I used Witness Ethiopia Tours because of previous excellent reviews on Trip Advisor

Witness Ethiopia Tours
I used Witness Ethiopia Tours because of previous excellent reviews on Trip Advisor and I was not disappointed. Ermias, the owner and operator of this tour company gave me and my fellow trekkers excellent personalized service from beginning to end of our holiday in the Bale Mountains National Park. The tour's pricing was affordable and very competitive to other tour companies doing the same trek. Our itinerary was well planned out and adapted to our requests and time constraints. Guides, drivers, cook and horsemen on the trek were friendly, personable and competent. I would certainly recommend Witness Tours to anyone considering doing a trek in the BMNP or any of the other tours Witness offers. In addition, Ethiopia is a beautiful country and its people are warm and friendly, thus the current state of affairs should not deter you from coming and exploring a "Hidden Gem".

Visited October 2016

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293791-d10961991-Reviews-Witness_Ethiopia_Tours-Addis_Ababa.html

Witness Ethiopia Tours - Best tour company in Ethiopia

Best tour operator in Ethiopia

Check our fixed departure tours of Ethiopia here
http://www.witnessethiopiatours.com/navigation/scheduled-departure-2015.html

Here please find your preferred tour activity. Select the period convenient for you and make sure that you book for that trip in advance, before the last booking date. Please note that because there is a limit to the maximum number of visitors in a group, we will be serving you on a 'first come first served basis'. The Witness Ethiopia Tours office will confirm to you by email when you are part of the group. We have kept the prices to the minimum by sharing services among group members. The last booking date is 1 week before the departure date. Witness Ethiopia Tour will be assigning multilingual guides for all trips based on the size and combination of the group.

Witness Ethiopia Tours

Best tour operator in Ethiopia

Check our fixed departure tours of Ethiopia here
http://www.witnessethiopiatours.com/navigation/scheduled-departure-2015.html

Here please find your preferred tour activity. Select the period convenient for you and make sure that you book for that trip in advance, before the last booking date. Please note that because there is a limit to the maximum number of visitors in a group, we will be serving you on a 'first come first served basis'. The Witness Ethiopia Tours office will confirm to you by email when you are part of the group. We have kept the prices to the minimum by sharing services among group members. The last booking date is 1 week before the departure date. Witness Ethiopia Tour will be assigning multilingual guides for all trips based on the size and combination of the group.

Erte'ale volcano in Ethiopia. Photo credit: Fritz Winkler www.witnessethiopiatours.com 

https://plus.google.com/+ErmiasWitnessEthiopia

The tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley by Massimo Rumi, in pictures

https://plus.google.com/+ErmiasWitnessEthiopia

Best tour operator in Ethiopia

Check our fixed departure tours of Ethiopia here
http://www.witnessethiopiatours.com/navigation/scheduled-departure-2015.html

Here please find your preferred tour activity. Select the period convenient for you and make sure that you book for that trip in advance, before the last booking date. Please note that because there is a limit to the maximum number of visitors in a group, we will be serving you on a 'first come first served basis'. The Witness Ethiopia Tours office will confirm to you by email when you are part of the group. We have kept the prices to the minimum by sharing services among group members. The last booking date is 1 week before the departure date. Witness Ethiopia Tour will be assigning multilingual guides for all trips based on the size and combination of the group.

Best Tour company in Ethiopia

Check our fixed departure tours of Ethiopia here
http://www.witnessethiopiatours.com/navigation/scheduled-departure-2015.html

Here please find your preferred tour activity. Select the period convenient for you and make sure that you book for that trip in advance, before the last booking date. Please note that because there is a limit to the maximum number of visitors in a group, we will be serving you on a 'first come first served basis'. The Witness Ethiopia Tours office will confirm to you by email when you are part of the group. We have kept the prices to the minimum by sharing services among group

members. The last booking date is 1 week before the departure date. Witness Ethiopia Tour will be assigning multilingual guides for all trips based on the size and combination of the group.



http://www.witnessethiopiatours.com/navigation/scheduled-departure-2015.html

Ethiopia tours and travel

https://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Ethiopia/Amhara-Region/Bahir-Dar/blog-904644.html

Vacations in Ethiopia: Ethiopian Christmas in Lalibela

Vacations in Ethiopia: Ethiopian Christmas in Lalibela: Ethiopian Christmas in Lalibela, the holiest town in Ethiopia, thousands of People is gathering to attend the festivals. At the eve of Chri...

