ULTIMATE ETHIOPIA October 17 - November 1, 2020 | 16 Days | Wildlife Adventure RED Expedition Highlights Axum SEA Simien Mountains • Meet the engaging gelada baboons of Gondar Simien Mountains National Park. Bahir Dar Lalibela GULF OF ADEN • Visit Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake and he source of the Blue Nile. • Discover the earliest churches Addis Ababa known to Christendom—the ancient rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, ETHIOPIA Ethiopia’s ‘New Jerusalem.’ • Visit the remains of several royal castles Bale Mountains built between the 13th - 17th centuries BLUE NILE FALLS in the city of Gondar. LALIBELA MAP NOT TO SCALE • Spend two full days exploring Bale Mountains National Park, home to rare Ethiopian wolves, giant mole-rats, Menelik’s bushbuck, mountain nyala, and over 300 species of birds. • Itinerary .................................... page 2 > • Flight Information ...................... page 3 > • Meet Your Leader ..................... page 4 > • Rates ........................................ page 4 > • Know Before You Go ................. page 4 > BLUE NILE FALLS • Optional Post-extension ............ page 5 > ZION CHURCH LALIBELA Zagwe Dynasty in the 12th and 13th centuries. Arguably Itinerary Ethiopia’s greatest attraction, Lalibela’s famous rock-hewn churches have drawn religious pilgrims since the 16th century Based on the expeditionary nature of our trips, there may be ongoing and still amaze modern travelers. The majority of the rock- enhancements to this itinerary. hewn churches are situated within the town; after lunch, begin your exploration of the first church complex. The area is a sacred site for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and you are Saturday, October 17, 2020 likely to encounter brightly clad priests conducting ancient DEPART USA ceremonies or pilgrims visiting hermit monks in their subter- Board your independent flight to Ethiopia. ranean haunts. Check in to the Hotel Maribela for dinner and overnight. Sunday, October 18 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA Arrive in the capital city of Addis Ababa late in the evening and Wednesday, October 22 LALIBELA transfer to the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa for overnight. This morning, visit the cave church of Yemrehanna Kristos, located a short distance outside of Lalibela. Considered one of the most beautiful of all Lalibela’s churches, Yemrehanna is Monday, October 19 unique in that it is built, rather than excavated, within a cave. ADDIS ABABA This afternoon, complete your exploration of Lalibela with a After a morning at leisure, begin your exploration of this visit to the second complex of rock-hewn churches in town, fascinating county with a city tour of Addis Ababa. Founded culminating with a visit to the famous church of St. George. in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II and located 8,000 feet above sea level at the foot of the Entoto Mountains, Addis Ababa is considered the diplomatic capital of Africa, being the seat of the African Union (AU) and playing host to over 100 foreign Thursday, October 23 LALIBELA / GONDAR / SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK embassies. Drive to the summit of Mt. Entoto for fantastic After breakfast, board our flight to Gondar, then depart over- views, visit octagonal St. George’s Cathedral, and browse the land for Simien Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World colorful wares at Shero Meda market. Heritage Site recognized for both its scenic beauty and the endangered wildlife that it supports. The region includes many summits above 12,000 feet and culminates in the highest point Tuesday, October 20 in Ethiopia, Ras Dashen, which at 15,280 feet is the fourth ADDIS ABABA / AXUM highest mountain in Africa. Check in to the Simien Lodge, your After breakfast, board our flight to Axum, a small, dusty base for two days of exploration. town that once formed the capital of the great Aksumite Kingdom. Visit the area’s main historical sites, including the Archaeological Museum; the Zion Cathedral, where the original Ark of the Covenant is said to be housed; the Stelae Friday, October 24 SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Park, where magnificent 3rd- and 4th-century monoliths tower Spend a full day appreciating breathtaking scenery, while 100 feet into the sky; and finally, the ruined palace reputed to keeping an eye out for troops of endemic gelada, or lion- have been home to the Queen of Sheba. Dinner and overnight mane, baboons, terrestrial primates that live in groups at the Sabean Hotel. numbering up to 500 individuals. These baboons feed en masse in the high-altitude meadows during the day and roost along the edge of the escarpment at night. Other notable Friday, October 21 wildlife includes the endemic walia ibex, a large mountain AXUM / LALIBELA goat unique to the Simien region, as well as the dapper augur Return to the airport for our flight to Lalibela, capital of the buzzard and spectacular, eagle-sized thick-billed ravens. ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | ULTIMATE ETHIOPIA < 2 > Stop at the park headquarters at Dinsho to search the moss-festooned juniper forest for endemic birds and mammals, such as groups of clamorous wattled ibis, the strange Abyssinian catbird, Menelik’s bushbuck, and the handsome mountain nyala. Check in to the Bale Mountain Lodge, your base for three nights. Wednesday & Thursday, October 29 & 30 BALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Spend two full days exploring this wonderful Afro-alpine moorland in a landscape dominated by Mount Dimtu, ETHIOPIAN WOLF Ethiopia’s second highest peak. The vegetation is extraordi- nary, almost as if from a botanical science fiction movie, and unlike anything elsewhere. The most striking of these plants, Saturday, October 25 which flourish in the rarified atmosphere 13,000 feet above SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK / GONDAR sea level, is the “everlasting” flower, the Helichrysum. It is After breakfast return to Gondar, the 17th-century capital seemingly everywhere, forming large cushions up to seven of Ethiopia. Our route traverses pastoral highlands, passing feet across and thirty inches in height. This is also the domain through traditional villages inhabited by the Amhara people. of the endemic red Ethiopian wolf, whose chief food source This afternoon, visit the Royal Enclosure, home to the castles is the giant mole rat. Other animals in this region include of Emperors Fasiladas, Iyasu, Dawit, and Mentewab, and come the endemic mountain nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, bohor to understand why this town has been called “the Camelot of reedbuck, and olive baboon. Tonight, enjoy a special farewell Africa.” Then explore the decorated church of Debre Berhan dinner at the lodge. Sellasie, and the Bath of King Fasiladas, who established Gondar in 1636. Dinner and overnight at the Goha Hotel. Friday & Saturday, October 31 & November 1 BALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK / ADDIS ABABA / USA Sunday, October 26 Today, return to Addis Ababa. Check in to the Golden Tulip, GONDAR / BAHIR DAR with the afternoon at leisure. Relax at the hotel, or visit one of This morning depart Gondar and travel by road to Bahir the largest open-air markets in Africa, known as the Merkato. Dar on the shores of Lake Tana, the source of one of Africa’s Transfer to the airport for your late evening flight, arriving in greatest rivers. Check in to the Kuriftu Resort in time for lunch, the USA the next day. then embark on a boating excursion on Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest body of water. Included will be a visit to the Ura Kidane Mehret monastery on the Zeghie peninsula and the nearby church of Narga Selassie. Birdwatching on the lake is also Flight Information superb. You will need to purchase airfare from your home city/Addis Ababa and Addis Ababa/home city. The domestic flights within Ethiopia are included in the price of the expedition. Please contact our Monday, October 27 in-house Air Department for fare quotes, reservations, or other BAHIR DAR / BLUE NILE FALLS air-related questions. Today after breakfast, drive to the Blue Nile Falls—known locally as Tissiat—which means “Smoking Water.” The Falls GONDAR are 328 feet wide and the water plunges some 150 feet, giving rise to picturesque clouds and rainbows. Nesting behind the curtain of water are slender-billed chestnut wings. Other birds in the area include fire finches, ground-scraper thrushes, robin- chats, yellow-fronted tinkerbirds, and bare-faced go-away birds. Return to Bahir Dar in the afternoon for a visit to the lively market. Tuesday, October 28 BAHIR DAR / ADDIS ABABA / BALE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Board our morning flight to Addis Ababa and set out overland toward the Bale Mountains, traversing a high mountain pass with sweeping panoramic views of the Ethiopian highlands. CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF ZION ZEGRAHM EXPEDITIONS | ULTIMATE ETHIOPIA < 3 > Meet Your Expedition Leader CHRIS STAMPER – Chris began his career as a professional safari guide in South Africa in 2001. A passion for wildlife and expedition travel has since led him to train and develop aspiring guides throughout South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. His love of nature and skills from tracking and observing wildlife has always left clients with a new and deep understanding of Africa, its beauty, and its people. Whether it be on trails, in game vehicles, or sitting around a campfire, Chris is captivating when discussing the stunning sites and incredible wildlife of Africa. Rates $11,980 per person, double occupancy; $13,480 per person, single occupancy Limited to 15 expedition members. INCLUDED: NOT INCLUDED: • Domestic airfare within Ethiopia • Round trip airfare from your home city/Addis Ababa and • All excursions in the company of a world-class