you as the accomodation is basic and there is only cold water in two of the hotels. The food is adequate but not inspiring and you will probably want to take some snacks with you.
Dont change too much money into Birrs as there arent a lot of souvenirs to buy and the airport shops only want US Dollars , if you do have a lot left you can change it back at the airport , they are open 24hrs a day.
If you are a birdwatcher you will love it as they are everywhere but the mammals are only in certain areas of the country .
The people are generally very poor , if you have any room in your case you could take some second hand childrens clothes , balls and pens .
This country is already changing so visit now before its developed and tourism takes a hold
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you're not put off by my comments make it your next trip , you wont be disappointed.
October & November are a good time to visit to see large numbers of birds.
Frances Pollard

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written January 2013
Read all the reviews. I enjoyed myself very much because I laughed so much with our fellow travellers. Having read all the previous reviews, I was not horrified by the accomodation or the awful bus. The beer and wine were nice and were cheap. Evening meals were OK, not so good for vegetarians but OK for fish/meat eaters; lunches were foul! I actually found the hard beds comfortable. After dire warnings about Ethiopian tummy, I had the healthiest couple of weeks for years (but did keep hands meticuliosly clean and did not eat meat)
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The countryside was diverse and beautiful. The birds were lovely and so were the fairly few mammals we saw. Baboons tend not to hang around in some places. The weather was bliss. I had real fun with fellow travellers (and my husband!)
What did you think of your group leader?
He was a nice man, not a people person, and didnt leave me out because I was the only woman on the trip. He was too quiet and indecisive and did not impart the knowledge he had. Pretty useless really. However, as there have been some male group leaders on other trips whom I did not rate, I was pleased he was a gentle soul and I liked him.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be as vigilant about theft as you would in London. Lock your cases.
It was freezing in AA- I slept in my coat, hood and socks.
You dont need much cash on this trip (£100?) You might have no opportunity to change excess back. You dont get to go to any shops or markets. Take bars, crisps etc- the lunches are twice the price of M and S and foul. Cold chips! The toilets look awful and I took cleaner. However, the seats were well cleaned- they just look bad. The cleaner made me feel better, though! One of the lodges was really disgusting so take insect repellant to spray over everything (I think it was the one at Lake Langano). Take torches, just in case. We only had power cuts in one location. We had water all the time but generally it was cold (but not too cold!).
Dont consider this trip unless you have a sense of humour! You will need it!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I havent laughed so much for years! The bus is really awful, the lunches worse, some of the accomodation indescribable. There were only 7 of us on the bus. I think 10 is the optimum number, otherwise there will be problems seeing anything the bus doesnt scare away. As long as you are with people with a laissez faire approach to life, you should have a good time. If you get the chance, go to the hot springs pools in Abiata-Shala National Park (though not at the weekend unless you like kids). Total Bliss.
Mark Tollerton

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written January 2013
An enjoyable enough trip, not least thanks to the tour group fortunately being quite small and determined to have fun whatever the situation!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
'Inspirational' may be an excessively grand term but the countryside is beautiful and there are some phenomenal views. Awash Falls is a really nice spot. As the trip notes state, the wildlife is not on the same level as more-visited safari destinations but there's plenty to see and keen birders will probably love it.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our leader was great at identifying the wildlife but didn't offer much else. He was a lovely chap but not really cut out for the job!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
As other reviewers have said, you really don't need very much cash, $150 ought to be plenty. The local food is well worth trying, and the beer is pretty good too. Remember that it's a developing country with a very small tourist industry and adjust your expectations for the standard of accommodation accordingly (though it was far better than I had expected). Above all take a sense of humour with you.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The title of this trip is somewhat misleading, particularly the 'Wilderness' part. Even at the most remote point we reached in the Bale Mountains there were occasional herds of grazing farm animals and the odd local bus going past. As for the tour bus, it's not really an ideal vehicle for a wildlife trip, even if most of the time you're on tarmac roads (or stopping by the side of them to look at animals running away from you!). We were unable to visit the hot springs at Awash as it couldn't get down the track following a rain storm, and the squealing brakes and the reversing alarm tended to make things run/fly away. Fortunately we were a very small group so there was plenty of room and everyone had a window. The driver was terrific though!
Ann Moran