Travel Story Be amazed in fascinating Ethiopia in 2015

Travel Story
Be amazed in fascinating Ethiopia in 2015
(by Hon TF from Malaysia, hontoofang@yahoo.com)

http://www.witnessethiopiatours.com/pdf/Ethiopia-WET-PDF-02.pdf

Traditional costume and food in Ethiopia

Traditional dress, though often now supplanted by Western attire, may still be seen throughout much of the countryside. National dress is usually worn for festivals, when streets and meeting-places are transformed into a sea of white as finely woven cotton dresses, wraps decorated with coloured woven borders, and suits are donned. A distinctive style of dress is found among the Oromo horsemen of the central highlands, who, on ceremonial days such as Maskal, attire themselves in lions' manes or baboon-skin headdresses and, carrying hippo-hide spears and shields, ride down to the main city squares to participate in the parades.

Ethiopians are justifiably proud of the range of their traditional costumes. The most obvious identification of the different groups is in the jewellery, the hair styles and the embroidery of the dresses. The women of Amhara and Tigray wear dozens of plaits (sheruba), tightly braided to the head and billowing out at the shoulders. The women of Harar part their hair in the middle and make a bun behind each ear. Hamer, Geleb, Bume and Karo men form a ridge of plaited hair and clay to hold their feathered headwear in place. Arsi women have fringes and short, bobbed hair. Bale girls have the same, but cover it with a black head cloth, while young children often have their heads shaved.

Jewellery in silver and gold is worn by both Muslims and Christians, often with amber or glass beads incorporated. Heavy brass, copper and ivory bracelets and anklets are also worn. Ethiopia also has a rich tradition of both secular and religious music, singing and dancing, and these together constitute an important part of Ethiopian cultural life. Singing accompanies many agricultural activities, as well as religious festivals and ceremonies surrounding life's milestones - birth, marriage and death.

Traditional Food

Dining in Ethiopia is characterized by the ritual of breaking "injera" and sharing food from a common plate, signifying the bonds of loyalty and friendship. The traditional way of eating is with fingers. "Injera" is placed on the plate with variety of dishes decoratively arranged around it. A small portion of "Injera" is torn off and wrapped around a mouthful of the selected dish.

"Injera", our staple bread, is a flat bread made of "Teff", a fine grain unique to Ethiopia. "Wot" is dipping sauce which maybe prepared using a variety of meats, fish, and vegetables. "Wot" is cooked with "Berbere" (Ethiopian seasoning prepared from matured red chili pepper and other exotic spices) which may range from very mild to spicy hot. "Alitcha" is more mildly spiced dipping sauce prepared with a variety of meats or vegetables.

Ethiopian dishes are prepared with a distinctive variety of unique spices for an unforgettably striking dimension to exotic cookery.

Ethiopian Epiphany in Gonder

Orthodox Priest Ethiopia

Ethiopian Epiphany in Gonder

Title: Ethiopian Epiphany in Gonder
Tour Code: WETT - 028
Duration : 7 NIGHTS AND 8 DAYS
Start: January 16
End: January 23



