THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

15 days from GBP2,149 to GBP2,229 including flights
Tripcode: TYE

Countries Visited: Ethiopia

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 15 reviews.

michael christou

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written January 2012
A good holiday reasonably hard but well worth it . When you get up there it is like being on top of the world.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
For me getting to the top of Ras Dashen it is the highest i have been. Up close and personel with the local wildlife
and most importanly the people especially the children who all want to shake your hand.
What did you think of your group leader?
He was fine got back with the same number of people he left with which is always a good sign and the local guide was knowledgable and had a love for his country and people.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
It depends when you go i went in January it was dry and hot which was easily managable as it is not humid but did get down to freezing at night at altitude so take warm clothing. The children often ask for a pen so splash out at the pound shop on a couple of packs of cheap pens and hand them out.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If undecided please go share the wealth buy a few souviners i am sure the money will go a long way and have a great time the scenery really is breath taking.
Aurelija Selvestraviciute

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written January 2012
Absolutely amazing trek! Superb scenery!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The trip was a perfect combination of scenery, wildlife and culture, not forgeting the trekking of course, which was quite challenging but also very enjoyable.
What did you think of your group leader?
Alex and Melese were very knowledgeable, supportive and fun. They made a superb trek into unforgetable experience.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you are travelling in January or February please bring a scarf to protect your face from dust. Plenty of wet wipes, hand gel and water purification tablets are essential.
Charles Hyatt

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written November 2011
Brilliant trip, perfect weather, nicely structured itinerary, lovely group
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Breakfast at Sona in our stunning camp site overlooking the whole section of escarpment we had been walking on for the previous few days.
What did you think of your group leader?
Local guide Meles and European guide Alex both did a good job, and complemented each others skills well. They helped create a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere whilst working hard to ensure everything went smoothly behind the scenes.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip notes were extremely accurate in all respects, a very good summary of what to expect. The only area which I think could have been worth highlighting a bit more is that it is quite a tricky steep scramble at the top of Ras Dejen which caused one of our group to miss the summit - the descent in particular of that top section needed to be taken very carefully.
Aileen Helps

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written November 2011
Amazing scenery, challenging walking and great people!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the top of Ras Dashen felt great and the scramble to the top added some extra adrenaline! The views in general were spectacular. I didn't expect to see so much wildlife and in particular saw a Simien wolf, lots of birds and gelada really close up. We shared our camp with them at one point!
What did you think of your group leader?
Both the local guide (Melese) and european guide (Alex) were very competent and knowledgeable. Alex in particular stressed the importance of respecting the altitude we were at. Melese was more laid back so they were a good team.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This is an amazing trip but was hard work. Camping means interrupted sleep and there are early starts (although early nights too). The camps could be a little overcrowded but since Exodus is so well established, we did well. Go now before it changes too much!
Tina Magner

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written November 2011
A totally brilliant trip. As always on an African trip some things do not always go to plan but our guides were amazing, especially our local guide Melase. He is obviously so proud of his country and always ready to share information about the flora and fauna. The porters and kitchen staff were fantastic. The food wholesome and filling. I still don't know how they produced such great food with basic facilities. I loved the scenery, the hiking was very tough (3 long days of over 10 hours at altitude) but I enjoyed every second of it. Only consider this trip if you have done hiking before. Also the facilities are extremely basic all the way around so not for the faint hearted. I would recomend this trip for anyone who wants to see fabulous scenery, experience some of the best hiking in the world and have an overall amazing experience in a beautiful country.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing the wildlife such as the geladas, Ethiopian wolf (twice!!) and the Walia ibex, reaching the top of Ras Dashen at 4,600 metres, meeting the local people, especially the children and visiting the local school makes me appreciate what we have in the western world.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent!! Organised, friendly, sociable, knowlegable about his country.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be prepared for basic facilities for 9 days, also have previous experience of hiking with good hiking boots and clothes as there are 3 tough days in a row hiking over 10 hours a day. The scenery is worth it though
Paul Adair

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written March 2011
This trip far exceeded my expectations. This hidden gem of a place gave us all some wonderful experiences. The Ethiopian people are strikingly handsome, the Simien mountains are fabulous, the trekking great (if tough and dusty at times), the crowd of trekkers great fun (thanks to our Irish crowd for the singing and card playing) and the trek leaders fantastic. Thinking of Kilimanjaro? Forget it, go here!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Almost too many to mention.
The mountains are spectacular and each day brings new wonderful sights.
While the trek was superb it is perhaps the people that we met and saw left the biggest mark on myself. The poverty in the mountains is pervasive and very sad but the people are friendly and smiling. The contrast between what we have and what the villagers survive on is very marked. I think many of us left with a view to doing something more positive on our return to help the people of Ethiopia.

What did you think of your group leader?
The dedication of Sara our trek leader helped make the trip a real success for all of us. Expert knowledge, incredibly enthusiastic on a daily basis, up early helping serve breakfast, bossing us around when needed, trekking all day and then going for a run, helping serve dinner at night - where did she get all that energy. I think we struck lucky having Sara with us.
Meles, the young Ethiopian guide, also did well. He helped solve problems and issues, gave us local knowledge andeducated us a little on the country and the geology as well as on the plants and animals.
The two made for a good combination.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Ensure you are fit!
Some of the days are long (up to 12hrs), the tracks are dusty (we walked six months after the end of the rains), the sun is hot and you are not in a comfy bed each night. You can get very tired. Myself and a few others suffered occasionally and needed the rescue mule for our bags, though luckily most of us didnt need to ride the beast!
But our group was aged 39 to mid 70s, average probably mid 50s, and everyone made the trek to the end.
Don't rush it, take your time, stop and look around - don't look down at the track and the person in front or you'll miss some wonderful scenery and wildlife.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Exodus packing list is a bit brief and doesnt cover everything you need. Have a think about the time of year you are going.
Take some spare, old clothes (you can leave these behind for the trekking support team), take energy bars (the food is good and plentiful but I needed these to keep up my energy), take plenty of water purification tabs and lots of wet wipes!
Tom Jeeves

THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREK

Written November 2010
Seriously consider this trip if you fancy a challenging trek with scenery and views that are at all times spectacular and will often completely blow you away. The park rangers, muleteers and kitchen staff provided us with special memories with their traditional dancing and singing.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Undoubtedly the breath-taking views. Im my case it inspired me to a proposed to my girlfriend.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Scrambling was involved on at least 3 days so not for the faintest of hearts, but in all cases it was worth raising to the challenge for the views afforded to you.