TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE
Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land 2020
Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 14) Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Small Groups on the Road Less Traveled 1 Overseas Adventure Travel ® 347 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
Dear Traveler,
We've always felt that real travel is about meeting new people and discovering unfamiliar cultures—elements that are at the heart of every O.A.T. adventure.
In the following pages, you'll find detailed information about the adventure you've expressed interest in, including a detailed day-to-day itinerary. We've also included visa requirements, regional weather conditions, local currency and health information—even a few film and book recommendations for further inspiration about this destination.
Exploring the world with O.A.T. allows you to experience the awe and wonder of familiar and far- flung destinations in a small group of 8-16 travelers (with an average of 14). And since no one brings a new location to life better than someone who makes his or her home in that destination, you'll be accompanied by one of our local Trip Leaders, who will serve as your chief experience leader—helping to ensure you're getting the personalized experiences you're looking for.
With O.A.T. you'll benefit from our decades-long experience introducing the world to American travelers at the best value anywhere. We have the lowest prices in the industry and offer FREE Single Supplements—which means solo travelers never pay more for their own hotel or cabin. Plus, you can join the 85% of travelers who are choosing to personalize their experiences. From extending your travels—whether with us or on your own—to building in time to ensure a smooth beginning and end to your adventure, the choice is yours.
We hope you find the information inside helpful. If you have any further questions about this trip, don't hesitate to contact one of our Adventure Specialists at 1-800-955-1925. Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to welcoming you soon on a life-changing adventure.
Warm regards,
Alan E. Lewis Harriet R. Lewis Chairman Vice Chairman Overseas Adventure Travel
P.S. Visit us online to find videos and films about our adventures—from independent films featuring the destinations you'll visit, to itinerary highlights. Go to www.oattravel.com and enjoy the show!
1073 POD PMA-LET.indd 1 5/31/12 4:11 PM
2 WHAT’S INSIDE
TRIP SUMMARY
It’s Included ...... 4 Departure Dates and Prices ...... 5 Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6
DETAILED DAY -TO-DAY ITINERARY ...... 7
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRIP...... 31
Travel Documents & Entry Requirements ...... 33
Health ...... 35
Money Matters ...... 39
Preparing for Your Trip ...... 43 Packing ...... 46 Climate ...... 53 About Your Destinations ...... 55
Demographics & History ...... 60
Resources ...... 69
MAP ...... 75
3 Be among the first to explore Ethiopia with O.A.T.
New! E t h i o p i a : Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land Small Group Adventure Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, Aksum, Lalibela, Simien Mountains National Park, Gondar, Bahir Dar
Countries: 1 | Cities: 5 | 2 Nights In A Lodge in Simien Mountains National Park
Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 14) • International airfare, airport transfers, • Explore in a small group of 8-16 $ government taxes, fees, and airline fuel travelers (average group size of 14) surcharges unless you choose to make 17 days from 6595 Services of a local O.A.T. Trip your own air arrangements • Includes international airfare Experience Leader Accommodations for 15 nights (plus Travel from only $388 a day • Gratuities for local guides, 1 night in Washington D.C. for some • drivers, lodge and camp staff, and travelers) luggage porters 16 days from $ 5295 40 meals—daily breakfast, • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit Without international airfare 12 lunches, and 14 dinners • toward your next O.A.T. trip— Single Supplement: FREE • 18 small group activities an average of $481
Maximize Your To get a richer view of the Included Features on this adventure, Discoveries & Value watch our Trip Itinerary video at www.oatt ravel.com/eth2020
Optional extension s : Foothills of Mount Kenya: Safari Drives & Nature Hikes 7 nights pre-trip from $2895 Travel from only $362 per night Cairo, Egypt 4 nights post-trip from $2795 Travel from only $699 per night
Women at a local market, Ethiopia
Eth iopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land
4 Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries FREEDOM TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE From spending more time abroad or adding extensions, to in an Ancient Land choosing your air preferences, our Adventure Specialists are here to discuss your personalization options at 1-800-955-1925. 2020 Dates & Prices Visit www.oattravel.com/personalize-eth2020 for details.
JAN 25; FEBRUARY; DEPART FROM MARCH; NOVEMBER APRIL; OCTOBER MAY; SEPTEMBER DECEMBER
Washington, DC $6895 $6795 $6595 $6695
Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, $7295 $7195 $6995 $7095 Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Orlando, Tampa Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, $7395 $7295 $7095 $7195 Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.
JAN 25; FEBRUARY; MAY; SEP 9; MARCH; NOVEMBER APRIL; OCTOBER DEC 11, 19 SEP 19, 30; DEC 2
Without international airfare $5695 $5595 $5295 $5395
ETH2020
Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.
For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/eth2020pricing
COMBINE ADVENTURES FREE SINGLE RESERVE EARLY & SAVE SHARE YOUR LOVE & SAVE SUPPLEMENT with our Good Buy Plan OF TRAVEL We offer FREE Single New travelers you refer will See more of the world—and The earlier you pay by check or avoid another international Supplements on your main instantly save $100, and electronic funds transfer, the you’ll earn increasing rewards— flight—by combining this trip and all extensions. more you SAVE! up to a FREE trip! adventure with Egypt & Each departure has limited solo the Eternal Nile by Private, space available—c all today For details, visit For details, visit Classic River-Yacht.. to reserve. www.oattravel.com/gbd www.oattravel.com/va
Publication Date 9/23/19
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oatt ravel.com/eth2020
5 Freedom to Personalize Your Experience Your Choice, Your Adventure, Your Way
We recommend you spend extra time in a destination to truly make your adventure everything you’ve ever dreamed about—in fact, 85% of our travelers are personalizing their experience in more than 90 countries. Call us at 1-800-955-1925 to discuss personalizing your adventure today or visit us online at www.oattravel.com/personalize-eth2020.
'āƩ łāÈŋŽũRùāÖķdāłėŶĞŋĕŶÖƘ̝ Back-to-Back Adventures: 90% of travelers who combined two arrive early, stay later & more trips anywhere in the world rated it excellent Extending your time in a destination can improve your overall travel One of the most common adventures travelers combine with this one experience—and allow you to seek out even more eye-opening is Egypt & the Eternal Nile by Private, Classic River-Yacht. If you’re cultural interactions. Your local Trip Experience Leader will help to already overseas, why not see more of the world and avoid another ensure you’re getting the personalized experiences you’re looking international flight? Plus, you’ll save $250-$350 per person when you for. With their unmatched understanding of Ethiopian culture, it’s no reserve two trips right after one another. surprise that 94% of our travelers rate their Trip Experience Leader excellent. ũĢƑÖŶāùƑāłŶŽũāŭ̆¦ũÖƑāķĢłÖłāƗóķŽŭĢƑāėũŋŽť From extending your travels—whether with us or on your own—to ŋĕÖŭĕāƒÖŭ˓ building in time to ensure a smooth beginning and end to your Small Reserve an exclusive departure with your friends and family. It’s Group Adventure, the choice is yours. Here are some of your options: simple: You choose the people you travel with, the departure date, and Maximize Your Time & Value: 55% of travelers take an extension the size of your group. O.A.T. does the rest. Trip extensions give you more time, allowing you to get refreshed ĢũzťŶĢŋłŭ̆mŋũāŶĞÖł˔ˏͮŋĕŶũÖƑāķāũŭ and acclimated before your adventure begins or before your return to the U.S. On this adventure, you have two extensions to choose from, óŽŭŶŋĿĢơāŶĞāĢũƪ ĢėĞŶŭ including Foothills of Mount Kenya: Safari Drives & Nature Hikes and • Choose your departure city and airline Cairo, Egypt. • Depart from one city and return to another “Break Away” Options: 30% of travelers spend more time abroad • Upgrade your seat or choose a specific meal option Before or after your main adventure or trip extension, “break away” anywhere you’d like to go to do more exploring entirely on your own. Extend your time abroad with the following options: • Spend more time before or after your adventure in Addis Ababa • Stay overnight (or for a few days) in Paris, a common connecting city on this adventure, or in a destination of your choice Please note: Our Adventure Specialists can help you plan your airfare if you’d like to “break away,” however since this option is completely on your own, you will need to plan your own accommodations, meals, tours, and transfers.
Paris, France
Eth iopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land
6
Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land 2020 17-Day Small Group Adventure
EXTEND YOUR TRIP
PRE-TRIP Foothills of Mount Kenya: Safari Drives & Nature Hikes POST-TRIP Cairo, Egypt
Your Day-to-Day Itinerary
7 OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Overseas Adventure Travel, founded in 1978, is America’s leading adventure travel company. The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and others have recommended O.A.T. trips. But our most impressive reviews come from our customers: Thousands of travelers have joined our trips, and 95% of them say they’d gladly travel with us again, and recommend us to their friends.
A WORD ABOUT ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Our Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land trip and the extensions to Kenya and Cairo, Egypt are designed for people who want a different kind of travel experience. We seek out unusual experiences in out-of-the-way places. Ethiopia, Kenya, and Egypt are developing countries, and the RYHUDOOTXDOLW\RIWUDYHOVHUYLFHVLVQRWZKDW\RXZRXOGͫQGLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVRU(XURSH$QRWKHU element of adventurous travel is that plans may change. We respond to changing circumstances on the spot, and we may not follow this itinerary exactly. In Ethiopia, the economy and the pace of life are quite different from what we are accustomed to in North America. Things do not always go as expected here—but this is part of the adventure. We often change our plans in response to animal migration patterns or other factors. It will help a great deal for you to bring to the trip an open mind, a sense of KXPRUͬH[LELOLW\DQGDVSLULWRIDGYHQWXUHWKDWDOORZV\RXWRWDNHWKHXQH[SHFWHGLQVWULGH,I\RXGR you will have a remarkable experience!
INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE
» International airfare, airport transfers, » Explore in a small group of 8-16 travelers government taxes, fees, and airline fuel (average group size of 14) surcharges unless you choose to make your » 6HUYLFHVRIDORFDO2$77ULS own air arrangements Experience Leader » Accommodations for 15 nights (plus 1 night » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, lodge in Washington D.C. for some travelers) and camp staff, and luggage porters »4 0 meals—daily breakfast, 12 lunches, and » 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your 14 dinners next O.A.T. trip—an average of $481 » 18 small group activities
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
8 WHAT THIS TRIP IS LIKE
PACING the mid 70s°F. Temperatures drop quickly » 6 locations in 15 days once the sun goes down and morning frost is common. » LQWHUQDOͬLJKWVLQFOXGLQJDYHU\HDUO\ PRUQLQJͬLJKWWR$NVXPRQ'D\ TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS » Travel over very bumpy, dusty terrain during overland transfers » Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids » Travel by 18-passenger coach, donkey, bajaj (similar to tuk-tuks), and boat » You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 3-6 hours of physical ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES activities each day at very high altitudes » We spend 15 nights in hotels and lodges, all » Day 8 includes walking at an altitude of of which feature private baths 8,500 feet; Day 10 includes an elective 45-minute hike up steep terrain at an altitude of 13,000 feet; and Day 12 includes a short hike to Jinbar Falls at an altitude of approximately of 13,000 feet in similar terrain » Not appropriate for travelers in need of CPAP machines » We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience
ALTITUDE » All days are at altitudes between 6,000-12,000 feet
CLIMATE » The weather varies greatly in Ethiopia and is dependent on elevation. When traveling from one area to another, temperatures can shift from 60°F to 95°F in a matter of hours. Due to its high altitude, temperatures in Addis Ababa and other northern Ethiopian cities are cool throughout the year, even during the hottest months (March-May) when daytime temperatures rarely exceed
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
9 Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient Land 2020
Journey to the Horn of Africa and discover the enchanting landscapes and timeless ruins of Ethiopia—home to early Christianity and a powerful kingdom that once rivaled ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. Meet “Lucy,” mankind’s earliest ancestor, in Addis Ababa, the sprawling Ethiopian capital perched high up on the Abyssinian plateau. Discover the massive stone obelisks of Aksum, a center of early Ethiopian civilization and legendary home of the Queen of Sheba. Witness the living history of Lalibela, where white-robed pilgrims still come to worship in sunken churches carved from solid rock centuries ago. Explore the ancient stone castles of Gondar, Ethiopia’s former royal capital; and visit mystical monasteries dotting the islands of Lake Tana—source of the Blue Nile. And you’ll marvel at the breathtaking landscapes and jagged peaks of the Simien Mountains, home to cliff-climbing goats, Ethiopian wolves, and enormous troops of shaggy gelada monkeys—the world’s highest dwelling primates. Because our small group is limited to just 16 travelers, you’ll also get to know the people of this ancient land in schools, farms, village markets, and private homes—where you’ll learn the secrets of making honey-wine and injeraWKHVSRQJ\ͬDWEUHDGWKDWLVWKHVWDSOHRI(WKLRSLDQFXLVLQH(PEDUNRQDGLVFRYHU\ͫOOHGMRXUQH\ to an ancient land that is truly one of Africa’s most unforgettable destinations. And whenever you’d like, you have the freedom to explore more of Ethiopia on your own: Break off from the group for independent discoveries—such as visiting the “Red Terror” Martyrs’ Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa—during free time.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
10 EXTEND YOUR TRIP
Foothills of Mount Kenya: Safari Drives & Nature Hikes 7 NIGHTS PRE-TRIP Begin your Ethiopian adventure in the dense rainforests at the foothills of Mount Kenya. Walk through the lush, verdant green canopies to spot some of Africa’s more unique species. Then travel to the sprawling plains of Ol Pejeta Conservancy to discover the legendary wildlife on exclusive game-viewing drives—perhaps even spotting the famed “Big Five.” Our unique lodgings will offer up-close, one-of-kind viewings of the African wilderness without the crowds.
