Blogs from Simien Mountains, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, Africa - page 2

As we drove the long, very bumpy road north of Gonder, I kept my eyes peeled for some sign of the mighty Simien Mountains that I would soon be trekking. But it seemed they were nowhere to be seen. All around were gently rolling hills. Where were the mountains, the highest in Ethiopia? It wasn’t till we practically were falling off the edge that I realized that in fact we actually HAD been climbing into the mountains, gradually making our way up a “gentle” slope that would give way to a jaw-dropping plunge along a dramatic escarpment, with views to put the Grand Canyon to shame. The Simien Mountains were sort of stealth mountains, if you will. When I signed up for this adventure, I opted for a five-day, four-night trek, which would not get me ... read more

wow! to the Simiens. the road goes up and down always until you reach the small town of Dabark. there you buy your entrance fee to the national park and you can also book accommodation. we stayed at a state park camp, very cheap but delapidated rooms with beds and bugs. quite cold at night but splendid view. we trek in the afternoon and enjoyed fresh clear air and the unbelievable panorama over the mountain range. We saw hundreds of gelada baboons, birds, and the next early morning also some ibexes.... read more

I am usually happiest when on the move, so the bus journey up to the Simien Mountains significantly lifts my spirits as the route weaves higher and higher across rolling mountains and their brief plateaus. I debark at Debark hungry for some hiking but this proves to be problematic due to the higher costs of going it alone, something that frequently plagues solo travel. Bubbling with impatience I manage to curb my enthusiasm enough to stick it out and wait for fellow trekkers rather than plunge in with an unnecessary flurry of Birr. Although the park office naturally neglects to inform me about the other aspiring mountaineers that book with them, in spite of my repeated requests, fortunately my fairy godmother still appears the next day in the form of P. I notice an Australian lady ... read more

Some Useful Things To Do With Cocoa Cola Our group is a much-traveled one. One day we sat down and pooled our experiences to produce this set of travel tips. I hope I haven't missed any! Equipment and Packing *"Eagle Creek" luggage cubes are recommended *The drawstring soap powder bags are good for packing small items *"Chaco" sandels are the best *Avon's "Skin So Soft" works really well as an insect repellent!! And leaves you with beautifully soft skin, of course *A bottle opener *A hot water bottle (!!) *Torch and spare batteries *A pashmina - it can be used as a towel, dries quickly and is light to pack *Medical kit *Toilet paper *A family-sized pack of Imodium *Baby wipes and hand gel *Cereal bars are light to pack and are great in hunger emergencies ... read more

Growing up in the ‘80s, the one enduring image of Ethiopia we were exposed to is that of fly covered, emaciated children starving in a desert. Therefore, we naively spent most of lives assuming that this was an accurate representation of the whole of Ethiopia. It has been pleasing to find that, although most people are far from well off, poverty isn’t any more prevalent than in the other developing countries we have visited. As for the landscape, it wasn’t until we started to research this trip that we discovered that Ethiopia in fact one of the most mountainous countries in the world, with 20 peaks of over 4000m. During our research, one area in particular stood out, the Simien Mountains. Home to some of the best trekking in Africa and unique wildlife, we made it ... read more