Jan. 16
Arrival in Addis Ababa and transfer. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 17
Fly to Bahir Dar; get transferred to the hotel & visit Bahir Dar market - a bustling market in which cereals, clay made utensils, leather bound baskets, local cotton fabric, fruits and vegetables etc can be seen. You will have also a half-day boat trip over Lake Tana to Ura Kidane Mehret monastery where you visit the religious wall paintings, parchment books, crosses, crowns and robes of different kings and other religious artifacts. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 18
Fly to Gonder, get transferred to hotel. Then you will visit the Gonder castle compound (World Heritage Site).Starting around 3:30 P.M you will attend the colouful processions of the eve of Ethiopian Epiphany. In this procession, the replicas of the original Ark (Tabots) from different churches will be removed and are carried by priests under huge, colorful umbrellas. Deacons also carry processional crosses, religious paintings and bells. On the occasion, a lot of people will sing, dance and ululate accompanying the priests all the way to the place where the Tabots are supposed to make there over nights (Pool of King Fasildes). Overnight Hotel.

Jan 19
In the morning you will visit the remaining sites of Gonder like the beautiful Debere Brhan Selassie church. Today is the main day for the celebration of the Ethiopian Epiphany. So you will have a chance to see the sprinkling of the blessed holy water in remembrance of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the river Jordan in the hands of John the Baptist. The Tabots are also carried back to their original places in the same way that they are brought. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 20
Fly to Lalibela and attend the celebration of St.Michael's day. In addition, you will visit the 1st group of King Lalibela's rock hewn churches. Overnight Hotel. Jan 21. Mule ride to Asheten Mariam Monastery which is situated at 3000meters above sea level. And in the afternoon you visit the 2nd group of King Lalibela's churches. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 22
Fly to Axum and visit the historical and archaeological sites in Axum. These include the archaeological museum, main stele field, the ruined palace of King Kaleb and King Geber Meskel, stone inscriptions, subterranean tombs, the ruined palace of the Queen of Sheba. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 23
Visit the remaining sites in Axum like Axum Tsion church where the original holy Ark of the Covenant is believed to be housed. Then fly back to Addis Ababa. Overnight Hotel.

People , Culture and Religions in Ethiopia

People , Culture  and Religions in Ethiopia

Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than three-fourths of the population, but there are more than 83 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic is the official language and was the language of primary school instruction but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya.

The main religions in Ethiopia are Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Paganism. Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian country and the majority of Christians are Orthodox Tewahedo Christians, who belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. There are a minority of Christians who are Roman Catholic or Protestant. The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church is headed by a patriarch and is related to the communion of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the Armenian Orthodox Church, the Syrian Orthodox Church and Malankara Orthodox Church of India.

Christianity in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Orthodox Union church, an autonomous Christian Church headed by a patriarch and closely related to the Coptic Church of Egypt, was the state church of Ethiopia until 1974.

Ethiopia has a rich history that predates the Old Testament. According to the Old Testament, The Queen of Sheba was born in Axum, but travelled to Israel to meet King Solomon. They had a son named Menelik, who later became the first emperor of Ethiopia and adopted Christianity in Ethiopia about the beginning of 4th Century long before Europe accepted Christianity. Menelik brought the original Ark of the Covenant back to Ethiopia from Israel. Today, the Arc, which once housed the Ten Commandments, remains well hidden in Axum. It is guarded by a select group of monks, whose sole commitment is to protect the sacred vessel. Ethiopia's religious tradition is reflected in the day-to-day lifestyle of the people, and nowhere does this spiritual energy echo more than in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

Ethiopian Muslims history 
In Islamic history and tradition, Ethiopia (Abyssinia or Al-Habasha) is known as the "Haven of the First Migration or Hijra." For Muslims, Ethiopia is synonymous with freedom from persecution and emancipation from fear.

Ethiopia was a land where its king, Negus or Al-Najashi, was a person renowned for justice and in whose land human rights were cherished.