Cairo, Egypt 4 NIGHTS POST-TRIP Expand your explorations to Cairo—the city coupled between the sands of the Sahara and the fertile banks of the Nile. Egypt has a storied past, and Cairo is at the heart of the most famous sagas of Ancient Egypt. Stand in the shadows of Egypt’s illustrious pharaohs and marvel at the mystery and enormity of the Pyramids of Giza. Walk in the path of Ancient Egyptians on El-Moez Street and follow the history of ancient to modern day Cairo through deeply sacred landmarks to isolated sites in the middle of the Mokattam cliffs.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
11 DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 Fly to Washington D.C. convenient to many of the major sites. Hotel amenities will likely feature a restaurant, bar, • Accommodations: Washington D.C. hotel VSDDQGͫWQHVVFHQWHU7\SLFDOURRPVLQFOXGH or similar air-conditioning, safe, satellite TV, minibar, Activity Note: Travelers reserving their airfare tea- and coffee-making facilities, and private ZLWK2$7ZLOOͬ\IURPWKHLUKRPHFLW\WR EDWK Morning:8SRQDUULYDOLQ(WKLRSLDWKLV Dinner: At about 6pm, we’ll enjoy a Welcome morning, an O.A.T. representative will meet Dinner at a local restaurant. Typical Ethiopian you at the airport and escort you to your food is centered on injera, a spongy sourdough hotel in Addis Ababa, about a 20-minute ride. ͬDWEUHDGWRSSHGZLWKwat, a thick stew or Depending on where we stay, our hotel should curry of spicy meats, lentils, and vegetables. be located in the heart of the Ethiopian capital, And don’t be afraid to use your hands. Just use Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 12 pieces of injera as a “spoon” to scoop up bites Day 4 Explore Addis Ababa of the tasty food (but try to remember that in • Destination: Addis Ababa traditional Ethiopian culture, you should only • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner use the right hand). • Accommodations: Radisson Blu Hotel Evening: We’ll return to our hotel by about or similar 8pm, and you are free to retire to your room, Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO relax in the hotel’s common areas, or gather at beginning at 7am, with a variety of fresh the bar for a cocktail to get to know your fellow breads, pastries, and hot and cold selections. travelers. You may wish to try kinche, a popular Ethiopian Freedom To Explore: During your three breakfast item similar to oatmeal that is made nights in Addis Ababa, you have the freedom IURPFUDFNHGZKHDWDQGRIWHQͬDYRUHGZLWK to explore the city on your own during your spiced butter. free time. Below are recommended options for Morning: At around 9am, we’ll set off by bus independent exploration: to explore Addis Ababa, whose name translates • Journey southeast of the city to Washa Mikael to “New Flower” in the Amharic language. Church: Washa Mikael, or “Cave of Michael,” While Ethiopia is the cradle of mankind, Addis is a rock-hewn church that historians have Ababa is quite modern. Founded by Ethiopian dated to the fourth century. While the roof Emperor Menelik in 1892, it quickly grew into has caved due to Italian bombardment during DVSUDZOLQJFLW\RIDERXWͫYHPLOOLRQSHRSOH World War II, what remains offers stunning serving as the bustling capital of a country insights into Ethiopia’s early Christianity. whose culture, history, and linguistic identity is quite distinct from the rest of Africa. Because How to get there: A 20- to 25-minute taxi • Addis Ababa (usually shortened to Addis by the ULGHDERXW86'RQHZD\ locals) is perched on the Abyssinian plateau at Hours: Daily, 4pm-6pm. • an elevation of almost 8,000 feet, the climate of Cost:$ERXW86' • the world’s third highest capital city is usually • Get a sobering glimpse into Ethiopia’s dark pleasantly cool. past at the “Red Terror” Martyr’s Memorial Museum: The museum was established To get a better idea of the sprawl of the in 2010 to honor the victims of Mengistu city, our bus tour begins with a brief stop at Haile Mariam’s Derg Regime (1974-1991), Mount Entoto, the highest peak of a range when some 500,000 people were tortured that encircles the northern reaches of Addis. and killed. After we take in the panoramic views, we’ll HQMR\RXUͫUVWORFDOLQWHUDFWLRQVZLWKWKH How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute taxi • Ethiopian people. At around 11am, we’ll visit ULGHDERXW86'RQHZD\ DQRUJDQL]DWLRQFDOOHG6LJQXP9LWDH/DWLQIRU Hours: Daily, 2pm-6pm. • ̡VLJQRIOLIH̢6LJQXP9LWDHLVDWUDLQLQJDQG Cost:$ERXW86' • rehabilitation center for disabled persons in Addis Ababa. We’ll see how learning skills such as woodworking and grinding eyeglass lenses has transformed the lives of people of varying physical disabilities. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 13 Lunch: Around 1pm at a local restaurant, Morning: At around 9am, we’ll get a real feel featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes. for everyday life here during a visit to Addis Mercato, an open-air sprawl of vendors that Afternoon: At about 2:30pm, we’ll spend a goes on for miles. This is the largest market FRXSOHRIKRXUVDWRQHRIWKHͫQHVWPXVHXPVLQ area on the African continent, so you should all of Africa. The Ethnological Museum covers have no trouble bargaining for Ethiopian the full sweep of Ethiopia’s cultural and social crafts—or anything else you can possibly history. Intricately arranged exhibits narrate imagine. Just watch out for all the donkeys or the story of the country and its peoples, all porters scurrying to and fro with unimaginably VSDQQLQJWZRͬRRUVRIWKHSDODWLDOUHVLGHQFHRI heavy loads on their heads. Livestock plays an +DLOH6HODVVLH7KHIRUPHU(WKLRSLDQHPSHURU̞V important role in Ethiopian culture and herds rooms are preserved near to their original are often seen roaming freely along the streets state and may also be visited. We’ll depart the of Addis. Along with a drive through several museum at around 4pm and have a couple of areas of the sprawling market, we’ll take a hours of free time before regrouping for dinner. walk through a fascinating section where the Dinner: At about 6pm at our hotel’s restaurant, recycling of massive amounts of waste-related featuring traditional Ethiopian fare and items takes place. Western options. 6KRUWO\EHIRUHDPZH̞OOGHSDUWWKHPDUNHW Evening: Free to explore the Ethiopian capital and take a short drive over to the National RQ\RXURZQ8QOLNHPRVWODUJHFLWLHV$GGLV Museum. Along with fascinating items such is considered quite safe at night. You might DVWKHWKURQHRI(PSHURU+DLOH6HODVVLHDQG wish to visit one of the many lively azmari baits a wealth of Ethiopia’s historical and artistic (traditional music houses), where singers and treasures, the museum houses the remains musicians perform using traditional Ethiopian of early hominids, including “Lucy,” the instruments. 3.25-million-year-old hominid skeleton discovered in northwestern Ethiopia in 1974. Day 5 Visit Mercato and National Lucy—who changed our understanding of humanity forever—acquired her name from Archaeological Museum the Beatles’ song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, • Destination: Addis Ababa which was played loudly and repeatedly in • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner WKHFDPSDIWHUWKHH[FDYDWLRQWHDP̞VͫUVWGD\ • Accommodations: Radisson Blu Hotel of work on the recovery site. At about noon, or similar we’ll depart the museum and walk to a nearby restaurant. Activity Note: While major crime is rare in Addis, care should be taken in crowded Lunch: At a garden restaurant near the museum locations such as the Mercato, where shortly after noon, featuring local cuisine. pick-pocketing sometimes occurs. Afternoon: At about 1:15pm, we’ll visit Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO another of the coffee shops of Addis—this beginning at 7am, featuring Ethiopian and one more modern. While coffee obsessed international selections. Ethiopia proudly clings to its traditions, it’s QRWLPPXQHIURPPRGHUQLQͬXHQFHV:KHWKHU it’s from traditional clay pots or modern Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 14 macchiato machines (introduced after the we stay, our hotel will be located in heart of Italian occupation), Ethiopia is considered to this one-time capital of an ancient empire. have some of the world’s best coffee—which Amenities should include a restaurant and should come as no surprise since this is coffee’s bar, and typical rooms include private bath. ancestral homeland. Coffee plants grew wild We’ll have some time to relax before gathering here before cultivation started more than 1,000 together for lunch. years ago. Coffee was also once an integral part Lunch: At our hotel at around 12:15pm, of spiritual worship, complete with elaborate featuring local cuisine. rituals—so much so, that a ceremonial method of making coffee in Ethiopian homes continues Afternoon:6KRUWO\DIWHUSPZH̞OOEHJLQRXU to this day. During our tour of this coffee discoveries of Aksum, the former capital of an shop, perhaps we’ll learn about the legend HPSLUHZKRVHLQͬXHQFHVWUHWFKHGRYHUDYDVW of the ninth-century Ethiopian goat herder swath of northeast Africa and southern Arabia. who observed his energized goats nibbling on Almost on par with ancient Greece, Rome, and the beans. We’ll return to our hotel by about Egypt, the Aksumite Empire began around 3:30pm, followed by a few hours of free time to WKHͫUVWFHQWXU\$'ZLWKLWVKH\GD\EHWZHHQ relax before dinner. the fourth and seventh centuries. Today’s $NVXP̜D81(6&2:RUOG+HULWDJH6LWH̜LV Dinner: At about 6pm at our hotel, featuring home to many vivid reminders of its glory days, traditional Ethiopian fare and Western options. including giant obelisks, ancient castles, and Evening: Free to enjoy the hotel amenities or hidden tombs of kings. explore Addis on your own—you can ask your $WDURXQG SPZH̞OODUULYHDW6W0DU\ Trip Experience Leader for suggestions. You of Zion Church, a religious complex whose may wish to retire early for tomorrow’s early roots go back to Ethiopia’s earliest days of morning wake-up call. Christianity. A blend of the ancient and modern, the original church was built in 1665. It is Day 6 Fly to Aksum • St. Mary of thought to rest atop the foundations of a temple Zion Church built between the fourth and sixth centuries, • Destination: Aksum making this the oldest Christian site in Africa. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Most Ethiopians believe that a small chapel • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV 6DEHDQ,QWHUQDWLRQDO located here contains the Ark of the Covenant, Hotel or similar a box of acacia wood that Moses is said to have placed the stone tablets inscribed with Activity Note: You will have a 4:45am wake-up the Ten Commandments. Guarded by a single FDOOIRUDQHDUO\PRUQLQJͬLJKWWR$NVXP monk, nobody is allowed to enter the room Breakfast: Coffee, tea, and snacks will be and only after his death will the monk leave provided in the hotel beginning at 5:15am. the grounds. We’ll depart the grounds shortly after 3pm, however, and enjoy some free time Morning: We’ll depart our hotel at around to relax at our hotel and absorb our discoveries 5:45am and drive to the Addis airport for our before dinner. ͬLJKWRIDSSUR[LPDWHO\KRXUVWR$NVXP that will depart shortly before 8am. At around Dinner: At about 7pm at our hotel, featuring 10:15am, we’ll check in to our hotel. Aksum (or traditional Ethiopian fare. Axum) is rather small, so depending on where Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 15 Evening: Free to retire to your room, explore mark the tombs of kings, nobles, and important Aksum on your own, or gather with your fellow leaders. More than 120 of these massive pillars travelers at the hotel bar for a nightcap. are scattered throughout the region. One of them, at more than 100 feet tall and about 550 Day 7 Visit Yeha • Explore Aksum tons, fell and shattered as it was being erected in the fourth century. Another 80-foot-high, • Destination: Aksum 160-ton monolith was taken by Mussolini in • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 1937 and brought to Rome, where it stood for • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV 6DEHDQ,QWHUQDWLRQDO \HDUV,WZDVͫQDOO\UHWXUQHGWRLWVULJKWIXO Hotel or similar place in Aksum in 2005. During our time here, Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO ZH̞OODOVRYLVLWWKH4XHHQRI6KHED%DWKVD beginning at 7am. huge water reservoir that is carved into solid rock; and a pair of tombs attributed to the Morning:6KRUWO\DIWHUDPZH̞OOGHSDUWRXU sixth-century King Kaleb and his son. hotel to visit Yeha, an archaeological site about PLOHVRXWVLGHRI$NVXP$VZHSDVVE\ͫHOGV Many mysterious abound in Aksum. Who built of teff (the grain used to make injera) along the ancient stelae—and why? Was this really the way, perhaps we’ll stop to chat with one of WKHFDSLWDORIWKH4XHHQRI6KHED"$QGZKDW the farmers and learn more about life in rural secret treasure remains hidden in sealed tombs? Ethiopia. At around 10am, we’ll arrive at Yeha. Aksum still has many secrets to reveal, but Considered to be the birthplace of Ethiopia’s what has already been uncovered represents earliest known civilization, Yeha is home to some of the most stunning monuments of the a series of ruins dating from the eighth to ancient world. We’ll depart the site and return sixth century BC, including the famous Great to our hotel by about 4:30pm, and you’ll have Temple (also called the Temple of the Moon), some free time to ponder the mysteries of Ethiopia’s oldest standing structure. About 46 Aksum before we regroup for dinner. feet high, the Great Temple was constructed of Dinner: At about 6pm at our hotel, featuring IRRWVWRQHEORFNVͫWWRJHWKHUWLJKWO\ZLWKRXW traditional Ethiopian fare and Western options. mortar—which surely contributed to the structure’s preservation for 2,600 years. During Evening: Free to retire early to prepare for our time here, we’ll also visit a small museum WRPRUURZ̞VͬLJKWRUPLQJOHDWWKHKRWHOORXQJH which houses some of the stone-carved with your fellow travelers. inscriptions and pottery recovered from the site. At about 11:30am, we’ll leave the site and Day 8 Fly to Lalibela return to Aksum. • Destination: Lalibela Lunch: At a local restaurant in Aksum at • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner around 12:30pm, featuring traditional • Accommodations: Hotel Maribela or similar Ethiopian cuisine. Activity Note: Lalibela is at an altitude of Afternoon:6KRUWO\EHIRUHSPZH̞OOH[SORUH approximately 8,500 feet, and travelers should the most impressive ruins of the ancient exercise caution while walking and hiking. Aksumite civilization—the colossal obelisks. Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO During pre-Christian times, intricately-carved beginning at 7am. stelae (monolithic obelisks) were erected to Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 16 Morning: At about 9:30am, we’ll depart XQLVRQ,WLVGLIͫFXOWQRWWREHKXPEOHGE\WKHLU our hotel and drive to the airport for our XQZDYHULQJGHYRWLRQWRWKHLUIDLWK6KRUWO\ VKRUWͬLJKW DERXWPLQXWHV WR/DOLEHOD after 5pm, we’ll depart the churches and head a mountain town situated about 200 miles to dinner. VRXWKRI$NVXP8SRQDUULYDOZH̞OOWUDQVIHU Dinner: At about 5:30pm at Ben Ababa, a local to our hotel, and check in to our rooms at restaurant featuring traditional Ethiopian around 2pm. Depending on where we stay, cuisine sourced from local farmers. At this our hotel should be located in the heart of the hilltop restaurant overlooking Lalibela, we’ll Lalibela Mountains, overlooking the Ethiopian enjoy drinks and dinner while witnessing highlands. Amenities may include a restaurant, an Ethiopian sunset at this very special bar, and rooftop terrace. Typical rooms include destination. a balcony, and private bath with hair dryer. Evening: After returning to our hotel shortly Lunch: At about 2:15pm at our hotel, after 7pm, we’re free to enjoy the hotel featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes and amenities or explore Lalibela on your own—you Western options. can ask your Trip Experience Leader for Afternoon:6KRUWO\DIWHUSPZH̞OOEHJLQ suggestions. RXUGLVFRYHULHVLQ/DOLEHODD81(6&2:RUOG +HULWDJH6LWHWKDWPDQ\FRQVLGHURQHRIWKH Day 9 Explore Lalibela • Visit most important religious sites in the Christian Yemrehanna Kristos ZRUOG/DOLEHODLVKRPHWRPDJQLͫFHQW • Destination: Lalibela Ethiopian Orthodox churches carved from the top down out of a single volcanic rock some 900 • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner years ago. Legend has it that the churches came • Accommodations: Hotel Maribela or similar to the twelfth-century King Lalibela in a dream Activity Note: Reaching the entrance to that urged him to create a new Jerusalem out of Yemrehanna Kristos requires a brief hike of the solid rock where the town sat. Intertwined approximately 15 minutes up steep terrain at an and connected by a warren of tunnels, some altitude of 13,000 feet. churches were chiseled into the face of the rock; others stand as isolated blocks, including the Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO LFRQLFFKXUFKRI6DLQW*HRUJH (WKLRSLD̞VSDWURQ beginning at 7am. saint), which resembles a monolithic walk-in Morning:6KRUWO\DIWHUDPZH̞OOGHSDUWRXU Greek cross. hotel for a drive of approximately 1.5 hours The complex is divided into two groups of outside Lalibela to visit Yemrehanna Kristos, churches—with each cluster representing an ancient cave church that is one of the lesser the earthly and heavenly forms of Jerusalem. known treasures of the region. Along the way, $WDERXW SPZH̞OOYLVLWWKHͫUVWFKXUFK we’ll observe many pastoral scenes of rural grouping. While we explore, we may feel as if (WKLRSLDSDVVLQJE\VKHSKHUGVZLWKWKHLUͬRFNV we are transported far back in time, as Lalibela DQGͫHOGVRIWHIIJHQWO\VZD\LQJLQWKHFRRO is a place of pilgrimage and devotion to this KLJKODQGEUHH]H8SRQDUULYDOZH̞OOWDNHD YHU\GD\6HYHQWLPHVDGD\VHYHQGD\VDZHHN to 15-minute hike up a steep hill to reach the white-robed followers gather at