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written November 2012
The days were mostly excellent for birders, not so much for people who preferred animals. Some of the hotels were dirty and more like solid state camping. The brochure needs to be more accurate about this. The bus was not suitable for the trip. These things spoilt what was otherwise an excellent trip.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walks, wildlife, birds and scenery, and swimming in the hot spring lagoon. Going to the top of the highest road in Africa.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent. He did the best he could with a poorly resourced trip and was unfailingly helpful and cheerful. Also our driver was excellent and again performed miracles with an unsuitable vehicle.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Do not get too much local currency on arrival. Most people/places accept dollars, and things, especially food are very cheap. The exchange rate at the airport on departure is very very poor.
Take a good torch and a headlight torch, as the lighting is so dim it can be difficult to read or find things in your case in the rooms. Sometimes torches are needed to read the menus.
Take an adaptor that is advertised as suitable for Africa/Ethiopia. The usual two pin adaptor worked in most places but not all the time so I was glad I bought another one at the airport.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The trip would have been much better if some of the accommodation had been slightly better. The brochure should explain clearly that two of the lodges do not have any hot water and some do not have any electric socket in the room. Some were also dirty. Some people enjoyed this 'camping' aspect. We didn't. We expected basic but while Ethiopia is very poor I think that better accommodation could have been arranged or the brochure could be more explicit. It was not just the case that hot water/electricity might be unreliable, there was never any prospect of hot water for three nights in a row. Other than that the electricity supply was reliable and the rest of the hotels had hot water.
The trip is very focused on birds. This is great for birders but disappointing for the people who went for the animals
The bus is too small for a group of 18. It was very difficult for everyone to get a good view and pictures. There is nowhere to stow daybags or water inside. It is not designed for some of the road conditions and our driver performed miracles to get us to some of our destinations. A lot of time was spent on the bus so this was a big disadvantage on the tour. The brakes squeal and this frightened off some of the wildlife.
The arrangements on the last day were not good. We had an unscheduled walk in a place we had already walked through to see a bird that wasn't there. This put the rest of the schedule out so we were late getting to the hotel where day rooms had been organised and it was all a big rush getting washed and organised for a meal and the trip home. This was compounded by a lack of clarity and some confusion as to whether the currency exchange facility at the airport would be open at 1am. So some of us made an unscheduled trip to the airport where we couldn't get in to the arrivals part anyway!
It is a shame that these organisational things spoiled what otherwise was a fantastic trip.
I would definitely recommend visiting Ethiopia, but have some reservations about this particular trip.
Exodus Response
Dear Ann,
Thank you for your feedback. We have taken your and others' feedback on board in order to improve the trip. We have reduced the maximum group size starting in January and have we shared your feedback with our partners on the ground and discussed these. Amongst others, for instance, whilst the birdwatching in this part of Africa is fantastic we have emphasised the need for the leaders to not focus too much on the birds at the expense of mammals as we realise that many of our clients, whilst they enjoy birds have a wider interest and have often come here more to experience the endemic species such as Geladas, Nyalas and, of course Ethiopian wolves.
The quality of the hotels is a separate issue which is harder to deal with due to the limited amount of accommodation in many of the areas visited on the trip. Whilst we are looking into how these can be improved (either by looking at changes in the alternatives when these exist or by communicating with the current hotels and trying to work with them for them to improve their service) this is not necessarily an easy thing to do in this part of the world.
We have run many tours using the same vehicle which was not a problem but it seems the group size did make things more problematic (which is one of the reasons we have reduced the maximum group size). Our local partners in Ethiopia have looked at specially designed vehicles similar to the ones found in Kenya and Tanzania but these types of vehicles are actually illegal in Ethiopia.
I'm sorry to hear there were some organisational setbacks but am glad to hear that you enjoyed the trip.
Kind regards,
Tom

- Exodus Staff
Terry Godfrey

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written November 2012
An enjoyable trip travelling through varied terrain from high mountain passes through fertile plains to Rift Valley lakes stopping off at colourful markets. The abundant birdlife will especially appeal to birdwatchers.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The Gelada Baboons in the spectactular scenery of the Debre Libanos gorge, the Ethiopian Wolves in Bale Mountains (despite the incessant rain!) and around 200 species of birds with several endemic and near endemic species.
What did you think of your group leader?
Zelly is a keen birder and very knowledgable regarding the wildlife however he seemed more suited to being a specialist guide than a tour leader as he seemed to struggle with communicating with our overly large party of 18.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Exchange your currency (US dollars, Sterling or Euros are accepted) at the airport in the arrivals hall and KEEP the receipt as you will need this to Exchange back unused local currency. At the end of the trip change back unused local currency at a major bank in Addis or ask your tour leader, as we did, to stop the bus at a bank in Addis as the reverse exchange rate in the departure hall at the airport is apparently very poor.
- There are few opportunities to buy snacks so consider bringing a supply with you.
- The standard European two round pin adapter will work anywhere.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Before booking, read the 'Summary' and 'Is this trip for you?' sections of the AQI Trip Notes as these are very representative of what you can expect.

- DO NOT expect to see large numbers or species of mammals.

- DO expect to see large numbers and species of birds.

- The roads are all asphalted and of good quality apart, naturally, from the tracks in the National parks.

- The hotels were basic but everthing i.e. water and electricity (from my experience) worked.

- That said, there must have been other hotels at Lake Langano where we could have stayed as our hotel was extremely rundown and, apart from our group, deserted!

- Recent reviews describing the tour bus and group size are valid points and it is good to see that Exodus has reduced the group size on future trips.
anna reid

WILDLIFE AND WILDERNESS OF ETHIOPIA

Written November 2012
If you are a birdwatcher this is a great trip, you will not see large amounts of game but the national parks are varied in landscape and interesting
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What did you think of your group leader?
He was professional
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I hadn't been on any sort of wildlife tour before and didnt really factor in that most of the time is spent in a minivan - if you want to get out and about this is not the trip for you.