The first migration [Hijra] of the Companions and relatives of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to Ethiopia celebrates the birth of freedom of expression and beliefs, whereas, the Second Migration of the Prophet Muhammad to the Madinah celebrates the end of oppression.
The meaning and the significance of "Hijra" is embodied in the Islamic calendar. Since its inception, the Islamic calendar represents a history of perpetual struggle between truth and falsehood, faith and blasphemy, freedom and oppression, light and darkness, and between peace and war.

www.witnessethiopiatours.com

Tours to Ethiopia: Historic Ethiopia Attractions

Tours to Ethiopia: Historic Ethiopia Attractions: That Ethiopia has a heritage from the beginnings of mankind was underlined when the remains of ‘Lucy’, dated from 3.5 million years ago, a...

Tours to Ethiopia: Historic Ethiopia Attractions

Tours to Ethiopia: Historic Ethiopia Attractions: That Ethiopia has a heritage from the beginnings of mankind was underlined when the remains of ‘Lucy’, dated from 3.5 million years ago, a...

Travel Guide To Ethiopia

Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Ethiopia

by Gilles Barbier on 6. June 2016 in Ethiopia, Travel Guides

The Most Diverse African Experience?

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

I visited Ethiopia 3 times over the last 5 years and spent approx. 2 months there. Nonetheless, I still have the impression that I haven’t seen it all:

• In December 2010, I spent 2 weeks in the Lower Omo Valley & the Danakil Depression
• Over Easter 2011, I took 12 days and focused on the Northern Historical Route
• In November 2015, I took a whole month to re-discover the Northern Historical Route (includingHarar and the Rock-Hewn Churches of Tigray) & the Danakil Depression.

In 2010 – 2011, I discovered a country where tourism was still in a very early phase, but already showing signs of a quick take off. What a surprise when I came back in 2015 and discovered a country that had undergone a tremendous development in many aspects, over a period of only five years!

Why Travel To Ethiopia?

Though more and more on the radar of travelers (mostly Europeans), Ethiopia is still a country widely unknown to the vast majority, still suffering from the images of the terrible famine that struck a country at war with its neighbor Eritrea in the mid of the 1980s.

Nonetheless, Ethiopia is a stunning country. Did you know that it is the only African country that defeated a European army (the Italians) and that has never been durably colonized? Ethiopia also offers the largest Cultural Heritage of Sub-Saharan Africa, built over centuries by some of the oldest Jewish, Christian (Orthodox) and Muslim communities on earth, and by Empires which influence spread much further than African boundaries…

That said, Ethiopia also offers a huge diversity of experiences, and the experience you will have in this country mainly depends on the area you focuses on… And you will have to focus on specific aspects and areas, as you will not be able to discover all parts of this country, except if you have at least 8 weeks at hand:

• The Northern Historical Route (Bahir Dar, Gonder, Lalibela, Aksum, Tigray), in the highlands of Ethiopia, takes the visitors through the grandeurs of Ethiopian Christian Orthodox culture, with stunning Rock-Hewn Churches and Monasteries, but also through the vestiges of the various Ethiopian Empires, starting with the legendary Queen of Sheba and ending in the 20th

For more reading of this report , please check this below link

http://grandescapades.net/grand-escapades-travel-guide-to-ethiopia/

Historic Ethiopia Attractions

That Ethiopia has a heritage from the beginnings of mankind was underlined when the remains of ‘Lucy’, dated from 3.5 million years ago, and the 4.4 million year old Homo ramidus afarensis, man’s oldest anthropoid ancestor, were uncovered. Traders from Greece, Rome, Persia and Egypt knew of the riches of what is now Ethiopia, and by the first century AD, Axum was the capital of a great empire.
This realm became one of the first Christian lands of Africa. Late in the 10th century Axum declined and a new Zagwe dynasty, centered in what is now Lalibela, ruled the land. Axum, Lalibella and Gondar now provide our greatest historical legacy. It was in the 16th century that the son of the great explorer Vasco da Gama came to Ethiopia, but then found a land of many kingdoms and provinces beset feuds and wars. In the l9th century the great Emperor Menelik led us towards the modern state of Ethiopia, and the Country’s passage to modernization began.
info@witnessethiopiatours.com
www.witnessethiopiatours.com

St George Rock church of Lalibela, Ethiopia.