these medieval entrance of the cave and church. The beautifully rock-hewn churches to chant prayers in preserved Yemrehanna Kristos, built of stone and wood, predates the rock-hewn churches of Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 17 Lalibela by almost a century. As we explore the Travelers who choose not to participate in the church, you may notice the large pile of bones hike may wait at the mule drop-off point on at the back of the cavern—they are the remains Mount Abuna Yosef. of some 10,000 pilgrims who came here to die Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO over the centuries. We’ll hike back down to our beginning at 7am. vehicle and then drive back to Lalibela in time for lunch. Morning: About 7:30am, we’ll depart our hotel IRUDYLVLWWR$VKHWRQ0DU\DP 6DLQW0DU\ Lunch: At about 1:15pm at our hotel, a small rock-hewn church set on a mountain featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes and overlooking Lalibela. To reach the church, we’ll Western options. make part of the trek aboard sturdy mules, Afternoon: After some free time to relax, we’ll which we’ll ride for about 45 minutes. Then, gather together at about 3pm to explore the we’ll begin an elective hike of another 45 second group of churches in Lalibela. While minutes to reach the summit of Mount Abuna located very near the others, the rock-hewn Yosef, arriving shortly before 10am. Our hike churches in this second grouping differ greatly will be rewarded with spectacular vistas of in architecture and style—and feature more the town and surrounding scenery—and the intricate exteriors along with interconnecting possibility of spotting Ethiopian wolves or WUHQFKHVDQGWXQQHOV8QOLNHRWKHUDQFLHQW troops of gelada baboons. At an elevation of monuments such as Petra, what really sets about 13,000 feet, Asheton Maryam is one of these 900-year-old churches apart is that they the highest monastery/churches in Ethiopia. are still active and fully functioning places of After we explore this small church dedicated worship. We’ll depart the site shortly after 5pm to the Virgin Mary carved into the vertical cliff and return to our nearby hotel. face, we’ll hike down the mountain to meet our vehicle and return to the hotel by about noon. Dinner: Around 6:30pm at our hotel, featuring traditional Ethiopian cuisine and Lunch: On your own. You can ask your Trip Western options. Experience Leader for suggestions on local dining options. Evening: Free to enjoy on your own. You may wish to gather with fellow travelers and talk Afternoon: After some free time to relax, we’ll about the discoveries in this remote mountain meet up again at about 3pm for a visit to Bete town that was conceived as a paradise on Earth. *L\RUJLV̜WKH&KXUFKRI6DLQW*HRUJH/DXGHG DVWKHPRVWEHDXWLIXOFKXUFKRI/DOLEHOD6DLQW Day 10 Mule trek to Asheton Maryam • George’s is instantly recognizable due to its Visit Saint George’s Church • Cooking perfect cross shape. In fact, this stand-alone demonstration church (not connected to the other ten in the area) looks like a monolithic walk-in Greek • Destination: Lalibela cross. Of all the churches at Lalibela, Beta • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Giyorgis is the best preserved—perhaps due to • Accommodations: Hotel Maribela or similar the protection of its 6.5-foot-thick rock ceiling. Activity Note: To reach Asheton Maryam, there Dated to the late 12th or early 13th century, it is an elective hike of approximately 45 minutes is also one of the latest churches at the site. up steep terrain at an altitude of 13,000 feet. We’ll conclude our visit to this iconic church dedicated to Ethiopia’s patron saint shortly Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 18 before 5pm and head to a local restaurant Dinner: Around 6pm at our lodge where we’ll learn the secrets of making featuring traditional Ethiopian cuisine and Ethiopian injera during a hands-on cooking Western options. demonstration before sitting down to dine on Evening: Free to enjoy on your own. During the fruits of our labor. these twilight hours, you may wish to gather Dinner: At a local restaurant immediately with fellow travelers on the terrace and take following our cooking demonstration. in the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Evening: Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO Morning:6KRUWO\EHIRUHDPZH̞OOGHSDUW beginning at 7am. our lodge by bus to witness some of the most breathtaking scenery in Africa. Known as Morning: About 9:30am, we’ll depart Lalibela WKH̡5RRIRI$IULFD̢WKH6LPLHQ0RXQWDLQ IRURXUVKRUWͬLJKWWRWKH6LPLHQ0RXQWDLQV UDQJHKDVEHHQGHVLJQDWHGD81(6&2:RUOG On the way to the airport, we’ll stop in the +HULWDJH6LWHERWKIRULWVVFHQLFVSOHQGRUDQG KXPEOHKRPHRIDZRPDQZKRLVDQH[RIͫFHU rare wildlife. Massive erosion over millions of in the Ethiopian military. We’ll hear her story years on the Ethiopian plateau has left behind of how she fought against communists during a beautiful landscape dotted by deep ravines, the Ethiopian Civil War, learn about her life, sharp precipices, and jagged peaks rising up and ask her what it’s like for women who serve to 15,000 feet. And wildlife enthusiasts will in Ethiopia’s military. Then, we’ll arrive at the ORYHLWKHUHDV6LPLHQWHHPVZLWKDYDULHW\RI airport by about 11am. H[WUHPHO\UDUHDQLPDOVLQFOXGLQJWKH6LPLHQ Lunch: At the airport at around noon we’ll fox and the Walia ibex, a goat found nowhere enjoy a boxed lunch that was prepared earlier HOVHLQWKHZRUOG6RPHWLPHVFDOOHG̡PRQNH\ and brought with us. PRXQWDLQ̢WKH6LPLHQUDQJHLVKRPHWRODUJH troops of geladas, a gregarious species of Old Afternoon:6KRUWO\EHIRUH SPZH̞OOWDNH World monkey found only in the Ethiopian DPLQXWHͬLJKWWR*RQGDUIROORZHGE\ Highlands. They are adorned with exaggerated DERXWDKRXUGULYHWRRXUORGJHLQWKH6LPLHQ hairstyles and colorful noses, chests, and … yes, Mountains. Depending on where we stay, rumps. We’ll also depart our vehicle and set off RXUORGJHPD\EHZLWKLQ6LPLHQ0RXQWDLQV on a short nature and wildlife hike to witness National Park, with a restaurant, bar, and Jinbar Falls, one of Africa’s highest waterfalls. terrace. Typical rooms will be simply furnished, While taking in the vistas of this narrow ribbon and should include private bath. of water dropping some 1,600 feet through a vertical canyon wall, perhaps we’ll be Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 19 entertained by a troop of local geladas before organization that teaches single mothers and we depart the falls to begin our drive back to the women with HIV how to create crafts that they lodge at about 11:30am. can sell for income. We’ll tour the facilities and engage with some of the instructors and Lunch: At about 1:30pm at our lodge, featuring women of this worthy project before continuing traditional Ethiopian dishes. our drive to Gondar. We’ll arrive at our lodge in Afternoon: Your afternoon is free to explore Gondar shortly before 5pm and check in to our WKHJURXQGVRIWKHORGJHRUJRIXUWKHUDͫHOG rooms. Depending on where we stay, our lodge to enjoy the beauty of the dramatic mountain may be situated overlooking the town, and scenery that surrounds us. include a restaurant, bar, and swimming pool. Typical rooms include private bath. Dinner: Around 7pm at our lodge, featuring traditional Ethiopian cuisine and Dinner: Around 7pm at our lodge, Western options. featuring traditional Ethiopian cuisine and Western options. Evening: Free to relax at the lodge, enjoy a cocktail in the lounge with members of your Evening: Free to explore on your own, enjoy the group, or retire to your room. lodge amenities, or retire to your room. Day 13 Visit local school & Day 14 Explore Gondar • Home visit with Women’s Crafts Training Center • honey wine making Overland to Gondar • Destination: Gondar • Destination: Gondar • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Accommodations: Goha Hotel or similar • Accommodations: Goha Hotel or similar Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHORGJH Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHORGJH beginning at 7am. beginning at 7am. Morning: At about 8:30am, we’ll begin Morning: At about 9am, we’ll visit a local exploring Gondar, royal capital of the Ethiopian FRPPXQLW\DGMDFHQWWRWKH6LPLHQ0RXQWDLQV Empire from the 17th to the middle of the National Park. Here, we’ll visit a local home 19th century and famous for its 17th-century and then meet and interact with some of the stone castles and fortresses that evoke the students of a primary school (when in session). feel of an African Camelot. In 1632, King We’ll return to our lodge by about 11:30am Fasilidas proclaimed that this previously and have some time to pack and freshen up obscure village would become the site of the before lunch. Empire’s new capital, and over the next 250 years a succession of Ethiopian kings built a Lunch: At about 12:30pm at our lodge, series of stone castles and fortresses that still featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes and occupy the heart of modern day Gondar. Known Western options. collectively as the Royal Enclosure or “Fasil *KHEEL̢WKHPDJQLͫFHQWPHGLHYDOSDODFHVRI Afternoon:6KRUWO\EHIRUHSPZH̞OOGHSDUW *RQGDUDUHUHFRJQL]HGE\81(6&2DVD:RUOG the park and travel overland to Gondar, about +HULWDJH6LWH2XUPRUQLQJGLVFRYHULHVLQFOXGH a two-hour drive. Along the way, we stop visits to King Fasiladas Bath, a serene pool by a Women’s Crafts Training Center, an Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 20 surrounded by a stone wall with six turrets; noon and check in to our rooms. Depending on Gondar Castle, the main structure in the where we stay, our hotel will likely be situated Royal Enclosure which was inspired by the along the shores of Lake Tana, with amenities castles of medieval Europe; and Debre Berhan that include a restaurant, bar, and spa facilities. 6HODVVLHRQHRIWKHPRVWVSHFWDFXODUO\SDLQWHG Typical rooms include air-conditioning, churches in Ethiopia, with walls and ceilings minibar, and private bath. covered in murals. We’ll return to our lodge by Bahir Dar (which means “by the sea” in about 12:30pm. Amharic) is a tropical town set along Lake Tana, Lunch: At about 12:45pm at our lodge, source of the Blue Nile. Tana was well known featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes and to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks—and even Western options. now, the papyrus boats sailing along Ethiopia’s largest lake evoke images of ancient Egypt. And Afternoon: Enjoy a free afternoon to stroll at roughly 6,000 feet above sea level, Bahir Dar through Gondar on your own or relax at the is low-lying in Ethiopian terms and we’ll all be ORGJH6KRUWO\DIWHUSPZH̞OOJDWKHUEDFN able to breathe easier during strolls along its together to visit the home of four Ethiopian palm-lined streets. sisters who have opened a local restaurant. They’ll show our small group how to make tej, Lunch: At about 12:30pm at a local restaurant, DKRQH\ZLQHͬDYRUHGZLWKDQLQGLJHQRXVKHUE featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes. much like hops that is often made in Ethiopian Afternoon: Enjoy a couple of hours of free homes. Just don’t mistake the pleasant hue for time to relax at the resort before meeting orange juice—it packs a punch. After thanking EDFNXSVKRUWO\EHIRUHSPIRURXUͫUVW%DKLU our hosts, we’ll enjoy dinner at their restaurant. Dar discoveries. First, we’ll see another side Dinner:6KRUWO\DIWHUSPDWWKH)RXU6LVWHUV of this prosperous Ethiopian lakeside town restaurant, featuring a buffet of traditional during a visit to a neighborhood slum. Here, Ethiopian cuisine and accompanied by we’ll meet one of the local residents who will Ethiopian music and dancing. show us how Ethiopians make traditional araki, a type of moonshine made from gesho Evening: Free to explore on your own, enjoy the leaves that is quite potent. Then, at around lodge amenities, or retire to your room. 4:30pm, we’ll set off on bajajs (three-wheeled vehicles similar to tuk-tuks) to mingle with the Day 15 Overland to Bahir Dar • Visit Bahir ORFDOVDW%DKLU'DU̞VORFDOPDUNHW Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 21 Day 16 Boat ride on Lake Tana • Explore Evening: Free to explore Bahir Dar on your island monasteries own, relax with a cocktail in the lounge, or EHJLQSDFNLQJIRUWRPRUURZ̞VͬLJKWKRPH • Destination: Bahir Dar • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV .XULIWX5HVRUW 6SD Day 17 Return flights to U.S. via Addis or similar Ababa or begin optional trip extension Activity Note: During our boat ride to visit • Included Meals: Breakfast two of the islands of Lake Tana, getting from Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHORGJH monastery to monastery will require several beginning at 7am. hikes of up to a half-hour each, sometimes over steep terrain. This will be an active day. Morning:6KRUWO\DIWHUDPZH̞OOGHSDUWRXU UHVRUWDQGKHDGWRWKHDLUSRUWIRUDͬLJKWWR Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHORGJH $GGLV$EDED8SRQDUULYDODWDURXQG SP beginning at 7am. we’ll enjoy the services of a day room at a hotel in Addis. Morning: At about 8:30am, we’ll board a boat from the dock at our resort and head out onto Lunch: On your own—ask your Trip Experience Lake Tana. The peninsulas and islands of Lake Leader for dining suggestions. Tana are dotted with ancient monastic churches that were hidden for centuries. Most date from Afternoon: Enjoy some free time to do some the 16th and 17th centuries and have changed last minute shopping in Addis or to rest in your little since their founding. We’ll visit two of the GD\URRPIRUWKLVHYHQLQJ̞VͬLJKW 20 or so of Tana’s islands that shelter these Evening: Depart to the airport at around 7pm small monasteries decorated with beautiful IRU\RXUUHWXUQͬLJKWKRPHRUWREHJLQ\RXU SDLQWLQJVDQGͫOOHGZLWKWUHDVXUHV6RPH post-trip extension in Cairo, Egypt. believe that the Ark of the Covenant was kept at one of these remote monasteries before being transferred to Aksum where it’s kept under guard near the Church of our Lady Mary of Zion. At about 12:30pm, our boat will take us back to our resort. Lunch: At about 1:30pm at the resort, featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes and Western options. Afternoon: The afternoon is free to pursue independent discoveries in Bahir Dar, perhaps to walk along the lake and enjoy the views GXULQJRXUͫQDOGD\LQ(WKLRSLD Dinner: About 6pm at a local restaurant, we’ll celebrate our Ethiopian discoveries during a festive Farewell Dinner, featuring traditional Ethiopian cuisine. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 22 PRE-TRIP Foothills of Mount Kenya: Safari Drives & Nature Hikes INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE » Accommodations for 7 nights » 6HUYLFHVRIDORFDO2$77ULS([SHULHQFH » 15 meals—6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, Leader and driver-guides and 4 dinners » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 7 small group activities, including up to 4 luggage porters game-viewing drives » All transfers PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY Begin your Ethiopian adventure in the dense rainforests at the foothills of Mount Kenya. Walk through the lush, verdant green canopies to spot some of Africa’s more unique species. Then travel to the sprawling plains of Ol Pejeta Conservancy to discover the legendary wildlife on exclusive game-viewing drives—perhaps even spotting the famed “Big Five.” Our unique lodgings will offer up-close, one-of-kind viewings of the African wilderness without the crowds. Day 1 Fly to Washington D.C. Day 3 Arrive in Addis Ababa and fly to • Accommodations: Washington D.C. hotel Nairobi, Kenya or similar • Destination: Nairobi 6RPHWUDYHOHUVZLOOͬ\IURPWKHLUKRPHFLW\ • Accommodations: Eka Hotel or similar to Washington D.C. later today. If Washington Morning: After an early morning arrival into D.C. is already your gateway city, you will $GGLV$EDED\RXZLOOERDUGDQLQWHUQDOͬLJKWWR likely depart directly from there early in the Nairobi, Kenya. morning on Day 2. Afternoon: You will be greeted at the airport Day 2 Fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by an O.A.T. representative and then make the 30-minute transfer from the airport to Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 23 Dinner: On your own—dine at the hotel Dinner: Around 7pm, dinner will be served restaurant or ask your Trip Experience Leader featuring traditional Kenyan food sourced from about suggested local fare. the communities that surround the mountain. Evening: Free for your own discoveries. Your Evening: You’re free to relax and get settled Trip Experience Leader will be happy to share into your cabin or share your insights with their recommendations. other travelers in the common area. Day 4 Fly via Nairobi to Mount Kenya Day 5 Explore Mount Kenya • Destination: Mount Kenya National Park National Park • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • Destination: Mount Kenya National Park • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV 6HUHQD0RXQWDLQ/RGJH • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or similar • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV 6HUHQD0RXQWDLQ/RGJH Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO or similar starting at 6:30am with regional and American Breakfast:6HUYHGDWDPIHDWXULQJUHJLRQDO options available. and American options. Morning: Around 7:30am, we’ll depart for the Morning: Around 9am, we will depart the lodge ORFDODLUSRUWWRFKHFNLQIRURXUKRXUͬLJKW for a 2-hour guided nature walk through the to Nanyuki. We’ll arrive into Nanyuki—the Mount Kenya forest. We may spot a variety of gateway to Mount Kenya’s wilderness—around bird species, varying members of the antelope 10:30am and shortly thereafter we will make a family, and some unique animals like the black 1-hour transfer to our lodging. The lodge will and white colobus monkey, sykes monkey, feel like a traditional Kikuyu (Bantu-speaking olive baboon, genet cat, and many more. All indigenous people located near Mount the while, our local guide will walk us through Kenya) home with hand-woven wall hangings, the story of Kenya’s independence. As the walk soft lighting, and cozy furnishings. Each draws to a close, enjoy the curative properties cabin-inspired room may include wireless of a traditional Dawa treat—meaning medicine Internet, a private balcony, a private bath, and LQ6ZDKLOL̜WRNHHS\RXUVHOIZDUP hot shower. Lunch: Around 1:30pm, lunch will be served Lunch:6HUYHGDWWKHORGJHDURXQGQRRQ at the lodge featuring international and featuring a wide range of international choices. local dishes. Afternoon:6KRUWO\DIWHUOXQFKZHZLOOHQMR\ Afternoon: You are free to spend some time some down time on the porch to watch animals, on your own this afternoon. Perhaps you’ll such as waterbucks or elephants, graze and take the opportunity to retire to your room drink from the watering hole just outside our or sit on the terrace and take in the sight of lodge’s doors. You may choose to lounge here, wildlife roaming the waterhole. Around 4pm, or return to your room to rest up before we there will be another chance to discover your journey off the beaten path for a walk to a local surroundings during an elective nature walk village around 4pm. Our small group will allow DURXQGWKHORGJH8SRQUHWXUQPD\EH\RX̞OO us authentic, intimate glimpses into the local choose to enjoy a “sundowner,” or evening customs. At 6pm, we will return to the lodge cocktail, as the sun sets over the Mount Kenya for dinner. rainforest. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 24 Dinner: At the lodge featuring traditional Kenyan cuisine and international options around 7pm. Day 7 Morning game-viewing drive • Tour Evening: On your own—you are free to return Goodall Chimpanzee Sanctuary • Night to your room or relax with fellow travelers and game-viewing drive share your African discoveries. • 'HVWLQDWLRQ 6ZHHWZDWHUV*DPH5HVHUYH • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Day 6 Transfer to Sweetwaters • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV 6ZHHWZDWHUV6HUHQD Game Reserve Tented Camp or similar • 'HVWLQDWLRQ 6ZHHWZDWHUV*DPH5HVHUYH Breakfast: Breakfast will be served at the camp • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner at 6:30am with local and international choices. • $FFRPPRGDWLRQV 6ZHHWZDWHUV6HUHQD Morning: We’ll depart the lodge around Tented Camp or similar 7:30am on a morning game-viewing drive. This Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKH game viewing will allow you to see different lodge at 8am. species that were not stirring during our afternoon drive. We will return to the lodge Morning: Around 9am, we will depart for around 12:30pm. our new lodging and arrive around 11am. This tented camp will be amidst the breathtaking Lunch: Enjoy international dishes from the beauty of Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy—a lodge around 12:30pm. rhino sanctuary. Lodge amenities include restaurant, bar, and swimming pool. Each Afternoon: You will have some free time thatched tent features electricity and an en following lunch to rest up or enjoy a drink in suite bathroom. the camp lounge. Then, around 4pm, we will receive an exclusive opportunity to learn more Lunch: Around noon, we’ll enjoy international about the day-to-day life of chimpanzees cuisine at the lodge. DWWKH-DQH*RRGDOO&KLPSDQ]HH6DQFWXDU\ Learn the intimate beginnings of the sanctuary Afternoon: After lunch enjoy some downtime and discover the daring risks Jane Goodall EHIRUHZHKHDGRXWRQRXUͫUVWJDPHYLHZLQJ took to get close to the little-known world of drive around 3pm. During our drive, we may chimpanzees. Jane, a solo traveler, ventured spot elephants, zebras, antelopes, buffalo, from England to Tanzania in the 1960s to and many other species. Your game drives will immerse herself in the lives of these species. We be led by driver guides with an expertise in will listen, learn, and get an intimate glimpse spotting the best locations to see wildlife. We into the lives of these primates. We will then will return to the lodge around 6pm. return to the camp around 5:30pm. Dinner: The lodge will have a variety of Dinner: Featuring local and international international dishes served at 7pm. dishes at the camp around 6pm. Evening: This evening will be on your own Evening: Around 7pm, we will depart the lodge to provide a chance for you to relax or talk for a unique night game-viewing drive. An with your fellow travelers about your African expert guide will lead you on an after-hours experience so far. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 25 exploration of the wilderness where you Evening: You have the freedom to explore may spot some elusive animals scurrying on your own this evening. Ask your Trip through the bush. Experience Leader for some recommendations. Day 8 Morning game-viewing drive • Fly Day 9 Join main trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, via Nairobi • Destination: Addis Ababa • Destination: Addis Ababa • Included Meals: Breakfast • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO • Accommodations: Radisson Blu Hotel around 8:30am featuring international options. or similar Morning: You will meet with the rest of Early Morning: We will depart around 6am for your fellow travelers who are joining you on a morning game-viewing drive. We will have your Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries in an Ancient coffee, tea, and light snacks before we set out Land adventure. to discover more species. We will return to the camp around 9am. Breakfast:6HUYHGDWWKHORGJHDURXQG DP with local and international dishes. Morning: Around 10:30am, we will head to WKHDLUSRUWWRFDWFKDPLQXWHͬLJKWEDFN to Nairobi. Lunch: Will be served buffet-style at a local Nairobi hotel around 1:30pm featuring international dishes. Afternoon: Around 2:30pm, we will depart for WKHDLUSRUWIRUDKRXUͬLJKWWR$GGLV$EDED Ethiopia. You will be met at the airport by your Trip Experience Leader, and you will transfer to the hotel arriving around 9pm. Depending on where we stay, the hotel will likely feature a UHVWDXUDQWEDUVSDDQGͫWQHVVFHQWHU5RRP amenities typically include air-conditioning, satellite TV, minibar, and private bath. Dinner: On your own—you may choose to eat at the hotel restaurant or ask your Trip Experience Leader for a suggested local spot. Given our late arrival into Addis Ababa, dinner will be after 9pm this evening. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 26 POST-TRIP Cairo, Egypt INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE » Accommodations for 4 nights in Cairo » 6HUYLFHVRIDORFDO2$77ULS » 11 meals—5 breakfasts, 3 lunches, Experience Leader and 3 dinners » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 8 small group activities luggage porters » All transfers POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY Expand your explorations to Cairo—the city coupled between the sands of the Sahara and the fertile banks of the Nile. Egypt has a storied past, and Cairo is at the heart of the most famous sagas of Ancient Egypt. Stand in the shadows of Egypt’s illustrious pharaohs and marvel at the mystery and enormity of the Pyramids of Giza. Walk in the path of Ancient Egyptians on El-Moez Street and follow the history of ancient to modern day Cairo through deeply sacred landmarks to isolated sites in the middle of the Mokattam cliffs. Day 1 Fly to Cairo, Egypt via Addis pool. Air-conditioned rooms typically include a Ababa, Ethiopia satellite TV, minibar, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and private bath. • Destination: Cairo • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKHKRWHO • Accommodations: Cairo Marriott Hotel starting at 10am, with Egyptian and American or similar options available. Early Morning: After departing from your Morning: You have the freedom to spend fellow travelers on Ethiopia: Cultural Discoveries \RXUͫUVWPRUQLQJLQ&DLURWKHZD\\RX in an Ancient Land\RXZLOOͬ\WR&DLUR(J\SW want. You may choose to sleep in after your RQDKRXUͬLJKWYLD$GGLV$EDED Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 27 our Trip Experience Leader will take us on an to more casual theater and musical shows orientation walk around the hotel grounds and WKDWWDNHSODFHLQWKH6PDOO+DOODQG2SHQ surrounding area. Air Theatre. Lunch: On your own—you may choose to • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi eat at the hotel restaurant or venture out ULGHDERXW86'RQHZD\ to a local spot recommended by our Trip • Hours: Daily, with performances usually Experience Leader. taking place from 7pm-11pm. • Cost:$ERXW86' Afternoon: Around 1:15pm, we will make our • Explore the bustle of Downtown Cairo: Begin way by bus to the world–renowned Egyptian in Talaat Harb, a square in the heart of Cairo Museum—home to the greatest Pharaonic noted for its historic streets laid out in the treasures in the world. The museum’s vast ODWH WKFHQWXU\DQGPDJQLͫFHQW$UW'HFR exhibits trace the history of Egypt from Cheops buildings; then go bargain-hunting with to Cleopatra. A highlight is the life-sized, solid WKHORFDOVGXULQJDVWUROODORQJ(O6KDZDUE\ gold death mask (along with 1,700 more items) 6WUHHWWKHRQHWLPHVKRSSLQJKXERIFROR- of the boy king Tutankhamun. After our guided nial Cairo. WRXUWKHUHZLOOEHWLPHWRUHͬHFWRQ(J\SW̞V illustrious pharaohs or wander the museum’s • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi side rooms to glimpse the daily lives of the ULGHDERXW86'RQHZD\ ancient Egyptians. We will return to the hotel • Hours: 11am-2am, daily. around 4:45pm. • Cost: Free. • Gaze out at the city atop Cairo Tower: Dinner: Around 7pm, we will gather at Resembling a lotus plant, this 613-foot-high a hotel restaurant to enjoy Egyptian and tower that was built in 1961 is the city’s most international cuisine. famous landmark after the Pyramids. Take an Evening: You will have free time this evening elevator to the top and enjoy the 360-degree to either retire to your room or explore views across the city and try to spot the on your own. mighty Pyramids off in the distance. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute taxi Freedom To Explore: During your four nights ULGHDERXW86'RQHZD\ in Cairo, you have the freedom to explore • Hours: 10am-1am, daily. the city on your own during your free time. • Cost:$ERXW86' Below are some recommended options for independent exploration: Day 2 Islamic Cairo • Ibn Tulum Mosque • Take in a performance at the Cairo Opera • El-Moez Street • Saint Samaan the House: Various events take place daily in Tanner Monastery the venues of this sprawling Opera House, • Destination: Cairo from formal symphony orchestra and opera • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner performances in the 1,200-seat Main Hall • Accommodations: Cairo Marriott Hotel or similar Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKH hotel around 9am featuring American and Egyptian options. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 28 Morning: Around 9am, we will make our way Day 3 Visit the Pyramids of Giza to the Mosque of Ibn Tulun—the oldest and • Destination: Cairo ODUJHVWPRVTXHLQ&DLUR6XUYLYLQJLWVRULJLQDO • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch form, you will feel as if you are taking a step • Accommodations: Cairo Marriott Hotel into ancient Cairo. This complex, majestic or similar building includes a mosque surrounded by three outer ]L\ÃGDKV, or courtyards. The Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKH courtyards are lined with arcades of broad hotel beginning at 8am with Egyptian and arches and heavy pillars while the mosque American options. inside is detailed with ornate, elaborate designs Morning: At about 9am, we’ll depart our hotel in carved stucco. for about an hour drive out to Giza to behold Around 11am, we will depart for a discovery the Great Pyramids, including the greatest of ZDONRI(O0RH]6WUHHW8QFRYHUWKHPD]HRI them all—the 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of colorful shops and carts selling aromatic spices, .KXIX7KHRQO\VXUYLYRURIWKH6HYHQ:RQGHUV food, old antiques, clothing, and more. In the of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid was company of your Trip Experience Leader, we built for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in will navigate through the winding, narrow Greek) and was the world’s tallest man-made streets of the souks (markets) of Khan El Khalili. structure for more than 4,000 years. We can Maybe you’ll try your hand at haggling in the ponder another mystery for the ages at the boisterous market to feel like a true local. 6SKLQ[HQLJPDWLFJXDUGLDQRIWKH*L]D3ODWHDX Lunch: At a historical Egyptian café featuring Lunch: At an iconic local restaurant around traditional Egyptian food around noon. 1:15pm featuring local cuisine. Afternoon: Around 2pm, we will depart the Afternoon: You have the freedom to make some bustle and urban sprawl of Cairo for the local discoveries on your own. We will return to massive cave church and monastery of Cairo’s the hotel around 3:30pm. =DEEDOHHQFRPPXQLW\6DLQW6DPDDQWKH Dinner: Perhaps you will choose to eat at the Tanner Monastery, located in the Mokattam hotel’s restaurant or dine in a local spot your cliffs. We will have about an hour to admire Trip Experience Leader offers. the intricacies and large-scale of this Christian complex. Our Trip Experience Leader will Evening: You are free to explore on your own walk us through the structure and history or retire to your room to rest up for tomorrow’s of the Zabbaleen, a shunned community of visit to the spiritual avenues of Cairo. trash-collectors. Dinner: Around 6:30pm, at a local restaurant featuring Egyptian cuisine. Evening: Following dinner, perhaps you will retire to your room or enjoy a drink in the hotel bar and discuss your new discoveries with fellow travelers. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 29 Day 4 Hanging Church • Ben Ezra Dinner: At about 6:30pm, we’ll enjoy a Farewell Synagogue • Coptic Museum Dinner in a local restaurant. This is a great time to celebrate our Egypt discoveries with • Destination: Cairo other travelers while dining on traditional • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Egyptian fare. • Accommodations: Cairo Marriott Hotel or similar Evening: Free to relax at the hotel to compare Egypt memories with your fellow travelers Breakfast:6HUYHGEXIIHWVW\OHDWWKH or begin packing for tomorrow’s return hotel around 7am featuring Egyptian and ͬLJKWVKRPH American options. Morning: We’ll depart the hotel around 8am for Day 5 Return to the U.S. a half-hour drive out to ancient communities • Destination: Cairo along the twisting alleyways of Old Cairo. Our discoveries include the Hanging Church, a • Included Meals: Breakfast Basilica-style church housed in a Babylonian Breakfast: Buffet-style at the hotel beginning fortress dedicated to the Virgin Mary; Ben around 7am featuring American and (]UD6\QDJRJXHWKHROGHVW-HZLVKWHPSOHLQ Egyptian options. Cairo (and also the site where the pharaoh’s GDXJKWHULVVDLGWRKDYHIRXQG0RVHVͬRDWLQJLQ Morning:'HSHQGLQJRQ\RXUͬLJKWWLPH his basket); and the Coptic Museum, created to transfers to the Cairo airport will begin in the showcase Pharonic, Greco-Roman, and Islamic PRUQLQJIRU\RXUUHWXUQͬLJKWKRPH antiquity. Lunch: Regional dishes at a local restaurant in Cairo around noon. Afternoon:6KRUWO\DIWHUOXQFKZHZLOOGHSDUW WR6W0DUN̞V&RSWLF&DWKHGUDOORFDWHGLQ the Abbassia District. The Coptic Orthodox church has the largest Christian presence in predominantly Muslim Egypt and a history laden in persecution and criticism. A Coptic Orthodox Priest will outline this controversial history with our small group. Then around 3pm, we will depart for the hotel, which will take about half an hour. The rest of your afternoon is free for you to explore. Maybe you’ll take a walk through the hotel’s gardens or ask your Trip Experience Leader for a suggestion. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 30 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRIP: With the planning of any adventure comes the need to research and ask \`P^_TZY^BPɪ]PSP]P_ZSPW[4Y_SPQZWWZbTYR[LRP^dZ`ɪWWʭYOTYQZ]- XL_TZY_SL_Z`]_]LaPWP]^SLaPQZ`YOXZ^_MPYPʭNTLWL^_SPdɪaP[]P[L]PO for this adventure, on subjects ranging from passports to weather, and currency to recommended reading. BPɪaPTYNW`OPO_SPZʯNTLW?]LaPW3LYOMZZV_SL_dZ`ɪWW]PNPTaPbSPYdZ` reserve your departure of this trip, which outlines everything you’ll need to know before and during your adventure. What’s more, our Adventure Specialists will be ready and eager to address any additional questions you may have. With all of our resources available to you, enjoy peace of mind … and look forward to the incredible discoveries that await. 31 CONTENTS TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS...... 33 HEALTH ...... 35 MONEYMATTERS ...... 39 Top Tips Local Currency Tipping Guidelines PREPARING FOR TRIP...... 43 PACKING ...... 46 CLIMATE...... 53 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION ...... 55 Culture & Points to Know Shopping DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY...... 60 RESOURCES ...... 69 32 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Your Passport • Must be in good condition • Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S. • Must have the required number of blank pages (details below) • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport Recommended Blank Pages 3OHDVHFRQͫUPWKDW\RXUSDVVSRUWKDVHQRXJKEODQNSDJHVIRUWKLVDGYHQWXUH • Main trip only: If you are taking the main trip only, you will need 3 blank passport pages. • Pre-trip extension to Kenya: 2 additional pages needed, for a total of 5. • Post-trip extension to Egypt: 1 additional page needed for a total of 4. • Both a pre- and a post-trip extension: You will need a total of 6 blank pages. Please note: You might not use all of these pages on your adventure (when you return, some may still be EODQN EXWORFDORIͫFLDOVZLOOZDQWWRVHHWKDW\RXKDYHWKHP Visas Required We’ll be sending you a detailed Visa Packet with instructions, application forms, and fees about 100 days prior to your departure. In the meantime, we’re providing the information below as a guideline on what to expect. This info is for U.S. citizens only. All visas and fees are subject to change. • Ethiopia (main trip): Visa required. U.S. citizens will require a visa for Ethiopia; detailed instructions will be included in your Visa Packet, as noted above. • Kenya (optional extension): Visa required. It is important that you get this visa in advance. • Egypt (optional extension): Visa required. U.S. citizens will require a visa to enter Egypt; detailed instructions and information will be included in your Visa Packet, as noted above. 