Notes from Ethiopia: the jazz revival in Addis Ababa

I’m submerged in a heaving, sweaty mass of bodies, all singing, dancing, clapping along to the mesmeric crooning of Alemayehu Eshete – the man known as the Ethiopian Elvis. It’s Saturday night and I’m sharing limited oxygen with Addis Ababa’s great and good at Mama’s Kitchen, a wood-and-glass bar on the fourth floor of an innocuous shopping mall near Bole airport. Eshete, a shining star of the 1960s Ethiopian music scene, conducts the revelry in local Amharic tones as his band deliver a hypnotic mix of funky jazz, rockabilly and the swinging scales of traditional Ethiopian folk. This is Ethio-jazz.

Find the whole story here on the below link
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/apr/01/jazz-revival-addis-ababa-ethiopia-ethio-jazz

Ethiopian Christmas in Lalibela

Ethiopian Christmas in Lalibela, the holiest town in Ethiopia, thousands of People is gathering to attend the festivals. At the eve of Christmas at night pilgrims jammed the church shoulder to shoulder and thronged the surrounding hills. To begin the Mass, priests chanted and rattled sistras, palm-size instruments from Old Testament times, and the celebration continued through the night.

Title: Ethiopian Christmas at Lalibela
Tour Code: WETT - 027
Duration : 7 NIGHTS AND 8 DAYS
Start: January 02
End: January 09

Jan 2.Arrival in Addis Ababa and transfer. Overnight Hotel. Jan 3. Fly to Bahir Dar, get transferred to hotel. After lunch drive 32kms out of Bahir Dar or rough road to Tisisat village to visit the Blue Nile Falls. Overnight hotel.

Jan 4.
Half-day boat trip over Lake Tana to the peninsula of Zeghie to visit Ura Kidane Mehret monastery where you see the religious wall paintings, parchment books, crosses, crowns and robes of different kings and other religious artifacts. In the afternoon visit Bahir Dar market - a bustling market in which cereals, clay made utensils, leather bound baskets, local cotton fabric, fruits and vegetables etc can be seen. In the evening you will go to Bezawit Hill for a view over the Blue Nile River, Bahir Dar town and beautiful sunset. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 5.Fly to Gonder and get transferred to hotel. Then you will visit the Gonder castle compound (World Heritage Site) and the beautiful Debre Birhan Selassie church Overnight Hotel.

Jan 6.Fly to Lalibela and visit the 1st group of King Lalibela's rock hewn churches (12th century). During the night Christmas Eve celebration continues in the churches in the presence of many white-robed worshipers. If you are keen at the expense of your bed time, you may participate in one of the churches' celebration. Overnight Hotel. Jan 7. Today is Ethiopian Christmas. Therefore, you have the chance to attend the colorful celebration, which takes place in and around the compound of Vergin Mary's church. Here, there will be breathtaking chant and dance of a multitude of Lalibela priests. In the afternoon you will visit the second group of King Lalibela's rock hewn churches (World Heritage Site). Overnight Hotel.

Jan 8.Fly to Axum and visit the historical and archaeological sites in Axum. These include the archaeological museum, main stele field, the ruined palace of King Kaleb and King Geber Meskel, stone inscriptions, subterranean tombs, the ruined palace of the Queen of Sheba. Overnight Hotel.

Jan 9.
Visit the remaining sites in Axum like Axum Tsion church where the original holy Ark of the Covenant is believed to be housed. Then fly back to Addis Ababa. Overnight Hotel.

Ethiopia Tours and Travel

Witness Ethiopia Tours  would like to welcome you to the beautiful land of Ethiopia. We say you will indeed love Africa. Come & Witness Ethiopia.

Witness Ethiopia tours has been working hard towards creating Ethiopia as one of the top tourist destinations in Africa, and has received high recognition from international travel companies.