33 Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org. Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate. Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals. If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available ZRUOGZLGH$VDQDOWHUQDWLYH\RXFRXOGORDGWKHVHGRFXPHQWVRQWRDͬDVKGULYHLQVWHDGZKLFK can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip. Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents. 34 HEALTH Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers. PACING • 6 locations in 15 days • LQWHUQDOͬLJKWVLQFOXGLQJDYHU\HDUO\PRUQLQJͬLJKWWR$NVXPRQ'D\ PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids • You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 3-6 hours of physical activities each day at very high altitudes • Day 8 includes walking at an altitude of 8,500 feet; Day 10 includes an elective 45-minute hike up steep terrain at an altitude of 13,000 feet; and Day 12 includes a short hike to Jinbar Falls at an altitude of approximately of 13,000 feet in similar terrain • Not appropriate for travelers in need of CPAP machines • We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience ALTITUDE • All days are at altitudes between 6,000-12,000 feet CLIMATE • The weather varies greatly in Ethiopia and is dependent on elevation. When traveling from one area to another, temperatures can shift from 60°F to 95°F in a matter of hours. Due to its high altitude, temperatures in Addis Ababa and other northern Ethiopian cities are cool throughout the year, even during the hottest months (March-May) when daytime temperatures rarely exceed the mid 70s°F. Temperatures drop quickly once the sun goes down and morning frost is common. TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Travel over very bumpy, dusty terrain during overland transfers • Travel by 18-passenger coach, donkey, bajaj (similar to tuk-tuks), and boat 35 ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • We spend 15 nights in hotels and lodges, all of which feature private baths Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following: • Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636. • Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip. • Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. • Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent) Yellow Fever—Documentation Required $OOWUDYHOHUVZLOOQHHGWREULQJ(,7+(5SURRIRID\HOORZIHYHUYDFFLQDWLRQ25DQRIͫFLDO vaccination waiver in order to meet entry requirements. This also applies to Kenya and Egypt if you are joining the optional extensions. While the CDC offers a wide range of vaccination and medication suggestions, there is one in particular that we’d like to draw your attention to—the yellow fever vaccine. For some countries, the yellow fever vaccination is a legal entry requirement, like a passport. For other countries, it is a health recommendation to protect you from getting sick. On this adventure, this vaccination is a legal entry requirement for Ethiopia (as well as Kenya and Egypt if you are joining the optional extensions)—but fortunately, authorities will accept a doctor’s waiver in place of getting the DFWXDOVKRW7KHUHIRUH(,7+(5SURRIRID\HOORZIHYHUYDFFLQDWLRQ25DQRIͫFLDOYDFFLQDWLRQ waiver is a requirement for this trip (as well as for the optional Kenya and Egypt extensions). You should discuss the vaccine with your doctor to see if he or she recommends it and if your health allows for it. (He or she can offer a suggestion tailored to your personal medical history.) If you and your doctor decide the vaccination is right for you, then he or she will issue you a If you and your doctor decide the vaccination isn’t right for you, then have your doctor issue an RIͫFLDOYDFFLQDWLRQZDLYHU$QRIͫFLDOZDLYHULVDOHWWHUWKDWPHHWVWKHVHUHTXLUHPHQWV • It must be on business letterhead paper. • It must be signed by a doctor. • It must be stamped using the same stamp that the doctor uses on a Yellow Fever Card. • It must give the medical reason why you cannot get the vaccine, say how high the risk is, and cite an authority. (For example: Mr. Smith cannot receive the yellow fever vaccine due to a high risk of side effects as outlined in the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines for people over the age of 65.) 36 :KHWKHU\RXUHFHLYHD Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness • Prescription pain medication in the unlikely event of an injury in a remote location • Motion sickness medicine, if you are susceptible (the roads are very bumpy). • Anti-malaria medication for Ethiopia (and Kenya if you are taking the optional extension). &KHFNZLWKWKH&'&DQG\RXUGRFWRUͫUVWEHFDXVHWKHVHPHGLFDWLRQVFDQKDYHVWURQJ side effects. Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy. • Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas. • Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications. We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & 6SHFLDO&LUFXPVWDQFHV̢ LI\RXGRQ̞WVHHDQ\PHGLFDWLRQVVSHFLͫFDOO\PHQWLRQHGWKHQ\RXFDQ presume major U.S. brands should be OK). Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips • Start your trip well-rested. • Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane. • Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule. • Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– \RXUͬLJKW • 'ULQNSOHQW\RIZDWHUDQGRUIUXLWMXLFHZKLOHͬ\LQJ • Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane. 37 • After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap. • 'RQ̞WSXVK\RXUVHOIWRVHHDORWRQ\RXUͫUVWGD\ • 7U\WRVWD\DZDNH\RXUͫUVWGD\XQWLODIWHUGLQQHU Allergies If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will FRPPXQLFDWHWKHPWRRXUUHJLRQDORIͫFH(YHU\HIIRUWZLOOEHPDGHWRDFFRPPRGDWH\RX Water • Tap water is not safe to drink. We recommend you use only bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth throughout this trip. • Bottled drinks and juices, and hot drinks that have been boiled, are safe to drink. Avoid drinks with ice in them. • Before you buy a bottle, inspect it to make sure the cap is sealed properly. Carry a handkerchief to dry the tops of bottled drinks before and after opening. Food • The food served at our lodges is safe, including salads and fruits. • Exercise caution when eating at small local restaurants or buying food from street vendors. Eat only food that is well done and is still hot. • Since the tap water is not safe to drink, you should be mindful about eating salads or fruits—they may have been washed in tap water. (Fruit that you peel yourself should be OK.) 7,3 'XULQJWKLVDGYHQWXUH\RXPLJKWEHRIIHUHGIRRGWKDWLVVWUDQJHDQGQHZWR\RX,I\RXDUHRIIHUHG food that you do not feel comfortable with, no one will feel offended if you politely decline; this is OK HYHQGXULQJDKRPHYLVLW 38 MONEY MATTERS Top Three Tips • Bring enough cash to cover your needs for 80% of the trip and only expect to be able to use plastic (credit, debit, or ATM card) 20% of the time. When budgeting, keep in mind that your biggest expenses will be tips, meals, and souvenirs. As a guideline, an average meal in this region costs between $15 and $20 per person including a tip. • A mix of small bills ($1s-$20s), in good condition, and printed after 2006. You’ll be able to pay in U.S. dollars in most places on this trip. • Traveler’s checks are not recommended.7KH\FDQEHGLIͫFXOWWRH[FKDQJHDQGWKH commission fee for cashing them is quite high. It’s more practical to view them as a last resort in the event of a special situation. Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter\RXUEDQNRUWKHͫQDQFLDOVHFWLRQRI\RXUQHZVSDSHU Ethiopia 7KHRIͫFLDOFXUUHQF\LQ(WKLRSLDLVWKH%LUU (7% ZKLFKLVFRPSRVHGRIsantims. Banknotes and coins come in the following denominations: • Banknotes: 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 birr • Coins: 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 santims; 1 birr 1RWH )RUHLJQFXUUHQF\LQFOXGLQJ86GROODUVLVQRWOHJDOIRUXVHLQ(WKLRSLDZLWKWKHH[FHSWLRQRI KRWHOELOOV Kenya 7KHRIͫFLDOFXUUHQF\RI.HQ\DLVWKH.HQ\DQVKLOOLQJ .6K ZKLFKLVGLYLGHGLQWRFHQWV2QH shilling is written Shs.1/-. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows: • Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 shillings (written Shs.1000/-) • Coins: 50 cents and 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 shillings In Kenya, U.S. dollars are accepted for payment in most situations. Newer bills (2006 or newer) in very good condition are strongly preferred. However, when paying in dollars, the exchange rate is not in your favor. You’ll get a better rate by exchanging dollars for shillings and then paying in shillings. 39 Egypt The monetary unit of Egypt is the Egyptian pound (LE), which is divided into 100 piastres (pt). In Arabic, a pound is a guinay and piastres are qirsh or girsh. Banknote and coin denominations are: • Banknotes: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 pounds; plus 25 and 50 piastres • Coins: 25 and 50 piastres; 1 pound U.S dollars are widely accepted in Egypt, especially by local vendors and at markets. When paying in dollars, you should use exact change and the bills should be in good condition; although it doesn’t happen a lot, some places will decline a bill that is dirty, torn, or has writing on it. Local currency is needed for government-sponsored tickets, such as entrance fees for non- included sites or photo tickets. Typically, locally currency is also more useful in situations that require small change or where paying in dollars would be overpaying—tips to the restroom attendant, paying for taxis/buses, etc. Our local staff will advise you on when it is best to pay in local currency and the best places to exchange money. No matter what currency you’re using, KDYLQJDQXPEHURIVPDOOGRPLQDWLRQELOOVLVNH\EHFDXVHLWIDFLOLWDWHVWLSSLQJ6SHFLͫFDOO\ZH recommend bringing a lot of $1 bills for tipping or making exact change. How to Exchange Money On this adventure, you won’t need to exchange money because you can pay in U.S. dollars. But you will want a mix of small bills ($1, 5, 10, and 20s), in good condition, printed after 2006. Large bills ($50s and $100s) will be hard to break, and bills in bad condition (dirty, worn, or torn) or printed before 2006 might be rejected, even by banks. During the trip, if you choose to get local currency, the easiest way is to use a local ATM (your bank at home will convert and charge you in U.S. dollars). You can also exchange cash at some KRWHOVDQGPRQH\H[FKDQJHRIͫFHV7RH[FKDQJHFDVK\RX̞OOXVXDOO\QHHG\RXUSDVVSRUWDQGELOOV in good condition (not worn, torn, or dirty). Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand. 7,3 /DUJHELOOV VDQGV ZLOOUHFHLYHDEHWWHUH[FKDQJHUDWHEXWZKHQSD\LQJZLWK86GROODUV DPL[RIVRPHDQGVZRXOGEHEHWWHU,WPDNHVWLSSLQJDQGEDUJDLQLQJHDVLHUZKHQ\RXKDYH H[DFWFKDQJH ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card. Many banks charge a fee of $1-$5 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart. 40 Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.) Ethiopia:$70VFDQXVXDOO\EHIRXQGLQPDMRUFLWLHVVXFKDV$GGLV$EDEDEXWDUHKDUGHUWRͫQGLQ rural areas. Kenya: International ATM networks are typically available in the larger cities like Nairobi, however when you are on safari in the bush, you will not have access to ATMs. Local ATMs may only accept cards from local banks and usually will not allow cash advances on credit cards; therefore it is best to bring a cash reserve large enough to pay for most expenses. Egypt:$70VDUHFRPPRQLQFLWLHVDQGWRZQVEXWPD\EHKDUGWRͫQGLQUXUDOYLOODJHVRUDW archeological sites like the Pyramids. Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc. Ethiopia: Credit cards are rarely accepted in Ethiopia, even in large cities such as Addis Abada. We strongly recommend that you bring enough cash to exchange or withdraw local funds from an ATM. Kenya: Credit cards are becoming more common in Kenya, but are not as widely accepted as they are in the U.S. Many camps, lodges, and shops will be cash only. Businesses that do accept cards tend to use a slow approval process that may involve calling your credit card company to get authorization. Egypt: Credit cards are widely accepted H[FHSW at open-air stalls (like bazaars), cafes, or taxis— expect these to be cash only. Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online. You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.! 41 Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines. • O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $7-$10 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. 3OHDVHQRWHWKDWWKHVHWLSVFDQRQO\EHLQFDVK,I\RXDUHWDNLQJDQ\RIWKHRSWLRQDO H[WHQVLRQV\RXU7ULS([SHULHQFH/HDGHUGXULQJWKHH[WHQVLRQ V PD\QRWEHWKHVDPHDVWKHRQH RQ\RXUPDLQWULS • Housekeeping staff: $1-2 per room, per night. Tipping for housekeepers at tented camps and VDIDULORGJHVRQWKH.HQ\DRSWLRQDOH[WHQVLRQLVLQFOXGHGDVWKH\DUHSDUWRIWKHFDPSORGJHVWDII Please Note: Your tour price includes gratuities on the main trip and optional extensions for local guides, drivers, lodge and camp staff, driver-guides, and luggage porters that may assist you during the scheduled activities on your adventure. All tips are quoted in U.S. dollars; tips can be converted and paid in local currency or in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips. 42 PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air ŽĢóĴ'āƩłĢŶĢŋłŭ • Land Only: • Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet). • Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”. Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased )RUHOLJLEOHͬLJKWVDLUSRUWWUDQVIHUVPD\EHSXUFKDVHGVHSDUDWHO\DVDQRSWLRQDODGGRQVXEMHFW WRDYDLODELOLW\7REHHOLJLEOH\RXUͬLJKW V PXVWPHHWWKHIROORZLQJUHTXLUHPHQWV • • Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814. ,I\RXGRQ̞WPHHWWKHUHTXLUHPHQWVDERYH\RX̞OOQHHGWRPDNH\RXURZQWUDQVIHUDUUDQJHPHQWV:H suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com :KHQERRNLQJ\RXULQWHUQDWLRQDOͬLJKWVSOHDVHDOVRQRWHWKDWWKHPDLQWULSZLOOHQGRQ'D\IRU \RXURYHUQLJKWͬLJKWEDFNWRWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations. What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability. 43 • Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.) • To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”. • Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount). Communications Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone is “unlocked”, meaning it can accept a local SIM card. If your cell is unlocked, then you will be able to purchase a local SIM for it and then buy minutes with “Pay as You Go” cards, so that you have a local contact number for your friends and family. Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store. Calling Cards & 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.). One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country. Internet Internet access on this adventure will be mostly limited to cities and towns. In many cases, it will not be WiFi, but rather public computers in the hotel lobby or business center. The hotels and lodges that do offer WiFi will usually charge for the service. 44 Receiving Calls from Home To ensure you are available during your trip to friends and relatives at home, you will receive two copies of your hotel list, including phone numbers, with your Final Documents. One copy is for you to bring, and one is to leave behind with friends or relatives in case they need to contact you during the trip. How to Call Overseas When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone. Ethiopia: +251 Egypt: +20 Kenya: +254 45 PACKING Luggage Limits MAIN TRIP LIMITS Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person. Weight restrictions Varies by international airline. The current industry standard is 50 lbs for checked luggage and 15 lbs for carry-ons. Size Restrictions Main trip: Standard airline size: Checked luggage should not exceed 62 linear inches (length+ width + depth) and carry-on should not exceed 45 linear inches Luggage Type Main trip: A duffel bag or sturdy suitcase with wheels and lockable zippers. If you are joining the Kenya pre-trip extension: Must use a duffel bag as your checked luggage throughout your adventure. TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS Kenya pre-trip extension: Luggage is limited to 33 lbs TOTAL (checked bag + carry-on). Use of a duffel bag as your checked luggage is required on this extension. Your duffel bag must be no larger than 24”x18”x13” and your carry-on luggage is limited to 21”x12”x9” in dimension. Cairo post-trip extension: Same as the main trip. REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS EXCESS BAGGAGE CANNOT BE TAKEN. Important Note for Kenya pre-trip extension: Use of a duffel bag is a requirement if you are joining the Kenya pre-trip extension. Your duffel bag must be no larger than 24”x18”x13” and your carry-on luggage is limited to 21”x12”x9” in dimension. Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question. 46 Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet. • ,W̞VDJRRGLGHDWRUHFRQͫUPEDJJDJHUHVWULFWLRQVDQGIHHVGLUHFWO\ZLWKWKHDLUOLQHDZHHNRU so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section. • Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines. • 7KHOXJJDJHOLPLWVDERYHDUHEDVHGRQ\RXUUHJLRQDOͬLJKWVZKLFKPD\EHOHVVWKDQ\RXU LQWHUQDWLRQDOͬLJKWV(YHQLI\RXULQWHUQDWLRQDODLUOLQHRIIHUVDODUJHUZHLJKWOLPLW\RXZLOO need to pack according to the lower restrictions. Your Luggage Checked Luggage For travelers who are not joining the Kenya pre-trip extension, please bring one duffel bag or suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Please do not bring a rigid (plastic shell) suitcase. 'ŽƦāķ Öė̆āŨŽĢũāùĕŋũ¦ũÖƑāķāũŭŋłŶĞābāłƘÖũā̟¦ũĢť1ƗŶāłŭĢŋł • Use of a duffel bag is a requirement on this extension. • Your duffel bag must be no larger than 24”x18”x13” and your carry-on luggage is limited to ̢[̢[ ̢GXHWRVL]HOLPLWDWLRQVVHWE\WKHDLUOLQHVDQGWRHQVXUHWKDW\RXUEDJZLOOͫWRQ our safari vehicles. Important Note:3ODVWLFEDJVDUHQRORQJHUDOORZHGLQ.HQ\D RSWLRQDOH[WHQVLRQ 7KH\ZLOOEH FRQͫVFDWHGLIIRXQGDQGFRXOGUHVXOWLQDKHIW\ͫQHRULPSULVRQPHQW&RQVLGHUEULQJLQJDQHPSW\Q\ORQ EDJIROGHGLQWR\RXUPDLQVXLWFDVHLQVWHDGIRUODXQGU\RUGLUW\VKRHV)RUPRUHGHWDLOVVHHWKHSDFNLQJ OLVWVHFWLRQRIWKLV+DQGERRN 7,3 :KHQWUDYHOLQJZLWKDFRPSDQLRQZHUHFRPPHQG̡FURVVSDFNLQJ̢LHSDFNRXWͫWVRI\RXU FORWKLQJLQ\RXUFRPSDQLRQ̞VOXJJDJHDQGYLFHYHUVDLQFDVHRQHEDJLVGHOD\HG Carry-on Bag You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be XVHGDVERWKDFDUU\RQEDJIRU\RXUͬLJKWDQGWRFDUU\\RXUGDLO\QHFHVVLWLHV̜ZDWHUERWWOH camera, etc—during your daily activities. Locks )RUͬLJKWVWKDWRULJLQDWHLQWKH86\RXFDQHLWKHUXVHD76$DSSURYHGORFNRUOHDYH\RXU luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft- prevention measure. 47 Luggage Handling on Arrival Airport porters are not allowed in the customs hall area. When you land, you must take your luggage off the baggage carousel and then clear customs. When you exit the airport building, your driver will load your luggage into the coach. Clothing Suggestions Functional Tips • Most of your clothing should be for warm, dry climates̜OLJKWZHLJKWORRVHͫWWLQJDQG made of 100% cotton. But you’ll still want to bring a warmer layer due to temperatures dropping at night in the desert climate (and you may want it during the day on the air- conditioned bus). • Footwear: You’ll be on your feet a lot during the trip and walking over some rough, slippery, and sometimes sandy/muddy surfaces. We recommend you wear sturdy walking shoes or similar supportive sports shoes. • You can buy clothing designed especially for travel. Look for clothes that offer adequate sun protection. If you like to hand-wash your clothes, bring socks and underwear made of material that will dry out overnight. • When traveling with a companionZHUHFRPPHQG̡FURVVSDFNLQJ̢LHSDFNWZRRXWͫWV of your clothing in your companion’s luggage and vice-versa, in case one bag is delayed. • Dress on our trip is functional and casual; there are no formal wear evenings. For most travelers a casual dress code in a hot and sunny place means shorts and/or sleeveless tops. • Dress modestly on the Cairo extension: Generally dress in Egypt tends to be conservative and modest. “Modest” means locals of both genders will cover legs and arms, wear higher necklines, and local women may cover their hair with a scarf. Therefore shorts and sleeveless tops are more for tourists. It is OK for you to wear them, as long as you don’t mind that everyone knows you’re a visitor. Fashion Dos and Don’ts • Do wear clothes that are functional and casual. There’s no need for formal or dressy clothing. In local communities, and to some extent in the lodges, your dress should be modest and conservative. • For the Kenya extension, do wear muted earth tones (beige, khaki, etc.) because they don’t show dirt easily, coordinate well, and don’t distract animals. Don’t wear white or very brightly colored clothing. These colors have traditionally been used to keep animals away, and even color-blind animals can spot dark and light shades like black and white, which is why white is a danger signal for some species. 48 IMPORTANT: Plastic bags are no longer allowed in Kenya (optional extension) and travelers will be asked to dispose of any such items when crossing the border. These items include but are not limited to duty-free and general plastic shopping bags, bin liners (which may be used to protect luggage), and dry cleaning bags. If you have plastic bags upon arrival to Kenya, you will be asked WRGLVSRVHRIWKHP5HIXVDOWRGLVSRVHRISODVWLFEDJVPD\UHVXOWLQDͫQH7RHQVXUHWKDW\RXGR not have any issues crossing the border, we strongly recommend that you do not bring any plastic bags on this adventure. If you are caught with a plastic bag after you have crossed the border, this FRXOGUHVXOWLQDKHIW\ͫQHRULPSULVRQPHQW What to Bring We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook. Year-Round Clothing Checklist T Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts to layer T 7URXVHUVDQGRUMHDQV &RPIRUWDEOHDQGORRVHͫWWLQJLVEHVW T Shorts: Cut long for modesty T Shoes and socks: Comfortable walking/ running shoes or low-cut hiking shoes, with arch VXSSRUW/LJKWKLNLQJERRWVZLOOVXIͫFH WKHUHLVQRKHDY\KLNLQJGXULQJWKHWULSEXWKLNLQJ boots should offer better support and traction than shoes. T Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood T Wide-brim sun hat or visor for sun protection T Underwear: Most hotels and lodges will not include “smalls” (underwear) in their laundry service for cultural reasons. It is usually OK for you wash them yourself in your room. T Sleepwear T Optional: Swimsuit and cover-up Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For the rainy season (June-September): T Rain gear: Waterproof jacket/windbreaker with hood and waterproof pants T Hood/lens cap/waterproof bag for camera 49 Essential Items T 'DLO\HVVHQWLDOV WRRWKEUXVKWRRWKSDVWHͬRVVKDLUEUXVKRUFRPEVKDYLQJLWHPV deodorant, etc. T Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses; sunglasses T Sunscreen: SPF 15 or stronger T Insect repellent T Flashlight or headlamp T Lightweight binoculars for the Kenya extension: To avoid disturbing the animals’ natural activities, we stop the vehicle at a respectful distance. By having your own binoculars, you’ll be able to enjoy the experience more. Models such as 8 x 21 or 6 x 16 provide suitable PDJQLͫFDWLRQDQGLOOXPLQDWLRQ[PRGHOVDUHXVDEOHEXWDUHXVXDOO\KHDY\H[SHQVLYH and require a very steady hand. T Pocket-size tissues T Moist towelettes (baby wipes) and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser T Electrical transformer & plug adapters. T Camera gear with extra batteries or battery charger Medicines & First Aid Gear T Your own prescription medicines T 7UDYHOͫUVWDLGNLW %DQG$LGVKHDGDFKHDQGSDLQUHOLHIOD[DWLYHVDQGDQWLGLDUUKHD tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, or antibiotic cream. T An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness T Optional: A strong prescription pain medication for rare emergency purposes T Optional: Motion sickness medicine if you are susceptible (the roads are very bumpy). T 2SWLRQDO $QWLPDODULDOPHGLFDWLRQ̜GLVFXVVZLWK\RXUGRFWRUͫUVW Optional Gear T Eye drops: The dry air and dusty roads can cause itchy eyes. 50 T Surgical masks, to cover your mouth during game drives on dusty terrain T ,QͬDWDEOHVHDWFXVKLRQIRUEXPS\URDGV T Hand-wash laundry soap T Field guide: A small, lightweight guide so you are not encumbered during game drives. T Phrase book T Small gift for Home-Hosted visit T Folding walking staff, sold in most camping stores Do Not Bring Single-Use Plastic Bags on the Kenya Extension Single-use plastic bags are banned in Kenya (optional extension). If you like to bring a bag for shoes or laundry, we recommend a lightweight nylon bag, packing cube, or reusable cloth tote instead. We also recommend a reusable toiletry bag instead of a Ziploc-style bag. 9LRODWLRQVRIWKHEDQFRXOGUHVXOWLQͫQHVRUHYHQLPSULVRQPHQWVRSOHDVHGRXEOHFKHFN\RXU luggage before you depart. Electricity When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape. Voltage Electricity in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Egypt is 220-240 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can UXQRIIERWKDQG%XW\RXVKRXOGFKHFNWKHLWHPRUWKHRZQHU̞VJXLGHͫUVWWR FRQͫUPWKLVEHIRUH\RXSOXJLWLQ,I\RXKDYHVRPHWKLQJWKDWQHHGVYROWV̜OLNHDVKDYHURUD hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.) Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket \RX̞OOQHHGDQDGDSWHUWKDWͫWVEHWZHHQWKHSOXJDQGWKHVRFNHW%HFDXVHWKHUHDUHPDQ\GLIIHUHQW types of plugs in this region, it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/ converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or :DOPDUW,I\RXIRUJHWWREULQJDQDGDSWHU\RXPLJKWDOVRͫQGWKHPIRUVDOHDWWKHDLUSRUWZKHQ you arrive at your destination. 51 Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip: Ethiopia: C and F Kenya: G Egypt: C is the most common plug type. Type C Type F Type G 52 CLIMATE Ethiopia: Ethiopia lies to the north of the equator and experiences three climate zones. The plateau regions in central Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa, experience cool, mild weather with average lows in the 40s and 50s and average highs getting up into the high 70s. The plateau sees heavy rains from June to September (monsoon season) and a relatively dry climate from November through February. The lowlands, which surround the plateau to the northwest and south, experience an arid climate with heavy rains typically only in July and August and a dry heat from October to mid-May. Temperatures in this region usually range from the low 70s to high 90s. Along the border of Eritrea, Ethiopia sees desert climates with intense heat averaging from the mid 80s to low 100s and very little rainfall throughout the year. Kenya: The climate in Kenya varies with the terrain—the coast is tropical, the interior temperate, and the north is arid. The Masai Mara Reserve, which is in the southwest, is at a moderate- to-high elevation (4,900-7,100 feet above sea level). This makes the climate wetter and more temperate than other parts of the country, with temperatures usually falling in the range of 85-65 degrees. The rainy seasons are April-May and November; the dry season is from July to October. Egypt: Egypt’s climate can be summed up in three words: hot, sunny, and dry. Most of the FRXQWU\LVGHVHUW WKHRQO\FXOWLYDWHGͫHOGVDUHRQWKHEDQNVRIWKH1LOHDQGLQWKH1LOH'HOWD Temperatures are generally hot, but not always. During the winter it can be chilly in the north (Cairo and Alexandria), or on a foggy morning on the Red Sea. Please pack some warm clothing if you are traveling during these months. Sandstorms, which can occur from March to May, can cause inconveniences with regard to sightseeing. Climate Averages & Online Forecast 7KHIROORZLQJFKDUWVUHͬHFWWKHaverage climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast. 53 Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall MONTH ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA AKSUM, ETHIOPIA Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. (Avg) % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (avg) (inches) JAN 69 to 53 81 to 37 5.0 62 54 -- FEB 70 to 55 80 to 41 6.6 64 49 0.2 MAR 72 to 56 79 to 42 9.8 67 47 0.5 APR 71 to 57 82 to 47 12.4 69 49 0.9 MAY 72 to 58 81 to 45 11.9 70 51 1.5 JUN 69 to 56 85 to 54 22.7 69 52 2.1 JUL 65 to 55 92 to 68 18.7 66 71 7.3 AUG 65 to 55 92 to 68 18.7 65 75 7.0 SEP 66 to 55 91 to 65 22.4 66 62 2.1 OCT 69 to 54 81 to 47 10.7 65 62 0.4 NOV 69 to 51 79 to 38 3.8 63 62 0.8 DEC 69 to 51 81 to 38 6.3 62 59 0.1 MONTH NAIROBI, KENYA CAIRO, EGYPT Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Avg Temp (high- % Humdity (am- Avg # of Days with Humidity (am-pm) (inches) low) pm) Rain JAN 77 to 58 93 to 41 1.8 65 to 49 74 to 50 5 FEB 80 to 58 89 to 35 1.7 68 to 50 71 to 42 3 MAR 80 to 60 92 to 38 2.9 73 to 54 72 to 37 2 APR 76 to 61 96 to 52 6.3 82 to 59 68 to 30 1 MAY 74 to 59 96 to 56 4.7 89 to 64 71 to 26 1 JUN 73 to 56 94 to 53 1.2 100 to 68 76 to 27 -- JUL 71 to 54 93 to 52 0.5 105 to 75 83 to 35 -- AUG 72 to 54 92 to 49 0.5 92 to 72 85 to 38 -- SEP 76 to 55 92 to 41 1.0 90 to 69 83 to 38 -- OCT 78 to 58 93 to 40 1.7 85 to 65 81 to 40 1 NOV 75 to 60 96 to 51 4.7 75 to 58 77 to 48 1 DEC 75 to 59 96 to 49 3.0 67 to 51 75 to 53 3 54 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS z̍̍¦̍¦ũĢť1ƗťāũĢāłóādāÖùāũŭ̆Âŋũķùŋĕ'ĢƦāũāłóā During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. $OODUHͬXHQWLQ(QJOLVKDQGSRVVHVVWKHVNLOOVFHUWLͫFDWLRQDQGH[SHULHQFHQHFHVVDU\WRHQVXUH an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience /HDGHUVSURYLGHWKHNLQGRIͫUVWKDQGNQRZOHGJHDQGLQVLJKWWKDWPDNHORFDOKLVWRU\FXOWXUH and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime. Culture & Points to Know Keep an Open Mind • This is Africa—weather, the political situation, migration of game, fuel availability, road FRQGLWLRQVDQGͬLJKWVFKHGXOHFKDQJHVPD\DOOLPSDFW\RXUWULS • In some cases, they may change the sequence of places visited, or we may not follow the trip itinerary exactly as published. • Poverty is prevalent in Africa, so be prepared to witness a lower standard of living during our visits to local villages and schools. Accommodations • Our hotels and lodges are comfortable, but not luxurious. • There can be occasional problems with electricity, hot water, and air conditioning (where it exists). • The roads can be dusty and very bumpy, especially during game drives on the optional extension to Kenya. • Near the towns, some roads may be littered with trash. Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Do not leave valuable items unattended in your room. Almost every lodge offers use of a hotel safe at the front desk. 55 Pickpockets Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers. Be careful when taking photos from the vehicle in towns or city centers. It is not unheard of for thieves to reach inside the open window while you are distracted and grab cameras or purses. If you’re taking photos out of an open window in a crowded area, have someone else in the group watch over your valuables. Language Barrier You can have some great “conversations” with local people who do not speak English, even if you don’t speak a word of the local language. Indeed, this non-verbal communication can be a highly rewarding part of travel. To break the ice, bring along some family photographs, or a few postcards of your hometown. If you want to meet kids, bring a puppet or other interactive toy. Your Trip Experience Leader can help get the ball rolling. Your attire is a key part of your non-verbal presentation. Your clothing should show a respect for local tradition. In small towns or near villages, you should dress in a relatively modest VW\OH̜DYRLGUHYHDOLQJRUWLJKWͫWWLQJRXWͫWV7KHDSSOLFDWLRQRIWKLVJXLGHOLQHYDULHV Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in the countries on your itinerary is about the same as it would be on in your hometown. In general, you need permission to take a close-up, as you would at home, but not for a crowd scene. Be especially polite if you want to photograph an older person. If you want to shoot a great portrait, show interest in your subject and try to have a bit RILQWHUDFWLRQͫUVW7KHQXVHVLJQODQJXDJHWRLQTXLUHLIDSLFWXUHLV2. Responsible Safari Travel (Kenya Optional Extension) We do our best to have a minimum negative impact on local cultures and the natural environment in every country we operate trips. Here’s how you can assist in this effort. Respecting Wildlife • Observe the animals silently and with a minimum of disturbance to their natural activities. Loud talking on a game drive can frighten the animals away. • Never attempt to attract an animal’s attention. Don’t imitate animal sounds, clap your hands, pound on the vehicle, or throw objects. Failure to obey this rule could result in your removal from a National Park by one of the Park Rangers on patrol. 56 • Please respect your driver-guides’ judgment about your proximity to wildlife. Don’t insist that he or she take the vehicle closer so you can get a better photograph. A vehicle driven too close can hinder a hunt or cause animals to abandon a hard-earned meal. • Litter tossed on the ground can choke or poison animals and birds. • Never attempt to feed or approach any wild animal on foot. This is especially important near lodges or in campsites where animals may have become accustomed to human visitors. Failure to adhere to this could cause you to be bitten and need immediate rabies shots, which are unpleasant and costly. • 6PRNLQJLVQRWDOORZHGRQJDPHGULYHV7KHGU\$IULFDQEXVKLJQLWHVYHU\HDVLO\DQGDͬDVK ͫUHFDQKDUPKXQGUHGVRIDQLPDOV Conserving the Natural Environment • Minimize the disposable items you bring on the trip and dispose of your trash properly. • Ask whether plastic drinking water bottles can be recycled. Most days, it’s better to keep your empty bottles with you until you reach your hotel. • Stay on established trails to avoid damaging plants. • Don’t pick any vegetation, or remove any item of biological interest. Cuisine in Egypt Look for Middle Eastern specialties such as fuul (Egyptian fava beans); taamia (the Egyptian version of falafel, fried balls of bean meal); kofta (spiced ground meat); and kebab (skewered meat JULOOHGRQDͫUH 6WURQJ7XUNLVKVW\OHFRIIHHDQGVZHHWEODFNWHDDUHFRPPRQO\VHUYHG Shopping There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases. Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund. 57 Crafts & Souvenirs Ethiopia Popular souvenirs include textiles (such as scarves or a traditional Ethiopian dress called a caftan), hand-woven baskets, spices, coffee, jewelry, clay pottery, and wood sculptures. 