Witness Ethiopia Tours is a reputable Tour Operator that offers varieties of activities that Ethiopia is known for. Witness Ethiopia Tours is one of the strongest tour operators in Ethiopia, engaged in bringing visitors from all over the world and is selling Ethiopia’s tourism products to the out side world with its quality travel and tour packages.

Experience

other people & life style

We organize tailor made and customized tours to historical sites of Ethiopia, cultural sites and people of different tribes, national Parks and wild life sanctuaries, bird watching holidays, adventure tours, Afar desert Dallol depression and Ertale volcano tours, coffee tours in south and west, trekking holidays, white river rafting holidays and many more with full of flexibility and reasonable prices for both individual and group travelers.

Now
is the time to come
to ETHIOPIA

 


Services
We organize tailor made and customized tours to different geographical areas, historical sites of Ethiopia, cultural sites and people of different tribes, national parks and wild life sanctuaries, Bird watching holidays, Adventure tours, Afar Desert Ertale Volcano Tours, Coffee Tours in South and West, Trekking holidays, White river rafting holidays and many more with full of flexibility and reasonable prices for both individual and group travelers.
Because all our guides and drivers are highly experienced in driving through the Ethiopian terrain and are familiar with the local community they are capable of helping you enjoy the most of your holidays. We have the recent model 4WD, Minibuses and Coaster Bus vehicles which are comfortable and dependable to make your overland trips enjoyable, and we have high quality camping gear and cooking materials.

Our company is flexible enough to provide services in full board packages or separately, for instance car hires, hotel reservations, flight reservations, guide services, camping arrangements and many more are provided on the request of our clients.

Witness Ethiopia Tours believe in high standards of service and charges a fair price. At Witness Ethiopia Tours we pride ourselves on suggesting attractions & events that will make your stay in Ethiopia a truly memorable one!!

We provide these related services
• Hotel reservation
• International and domestic air ticket reservation
• Car rental and more based on your request

Tours to Ethiopia: The tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley by Massimo Rum...

Tours to Ethiopia: The tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley by Massimo Rum...:  The tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley by Massimo Rumi, in pictures These photos by photographer Massimo Rumi of the lost world of the...

The tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley by Massimo Rumi, in pictures

 The tribes of Ethiopia's Omo Valley by Massimo Rumi, in pictures

These photos by photographer Massimo Rumi of the lost world of the Omo Valley gives a glimpse into one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Africa. But beneath the surface, a growing tourist industry is having a ‘negative impact' on these relatively untouched tribal communities and the 200,000 people that belong to them.
Picture: Massimo Rumi / Barcroft Media

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/ethiopia/12187766/The-tribes-of-Ethiopias-Omo-Valley-by-Massimo-Rumi-in-pictures.html

A leap of faith! Ethiopia's 'church in the sky' is perched on a 2,500ft cliff

 

A leap of faith! Ethiopia's 'church in the sky' is perched on a 2,500ft cliff... with a wall of rock devotees must climb barefoot

• Abuna Yemata Guh has been on the clifftop on Northern Ethiopia since 5th century AD
• To visit requires a six-metre climb up sheer wall of rock with no ropes and crossing narrow ledges with 200m drops 
• Lonely Planet Traveller features the church in a new 'bookazine' of the most inspiring destinations

By Andrea Magrath for MailOnline

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2823326/Abuna-Yemata-Guh-church-sky-Ethiopia-world-s-inaccessible-place-worship.html#ixzz45tLDbU8p
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Tours to Ethiopia: Tours to Ethiopia by your reliable travel operator Witness Ethiopia Tours

Tours to Ethiopia: Tours to Ethiopia: Witness Ethiopia Tours  would like to welcome you to the beautiful land of Ethiopia. We say you will indeed love Africa. Come & Witnes...

Sileshi Omo Valley Guide : The Tribe Found Only in The South Of Ethiopia...

Sileshi Omo Valley Guide :

   The Tribe Found Only in The South Of Ethiopia...:    The Tribe Found Only in The South Of Ethiopia                                                                      Ko...