1RWH 7KH866WDWH'HSDUWPHQWDGYLVHVWKDW(WKLRSLDKDVVWULFWFRQVHTXHQFHVIRUWKHWUDQVSRUWRILYRU\ LQFOXGLQJͫQHVGHWDLQPHQWRULPSULVRQPHQW$OVRNHHSLQPLQGWKDWDQ\UHSOLFDVRUFRSLHVRIDQWLTXHV RUUHOLJLRXVDUWLIDFWVPXVWEHDFFRPSDQLHGE\DUHFHLSWDQGPD\VWLOOEHFRQͫVFDWHG East Africa Traditional souvenirs include woodcarvings, gems and gemstone jewelry, batik artwork, traditional African woven cloths, hand-woven carpets and mats, leather goods, Maasai beadwork, ͫQHEDVNHWU\DQGH[FHOOHQWFRIIHHDQGWHD Egypt Traditional souvenirs include gold and silver jewelry, papyrus artwork, cotton goods, tapestries, FDUSHWVOHDWKHUJRRGVFRSSHUZDUHEUDVVZDUHEDVNHWU\ͫQHLQODLGZRRGZRUNDQGVSLFHV,Q many bazaars, you can observe artisans working in the traditional methods, and this is part of the fun of shopping. Bargaining is extremely commonplace in Egypt, and may someday replace soccer as the national VSRUW,IWKLVLV\RXUͫUVWH[SHULHQFHZLWKLWGRQ̞WZRUU\̜\RX̞OOTXLFNO\ͫQG\RXURZQVW\OH2Q smaller items, start by bidding half the asking price, or even less. The only rule is: If you make an offer, you should be prepared to buy at that price. Often if you start to walk away, you’ll hear a lower price. And remember, whatever price you pay is OK, as long as the item is worth that price to you. When looking at large items, like carpets or artwork, you’ll often be invited to sit down and drink a cup of tea with the merchant and make small talk for awhile. If you are on a group excursion, please remain aware of what other group members are doing. If you are the only one trying to buy something at that time, you might want to return later. U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511. The top three points to know are: • At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees. 58 • Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties. • It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins. Ethiopia Customs Regulations Ethiopia has strict guidelines regarding what is allowed to enter and leave the country. For more information, please visit the U.S. State Department website at https://travel.state.gov. A few points to know: • All cell phones entering Ethiopia must be registered with the Ethiopian Revenue and Customs Authority. This can be done at the Bole International Airport or any Ethio Telecom shop. • Personal laptops and video equipment are allowed, but any professional photography/video equipment or laptops intended for anything other than personal use much be declared upon arrival and departure. • Export permits are required for antiques, religious artifacts, Ethiopian crosses, and wildlife parts. If you decide to purchase any of these items while in Ethiopia, you must request a permit through the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority. 59 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Ethiopia Facts & Figures • Area: 426,372 square miles • Capital: Addis Ababa • Languages:$PKDULFLVWKHRIͫFLDOQDWLRQDOODQJXDJH 2URPR6RPDOL7LJULJQDDQG$IDUDUH DOVRRIͫFLDOUHJLRQDOODQJXDJHV • Ethnicity: Oromo 34.4%, Amhara 27%, Somali 6.2%, Tigray 6.1%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, :HODLWD+DGL\D$IDU*DPR*HGHR6LOWH.HIͫFKR other 8.8% • Location: Northern Africa, bordering Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti to the north, Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south, and South Sudan to the west. • Geography: Ethiopia features deserts along the eastern coast and a mountainous terrain in the central regions. • Population: 108,386,391 • Religions: Ethiopian Orthodox 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.5%, traditional 2.7%, Catholic 0.7%, other 0.6% • Time Zone: Ethiopia is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. When it is noon in D.C., it is 7:00 pm in Ethiopia. National Holidays: Ethiopia Ethiopia celebrates a number of national (DVWHUDQG(LGXO)LWU7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEH holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as traveling during these holidays, please visit Historical Overview of Ethiopia 7KH(WKLRSLDQ(PSLUH $E\VVLQLD ZDVͫUVWIRXQGHGE\(WKLRSLDQSHRSOHLQWKH(WKLRSLDQ Highlands. Due to migration and imperial expansion, it grew to include many other primarily Afro-Asiatic-speaking communities, including Oromos, Amhara, Somalis, Tigray, Afars, Sidama, Gurage, Agaw and Harari, among others. One of the earliest kingdoms to rise to power in the territory was the kingdom of D’mt in the 10th FHQWXU\%&ZKLFKHVWDEOLVKHGLWVFDSLWDODW 60 The Aksumite empire fell into decline with the rise of Islam, forcing the Ethiopians to move south into the highlands for refuge. The Aksumites gave way to the Zagwe Dynasty who established a new capital at Lalibela. Unlike the Aksumites, the Zagwe were very isolated from the other Christian Nations, although they did maintain a degree of contact through Jerusalem and Cairo. Like many other nations and denominations, the Ethiopian Church maintained a series of small chapels and even an annex at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Saladin, after retaking the Holy City in 1187, expressly invited the Ethiopian monks to return and even exempted Ethiopian pilgrims from the pilgrim tax. His two edicts provide evidence of Ethiopia’s contact with these Crusader States during this period. It was during this period that the Ethiopian king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela ordered the construction of the legendary rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. The Zagwe Dynasty gave way to the Solomonic Dynasty in the 13th century, during which period Ethiopia went through military reforms and imperial expansion that made it dominate the Horn of Africa. Portuguese missionaries arrived at this time. In 1529, a conquest of Abyssinia (Futuh al-Habash) by the Ottoman-allied Muslim Adal Sultanate devastated the highlands, and was only deterred by a Portuguese intervention. With both Ethiopia and Adal greatly weakened by the war, the Oromo people were able to invade into the highlands, conquering the remains of the Adal Sultanate and pushing deep into Ethiopia. The Portuguese presence also increased, while the Ottomans began to push into what is now Eritrea, creating the Habesh Eyalet. The Portuguese brought modern weapons and baroque architecture to Ethiopia, and in 1622 converted the emperor Susenyos I to Catholicism, sparking a civil war which ended in his abdication and an expulsion of all Catholics from Ethiopia. A new capital was established at Gondar in 1632, and a period of peace and prosperity ensued until the country was split apart by ZDUORUGVLQWKHWKFHQWXU\GXULQJWKH=HPHQH0HVDͫQW (WKLRSLDZDVUHXQLͫHGLQXQGHU7HZRGURV,,EHJLQQLQJ(WKLRSLD̞VPRGHUQKLVWRU\DQGKLV reign was followed by Yohannes IV who was killed in action in 1889. Under Menelik II Ethiopia started its transformation to well organized technological advancement and the structure that the country has now. Ethiopia also expanded to the south and east, through the conquest of the western Oromo (now Shoan Oromo), Sidama, Gurage, Wolayta and other groups, resulting in the borders of modern Ethiopia. Ethiopia defeated an Italian invasion in 1896 and came to be recognised as a legitimate state by European powers. A more rapid modernisation took place under Menelik II and Haile Selassie. Emperor Haile Selassie’s reign was interrupted in 1935 when Italian forces launched a second invasion in 1935 and occupied Ethiopia. From 1935-1941, Ethiopia was under Italian occupation. A joint force of British and Ethiopian rebels managed to drive the Italians out of the country in 1941, and Haile Selassie was returned to the throne. The ,WDOLDQVDIWHUWKHLUͫQDOVWDQGDW*RQGDULQ1RYHPEHU FRQGXFWHGDJXHUULOODZDULQ(WKLRSLD that lasted until summer 1943. In 1961 the 30-year Eritrean Struggle for Independence began, following the Emperor Haile Selassie’s dissolution of the federation and shutting down the Eritrean parliament. The Emperor declared Eritrea the fourteenth province of Ethiopia in 1962. Eritrea regained its independence after a referendum in 1993. 61 After a period of civil unrest that began in February 1974, a provisional administrative council of soldiers, known as the Derg, seized power from the aging Emperor Haile Selassie I on September 12, 1974, and installed a government that was socialist in name and military in style. The Derg summarily executed 59 members of the former government, including two former Prime 0LQLVWHUVDQG&URZQ&RXQFLORUV&RXUWRIͫFLDOVPLQLVWHUVDQGJHQHUDOV(PSHURU+DLOH6HODVVLH died on August 22, 1975. He was allegedly strangled in the basement of his palace or smothered with a wet pillow. The new regime in Ethiopia met with armed resistance from the large landowners, the royalists and the nobility. The resistance was largely centered in the province of Eritrea. The Derg decided in November 1974 to pursue war in Eritrea rather than seek a negotiated settlement. By mid- 1976, the resistance had gained control of most of the towns and the countryside of Eritrea. In July 1977, sensing the disarray in Ethiopia, Somalia attacked across the Ogaden in pursuit of its irredentist claims to the ethnic Somali areas of Ethiopia . They were assisted in this invasion by the armed Western Somali Liberation Front. Ethiopian forces were driven back far inside their own frontiers but, with the assistance of a massive Soviet airlift of arms and 17,000 Cuban combat forces, they stemmed the attack. The last major Somali regular units left the Ogaden March 15, 1978. Twenty years later, the Somali region of Ethiopia remained under-developed and insecure. From 1977 through early 1978, thousands of suspected enemies of the Derg were tortured and/or NLOOHGLQDSXUJHFDOOHGWKH5HG7HUURU&RPPXQLVPZDVRIͫFLDOO\DGRSWHGGXULQJWKHODWH V and early 1980s; in 1984, the Workers’ Party of Ethiopia (WPE) was established, and on February 1, 1987, a new Soviet-style civilian constitution was submitted to a popular referendum. It was RIͫFLDOO\HQGRUVHGE\RIYRWHUVDQGLQDFFRUGDQFHZLWKWKLVQHZFRQVWLWXWLRQWKHFRXQWU\ was renamed the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia on September 10, 1987, and Mengistu became president. The regime’s collapse was hastened by droughts and a famine, which affected around 8 million people and left 1 million dead, as well as by insurrections, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea. The regime also conducted a brutal campaign of resettlement and villagization in Ethiopia in the 1980s. In 1989, the Tigrayan Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF) merged with other ethnically based opposition movements to form the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). ,Q0D\ (35')IRUFHVDGYDQFHGRQ$GGLV$EDED0HQJLVWXͬHGWKHFRXQWU\WRDV\OXP in Zimbabwe, where he still resides. In 2006, after a long trial, Mengistu was found guilty of genocide. In July 1991, the EPRDF, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and others established the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), which was composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In June 1992, the OLF withdrew from the government; in March 1993, members of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples’ Democratic Coalition also left the government. In 1994, a new constitution was written that formed a bicameral legislature and a judicial system. A general election in 1995 to elect the Parliament also elected Meles Zenawi as prime minister and Negasso Gidada as president. Ethiopia’s second multiparty election was held in 2000 and Meles was re-elected as prime minister. In October 2001, Lieutenant Girma Wolde-Giorgis was elected 62 president. In the 2005 general election, allegations of irregularities that brought victory to the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front resulted in widespread protests in which the government is accused of massacring civilians. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, and with the rise of radical Islamism, Ethiopia again turned to the Western powers for alliance and assistance. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Ethiopian army began to train with US forces based out of the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) established in Djibouti, in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. Ethiopia allowed the US to station military advisors at Camp Hurso. In 2006, an Islamic organisation seen by many as having ties with al-Qaeda, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), spread rapidly in Somalia. Ethiopia sent logistical support to the Transitional )HGHUDO*RYHUQPHQWRSSRVLQJWKH,VODPLVWV)LQDOO\RQ'HFHPEHUDFWLYHͫJKWLQJEURNH out between the ICU and Ethiopian Army. As the Islamist forces were of no match against the Ethiopian regular army, they decided to retreat and merge among the civilians, and most of the ICU-held Somalia was quickly taken. Human Rights Watch accused Ethiopia of various abuses including indiscriminate killing of civilians during the Battle of Mogadishu (March – April 2007). Ethiopian forces pulled out of Somalia in January 2009, leaving a small African Union force and smaller Somali Transitional Government force to maintain the peace. Reports immediately emerged of religious fundamentalist forces occupying one of two former Ethiopian bases in Mogadishu shortly after withdrawal. Meles Zenawi died on August 20, 2012 and was succeeded as prime minister by Hailemariam Desalegn. On October 7, 2013, Mulatu Teshome was elected president of the country. On April 2, 2018, Abiy Ahmed was declared Prime Minister. Sahle-Work Zewde is the 4th and current 3UHVLGHQWRI(WKLRSLDWKHͫUVWZRPDQWRKROGWKHRIͫFH Kenya Facts & Figures • Area: 224,080 square miles • Capital: Nairobi • Languages:(QJOLVKDQG.LVZDKLOLDUHWKHRIͫFLDOODQJXDJHV QXPHURXVLQGLJHQRXV languages are also spoken. • Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1% • Location: Kenya straddles the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. • Geography: Kenya has an impressively varied landscape. Lake Victoria is on the southwestern border of the country, with Tanzania to the south. The other features of Kenya UDQJHIURPDͬDWEXVKFRYHUHGSODLQLQWKHQRUWKHDVWWREHDXWLIXO,QGLDQ2FHDQEHDFKHV scenic highlands, lakes, the Great Rift Valley, and the towering Mount Kenya. 63 • Population: 45,925,301 (estimate) • Religions: Christian 82.5%, Muslim 11.1%, Traditionalists 1.6%, other 1.7%, none 2.4%, XQVSHFLͫHG • Time zone: Kenya is on East Africa Time, eight hours ahead of U.S. EST. When it is 6am in Washington D.C., it is 2pm in Nairobi. National Holidays: Kenya In addition to the holidays listed below, Kenya (LGDO)LWU7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEHWUDYHOLQJ celebrates a number of national holidays that during these holidays, please visit www. follow a lunar calendar, such as Easter and Historical Overview of Kenya Some of the earliest humans roamed the land now known as Kenya. Since those primordial times, groups of people from all over Africa and the Middle East have migrated through or into the area. As long as a millennium ago, the Swahili language, which blends Arabic with African Bantu speech, had developed as a common tongue in this region. The aristocratic Hima moved in prior to A.D. 1000, establishing large kingdoms and introducing cattle herding. Bantu peoples followed, including the Kikuyu, who remain the largest single group today. Arabs sailed south from the Middle East to become a dominant presence in the coastal region as early as the 11th century A.D. In Arabic the country was called the land of the Zenj, or “black people.” For centuries, the coastal area was divided up into city-states known as the “Zenj states.” Mombasa, one of Kenya’s major cities today, originated as one of these city-states. 7KHͫUVW(XURSHDQVWRKDYHDQLPSDFWRQ(DVW$IULFDZHUHWKH3RUWXJXHVHZKRDUULYHGE\VHDLQ the 15th century and dominated the coastal region for a time. In 1729, the Arabs regained control IURPWKH3RUWXJXHVHDQGUXOHGXQWLO.HQ\DFDPHXQGHU%ULWLVKLQͬXHQFH'XULQJDOORIWKLVWLPH Arabs and Africans conducted a slave trade whose effects extended far inland. By the latter half of the 19th century, Britain had become the dominant power, drawing the borders of the newly GHͫQHGQDWLRQRI.HQ\D7KH%ULWLVKHQGHGWKHVODYHWUDGHEXWFODLPHGDOOODQGRXWVLGHGHͫQHG tribal areas as crown land available for white settlement. Decades of colonial rule bred resentment among native Africans. In the 1950s, Kikuyus played a prominent role in the Mau Mau rebellion, which was one act in the drama that culminated in LQGHSHQGHQFHLQ -RPR.HQ\DWWDWKHͫUVWSUHVLGHQWRILQGHSHQGHQW.HQ\DZDVD.LNX\X Though he had been involved in the Mau Mau rebellion, he established moderate, pro-Western policies and was acknowledged as Mzee, “the wise old one,” by his own people and many world leaders upon his death in 1978. Kenyatta’s successor, Daniel arap Moi, continued to follow the PRGHUDWHVRFLDODQGHFRQRPLFSROLFLHVWKDWNHSW.HQ\DUHODWLYHO\SHDFHIXOLQWKHͫUVWGHFDGHV after independence. %XW0RL̞V\HDUVLQSRZHUZHUHQRWZLWKRXWFRQWURYHUV\DQGFRQͬLFWHVSHFLDOO\LQUHJDUGVWRKLV SHUVRQDOͫQDQFHVDQGDXWKRULWDULDQSROLWLFV,WLVUXPRUHGWKDWGXULQJKLVWLPHLQRIͫFH0RL amassed such a large fortune that he may still be the richest man in Africa. In 1991, he submitted 64 to international pressure to allow the formation of other political parties, but still won the 1992 election. International observers noted that the movement to create more parties relied heavily on support that cut across tribal divisions; in contrast, Moi’s political machine emphasized and played on tribal rivalries, resulting in mass evictions of the Kiyuku and oppressive measures DJDLQVWRWKHUJURXSV(YHQWXDOO\WKHVWUDWHJ\EDFNͫUHGDQGLQ0RL̞VFKRVHQVXFFHVVRUZDV defeated. Today’s Kenya is still marked by tribal differences and rivalry but with the end of Moi era, it’s slowly making its way towards a more promising future. Egypt Facts & Figures • Area: 384,345 square miles • Capital: Cairo • Languages:$UDELFLVWKHRIͫFLDOODQJXDJH (QJOLVKDQG)UHQFKDUHFRPPRQVHFRQG languages. • Ethnicity: Egyptian 99.6%, other 0.4% • Location: Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula • Geography: Egypt is almost entirely desert. Only about 2% of the land is arable. As a result, 99% of the population lives on only 3.5% of the land, mostly along the Nile River Valley and fertile delta. • Population: 97,840,549 • Religions: Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 90%, Christian (majority Coptic Orthodox) 10% • Time Zone: Egypt is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. When it is noon in D.C., it is 7:00 pm in Egypt. National Holidays: Egypt Egypt celebrates a number of national during these holidays, please visit www. holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as timeanddate.com/holidays. 5DPDGDQ7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEHWUDYHOLQJ Historical Overview of Egypt Archaeological records of a highly developed civilization in the area now known as Egypt date back to 4000 B.C., making this remarkable country 6,000 years old. No other country boasts such a long and uninterrupted history. 65 ,Q%&.LQJ0HQDRI8SSHU(J\SW *UHHNVNQHZKLPDV̡0HQHV̢ XQLͫHGWKHFRXQWU\LQWRD VLQJOHXQLWHGNLQJGRP+HZDVWKHͫUVWRIDORQJOLQHRINLQJVZKRUXOHG(J\SWIRUQHDUO\ \HDUV(J\SWͬRXULVKHGDVDQDWLRQDQGDFXOWXUHGXULQJWKLV(DUO\'\QDVWLFSHULRG7RGD\ZH know much about these dynastic kings and their reigns thanks to historical records written by the high priests of ancient Egypt. Historians group the dynasties of Egypt into three kingdoms: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom and the New Kingdom. The Old Kingdom lasted about 500 years. It was an age of peace and prosperity, of artistic achievements and technological advances. The people of the Old Kingdom worshipped their ruler as a god on Earth. They called him Pr’o (Pharaoh), and believed him to be the son of the preeminent Egyptian sun god, Ra. About 2200 B.C., the pharaoh’s power waned, the country entered a 50-year drought, and the kingdom split into small, warring states. For the next 150 years, independent nobles ruled as if they were kings. Public buildings, roads, and irrigation systems—as well as Egyptian society itself—began to deteriorate. $IWHUDORQJVWUXJJOHEHWZHHQWKHVPDOOHUVWDWHVRI(J\SWWKHUXOHUVRI7KHEHVXQLͫHGWKHQDWLRQ into a single state. For the next two centuries, Egypt once again enjoyed a period of great peace and prosperity. One of the greatest achievements of the Middle Kingdom was the construction of an enormous irrigation system. Another notable aspect was the introduction of trade and commerce via ships. The pharaohs sent ships up the Nile River to Nubia and across the sea to Mediterranean lands. They used gold and copper from mines in Sinai to build the colossal Temple of Amen at El Karnak. In 1800 B.C., the Hyksos, a race of barbarians from the north, laid siege to Egypt. The Egyptians fought on foot, as they had for centuries. The invaders used horses and chariots, and had superior bows. It was no match; the Hyksos easily won. For the next several decades, Lower Egypt was an occupied land. However, the Egyptians of Upper Egypt quickly adopted the Hyksos’ new means of warfare and began a successful war of liberation, ushering in the age of the New Kingdom. Armed with their newly learned techniques of warfare, the rulers of the New Kingdom set out to build an empire through foreign conquest. The Egyptians were highly successful, conquering lands throughout Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Slaves were often brought back to Egypt from conquered lands. The pharaohs used these slaves to build new temples and repair old ones, including the remarkable Temple of Amenhotep at Luxor. The religious center of the kingdom was the city of Memphis. Here, priests conducted ceremonies in service to a rigid hierarchy of nature gods. Central to the Egyptian religion was a belief in OLIHDIWHUGHDWK7KLVOHGWRWKHSUDFWLFHRIPXPPLͫFDWLRQIRULPSRUWDQWPHPEHUVRIVRFLHW\ Elaborate burial tombs were erected for the pharaohs and their families. The most notable of these were the great pyramids in Giza, architectural wonders unlike any the world had seen, or has seen since. 66 Post-Dynastic Periods Despite the great achievements of the early Egyptians, the kingdom went into rapid decline after being conquered by the Persians in the year 341 B.C. During the next 2,000 years, Egypt ceased to exist as an autonomous nation. The land that was once the capital of a thriving empire was conquered and occupied by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks, and British. 7KHPRVWLQͬXHQWLDORIWKHVHRFFXSDWLRQVFDPHZKHQWKH$UDEVFRQTXHUHG(J\SWEHWZHHQ$' 639 and A.D. 641. The Arabs ruled Egypt for several centuries as part of the larger Islamic empire. During this time, the majority of Egyptians converted to Islam, a cultural change that had a lasting impact. In 1517, Egypt was once again conquered, this time by the Turks. The country became part of the Ottoman Empire, though Turkish sultans granted relative autonomy to local Egyptian rulers. However, by the beginning of the 19th century, the Ottoman Empire had fallen into decline, and FRORQLDO(XURSHDQSRZHUVVHL]HGWKHRSSRUWXQLW\WRH[HUWWKHLULQͬXHQFHLQ(J\SW By the time the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, Egypt owed millions of dollars in debt to Britain. In order to erase the debt, Egypt ceded control of its share of the canal to the British. The Egyptian people were strongly critical of this action, and a coup against the monarchy seemed almost inevitable. Meanwhile, the British were concerned that Germany would attempt to capture the canal by force. To guard against civil unrest and protect its interest in the canal, Britain declared Egypt a British protectorate and sent occupational forces in 1883. For all practical purposes, Egypt became a %ULWLVKFRORQ\7KH%ULWLVKͫQDOO\JUDQWHGLQGHSHQGHQFHWR(J\SWLQ EXWUHWDLQHGFRQWURORI the canal until 1936. Modern Era Throughout the middle part of the last century, Egypt fought a series of brief wars with Israel over the Sinai and the Gaza Strip. In 1979, the two countries signed a monumental peace agreement. Initially, the peace agreement damaged relations between Egypt and the other Arab states, and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated. But Sadat’s successor, Hosni Mubarak, repaired the rift with other Arab nations, re-joining the Arab League in 1989, while also furthering friendly relations with the non-Arab world. Egypt’s “middle ground” position—as one of the only Arab League countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel and good relations with the U.S.—has allowed Egypt to take a larger role in the Middle East as ally and moderator. In 1991, Egypt was one of the ally countries that fought against Iraq in the Gulf War; in subsequent years Egypt has acted as a moderator between Israel and the Palestinians. President Mubarak’s other major challenge was repairing the national economy. His reforms largely focused on moving industries away from the public sector and into the private. These reforms, along with the debt relief that resulted from Egypt’s participation in the Gulf War, KHOSHGWRERRVWWKHHFRQRP\,QͬDWLRQZHQWGRZQDQGWKHSHUFDSLWDJURVVQDWLRQDOSURGXFW (GNP) quadrupled. 67 Yet the reforms were not without controversy, and neither were some of the political measures put into place during Mubarak’s presidency. Charges of political and police corruption, censorship, and suppression of other political parties became more and more common. Perhaps PRVWFRQWURYHUVLDORIDOOZDVKLVXVHRIWKH̡VWDWHRIHPHUJHQF\̢ODZZKLFKZDVͫUVWHQDFWHGLQ 1967 after the Six-Day War. Citing the assignation of his predecessor and concerns of terrorism, 0XEDUDNEURXJKWEDFNWKHODZLQ ̜DQGNHSWLWLQSODFHHYHQGXULQJKLVͫQDOGD\VLQ RIͫFHLQ Fed up with the stringent emergency laws, and angry over corruption and high unemployment, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets on January 25th, 2011. After 18 days, Mubarak announced that he would step down immediately and that the military would oversee the interim government while elections were being organized—elections that resulted in Mohamed Morsi taking the presidency. While the initial transfer of power was peaceful, Morsi’s subsequent decrees and new constitution were decisive, prompting the military to intervene in 2013; in July of that year Adly Mansour took over as President. A second, more popular, constitution went into effect under Mansour and has remained in place since 2014. 68 RESOURCES Suggested Readings General Africa $IULFD$%LRJUDSK\RIWKH&RQWLQHQW by John Reader (History): A great introduction to Africa from its ancient cultures up to modern times. )DFHVRI$IULFD7KLUW\ 6DIDUL $&KURQLFOHRI$GYHQWXUH by Bartle Bull (History) In fascinating and often amusing detail, %XOOGHOLQHDWHVWKHHYROXWLRQRIWKH$IULFDQVDIDUL̜IURPWKHͫUVW(XURSHDQH[SHGLWLRQLQR[ driven wagons to the modern-day version in comfortable camps. Ethiopia 7KH(PSHURU 'RZQIDOORIDQ$XWRFUDW by Ryszard Kapuscinski (Non-Fiction) A Polish journalist captures the story of Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930-1974, and his downfall through interviews with Selassie’s associates and servants. (DWLQJWKH)ORZHUVRI3DUDGLVH 2QH0DQ̞V-RXUQH\7KURXJK(WKLRSLDDQG 6LJQDQGWKH6HDO 7KH4XHVWIRUWKH/RVW$UNRIWKH&RYHQDQW by Graham Hancock (History) A British journalist explores the mystery of the Lost Ark of the Covenant. %HQHDWKWKH/LRQ̞V*D]H and 7KH6KDGRZ.LQJ by Maaza Mengiste (Historical Fiction) Award- winning Ethiopian-born author Maaza Mengiste tells the tales of a family during the revolution that resulted in the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974 in %HQHDWKWKH/LRQ̞V*D]H and the struggles of an orphaned servant in the 1930s as the country faces Mussolini’s impending invasion in 7KH6KDGRZ.LQJ. Egypt $QFLHQW(YHQLQJV by Norman Mailer (Literature). A controversial and spicy novel about life, death, and re-incarnation in Pharonic Egypt. Mailer’s complex writing style seems to divide readers into “love him/hate him” camps. &KURQLFOHRIWKH3KDUDRKV by Peter A. Clayton (History). An illustrated biography of the pharaohs; this book will help you to sort out who’s who in ancient Egypt. Death on the Nile and 'HDWK&RPHVDVWKH(QG by Agatha Christie (Mysteries). Agatha Christie lived in Syria and the Middle East with her archaeologist husband Max Brown in the 1930s, the source for many of her wildly popular mysteries. 69 'RZQWKH1LOH $ORQHLQD)LVKHUPDQ̞V6NLII by Rosemary Mahoney (Travelogue). Mahoney weaves the tale of her quest to row the Nile with deft portraits of the people she meets, particularly Amr, the sailor who takes her under his wing, and astute comments on contemporary Egypt. -XVWLQH, %DOWKD]DU, 0RXQWROLYH and &OHD by Lawrence Durrell (Literature). Known collectively as The $OH[DQGULD4XDUWHW, the author uses WWII Alexandria as a grand backdrop for the grand stories of DJURXSRI(XURSHDQVOLYLQJLQ(J\SW,IIRXUERRNVVHHPWRRPXFKWRVWDUWZLWKWU\WKHͫUVWRIWKH series, -XVWLQH. 3DODFH:DON, Palace of Desire, and 6XJDU6WUHHW by Naguib Mahfouz (Literature). Commonly referred to as the “Cairo Trilogy”, these are the three most famous works (out of 40) by the Nobel Prize- winning Egyptian author. Often compared to Balzac, his novels provide insight into life in Egypt. Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs by Barbara Mertz (History). An updated classic history of ancient Egypt by the author of the Amelia Peabody mysteries (her pen name is Elizabeth Peters). Mertz’s great enthusiasm and scholarship brings ancient Egypt to life for the general reader. 7KH(J\SWRORJLVW $1RYHO by Arthur Phillips (Literature). A clever historical novel set against the backdrop of 1920s Egyptian archaeology. 7KH0XPP\&DVH, +H6KDOO7KXQGHULQWKH6N\, and $5LYHULQWKH6N\ by Elizabeth Peters (Mysteries). Just a few of the titles in the popular series featuring intrepid sleuth Amelia Peabody, an archeologist who can’t help getting embroiled in murder. 7KH6HDUFKIRU&OHRSDWUD by Michael Foss (History). Historian Michael Foss blends detailed scholarship with compelling storytelling to bring alive the colorful personality and life of Egypt’s extraordinary queen (69-30 B.C.). Travelers interested in Cleopatra may also want to look for the National Geographic Society’s&OHRSDWUD 7KH6HDUFKIRUWKH/DVW4XHHQRI(J\SW by Zahi Hawas, a noted Egyptologist and author. 7KH:D\RI+HURGRWXV 7UDYHOVZLWKWKH0DQ:KR,QYHQWHG+LVWRU\ by Justin Marozzi (Travel Narrative). A modern travel writer recreates the journeys of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus through Egypt, Iraq, Greece, and Turkey. 7KHEHVLQ(J\SW $*XLGHWRWKH7RPEVDQG7HPSOHVRI$QFLHQW/X[RU by Nigel Strudwick (Archaeology). Eighty photographs and 20 maps/plans illustrate this comprehensive introduction to the largest archaeological site in all of Egypt. 7UDYHOLQJ7KURXJK(J\SW)URP%&WRWKH7ZHQWLHWK&HQWXU\ edited by Sahar Abdel-Hakim and Deborah Manley (Travel Narrative). Abdel-Hakim and Manley combed through hundreds of writers, spanning thousands of years, to bring together this anthology, which presents a historical overview on travelers’ impressions of Egypt. Suggested Movies Ethiopia 1DWLRQDO*HRJUDSKLF([SORUHU 6HDUFKIRUWKH/RVW$UN (TV Series, Documentary) A British journalist goes in search of the Ark of the Covenant. 70 ,QGLDQD-RQHVDQGWKH5DLGHUVRIWKH/RVW$UN (Action/Adventure) An archaeologist goes in search RIWKH$UNRIWKH&RYHQDQWDQGPXVWͫQGLWEHIRUHWKH1D]LVGXULQJ::,,:KLOHWKHͫOPFODLPV that the Ark of the Covenant is in Egypt, many believe that the Ark is located in a church in Axum, Ethiopia. Kenya %RUQ)UHH (1986, Drama) The true-life story of a rescued lion named Elsa and the family who helped save her. Shot on location in Kenya. 1RZKHUHLQ$IULFD 'UDPD $-HZLVKFRXSOHͬHH*HUPDQ\IRU.HQ\DDWWKHVWDUWRI::,,DQG try to build a new life in a strange land. In German, with subtitles. 2XWRI$IULFD (1985, Drama/Romance) A young Danish woman falls for Kenya, her new coffee plantation, and a restless big-game hunter in 1910s. Based on the book by the same name. 7KH)LUVW*UDGHU (2010, Biopic/Drama) An 84-year old Kenyan villager is determined to learn how to read and write no matter the odds. An uplifting movie based on a true story. Egypt &DHVDUDQG&OHRSDWUD (1945, Classic) What happens when the leaders of two of history’s most SRZHUIXOFLYLOL]DWLRQVFRPHWRJHWKHU")LQGRXWLQWKLVZLWW\DQGOD\HUHGͫOPWKDWLQYHVWLJDWHVWKH romance that developed between Caesar, emperor of the Rome, and Cleopatra, the last Egyptian pharaoh. For a different take on the life of this famous female pharaoh, watch Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (1963, color). &DLUR7LPH (2009, Romance) Alone in Cairo and waiting for her husband’s arrival, Juliette &ODUNVRQ ͫQGVKHUVHOIIDOOLQJIRUKHUKXVEDQG̞VIULHQG7DUHT 6LGGLJ -XOLHWWHJURZVFORVHUWR 7DUHTDVKHWRXUVKHUDURXQGWKLVPDJLFDOFLW\DQGWKHWZRVRRQͫQGWKHPVHOYHVZUDSSHGXSLQ an unexpected affair. Death on the Nile (1973, Mystery). A star-studded adaptation of a classic Agatha Christie whodunit. Can private detective Hercule Poirot discover the murderer onboard his Nile cruise ship before KHRUVKHVOLSVDZD\"$QRWKHUJRRGYHUVLRQE\WKHVDPHWLWOHZDVͫOPHGLQIRUWKH3%679 series Masterpiece Mystery. It stars David Suchet, who has played Poirot on British television since 1989. )LYH*UDYHVWR&DLUR (1943, Classic) British Army Corporal John J. Bramble is retreating from Rommel’s Afrika Korps when he stumbles upon an out-of-the-way hotel Sidi Halfaya, Egypt. In order to avoid capture by the Germans, Bramble assumes the identity of a deceased waiter. -XVWLQH (1969, Drama) The year is 1938. The setting is Alexandria. Darley, a young British schoolmaster and poet, makes friends with Justine, the mysterious wife of a Coptic banker. Through their friendship, Darley learns of a plot against the British that aims to arm the Jewish underground in Palestine. 71 6\ULDQD (2006, Drama). An interesting political thriller that tries to portray how oil and politics intersect through multiple story lines, some of which are set in an unnamed country in the Middle East. 7KH(QJOLVK3DWLHQW 5RPDQFH 6HWGXULQJ::,,WKHͫOPIROORZVWKHUHFRYHU\RIDPDQ known only as “the English Patient” as he recuperates from severe burns after crashing in the Sahara. Binoche plays Hana, the French-Canadian nurse who tends to Fiennes while he recovers. 7KHSDWLHQW̞VFDSWLYDWLQJSDVWLVHYHQWXDOO\XQFRYHUHGWKURXJKDVHULHVRIGUDPDWLFͬDVKEDFNV that occur as he gradually regains his memory after the crash. 7KH0XPP\(1932, Classic/Horror). Karloff stars in this classic monster movie as an ancient Egyptian priest brought back to life in 1930s Cairo. Or you could look for the popular comedy/ action remake, released in 1999, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. 7KH3ULQFHRI(J\SW (1998, Family). A family-friendly animated movie about the story of Moses, this is a good choice to give kids or grandchildren a taste of where you’ll be going. 7KH7HQ&RPPDQGPHQWV (1956, Classic). A classic Bible epic about the life of Moses, as directed by the king of Bible epics, Cecile B. DeMille. 72 Useful Websites Overseas Adventure Travel Forum (tips from World Weather previous travelers) www.intellicast.com www.oattravel.com/forum www.weather.com www.wunderground.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) www.travlang.com/languages Overseas Adventure Travel Frequent Asked Questions Packing Tips www.oattravel.com/faq www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC U.S. Customs & Border Protection (Centers for Disease Control) www.cbp.gov/travel http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel Transportation Security Electricity & Plugs Administration (TSA) www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ www.tsa.gov plugs-and-sockets National Passport Information Center Foreign Exchange Rates www.travel.state.gov www.xe.com/currencyconverter Holidays Worldwide www.oanda.com/converter/classic www.timeanddate.com/holidays ATM Locators www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator 73 Notes 74 From Addis Ababa DJIBOUTI Cairo . R e l i N Giza Mediterranean Sea Mediterranean EGYPT POST-TRIP EXTENSION Lalibela Addis Ababa Addis Aksum é z e ek T e l i ERITREA N e National Park u Gondar l B ETHIOPIA Bahir Dar Lake Tana Simien Mountains To/From Addis Ababa Mount Serena Mountain Lodge Nanyuki Kenya N.P. Kenya SUDAN Miles To/From U.S. Internal flight Land route KENYA Nairobi 0 100 Sweetwaters Serena Camp Serena PRE-TRIP EXTENSION SUDAN SOUTH 75 Visit www.oattravel.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-955-1925 0 Traveler 10/2019 76