Customer Reviews

Guide to Ethiopia

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although I haven't yet travelled to Ethiopia, I have read the book several times to enable me to plan an itinerary. The book is essential reading for those wishing to travel to Ethiopia. ANY information on Ethiopia is scarce and the excellent conversational style of the author makes for an enjoyable and, at times, humorous read. Compared to other travel books on Ethiopia, this book is unsurpassed in providing positive down-to-earth information without glossing over the negative aspects of travel in this country. I am sure the 'mud maps' of major towns, accommodation and dining out information will prove invaluable to the independant traveller. And if you are interested in wildlife the author obviously has a sound knowledge of this topic, particularly the birdsof East Africa. He provides comprehensive summaries, scattered through the body of the text, on the birdlife (and other wildlife) you can expect to see in different habitats of the country.

I am planning my third trip to Ethiopia, and Philip Briggs' 4th edition of Ethiopia: The Bradt Travel Guide has proved to be indispensable. I have used his previous guidebook editions on my trips, and his information and tips are always exactly right. As an extra added bonus, he is an entertaining and perceptive writer, and the books are fun to read as well. This is the only book a traveler needs for a trip to Ethiopia.

This is the most recent and most useful of the small number of guidebooks for Ethiopia available in the U.S. Descriptions of places to see were clear and informative, and the sections on how to get around, where to stay, good places to eat, and other tips for each town were accurate and well-researched. This book also contains useful sketch maps of many towns; these are now FAR more accurate than those in older editions, and I found them easier to use than similar maps found in other guides. There is also a thoughtful section on general issues related to travel in Ethiopia. I found this far superior to the other commonly available guides I own for information on Addis Ababa, the so-called "historical circuit," and the lowland desert areas (information on this last region is pretty scarce, but this book has more than others). The book is focused on providing useful travel information and not on long descriptions or photographs; if an informative guidebook to use while travelling is what you're looking for, this one is your best bet. (Be sure to get the newest edition, though-- the previous ones weren't nearly as good!)

In preparing for a trip to Ethiopia, I found information about the country both scarce and scant. Phillip Briggs' guide has become a valuable tool for planning and introduction to this remote area of Africa. The fourteen chapters cover everything from history and culture to tourist information, health preparations and travel specifics for nine distinct areas of the country. Though Mr. Briggs admits that he found it very difficult to find pertinent information about Ethiopia, the factual portions of the book are both readable and accurate. It is, however, the specific information for the traveler in Ethiopia that is most valuable. In a very readable style, the author relates, for each area, information about climate, routes, sightseeing, transportation, accommodations, food, religion, local practices, parks, wildlife, and specific topics of interest. The humor of the writer makes this guide very interesting and readable. His maps of each of the areas a! re most often of his own making, as regional maps for many remote areas seem to have been nonexistant. The treatment of the "Faranji," or "foreigner," in Ethiopia is dealt with throughout the book. The author tells of his encounters with friendly, but nonetheless, persistent children who accompanied him everywhere with pushing, touching, staring, screaming and, on occasion, rock-throwing. Briggs' humor keeps him and his reader going as both progress through the book. For example, in his introduction, Briggs tells of his own introduction to Ethiopians while visiting Nariobi: "A troupe of white-robed musicians approached our table and erupted into smirking discord. Then, signalled by an alarming vibrato shriek, all hell broke loose in the form of a solitary Ethiopian dancer. Her mouth contorted into the sort of psychotically rapturous grimace you'd expect from Jack Nicholson at his most hammy. Her eyes closed. Her shoulders jerked a! nd twitched to build up a manic, dislocating rhythm. Benea! th her robe--driven, presumably, by her metronomic shoulders--a pair of diminutive breasts somehow contrived to flap up and down with an agitated regularity suggestive of a sparrow trapped behind a closed window. I left that room with one overwhelming impression: Ethiopians are completely bonkers. I knew, too, that I had to visit their country." ...and visit he did. And he has left an account for the reader of a remarkable journey into an area of the world that the reader will certainly want to get to know better. I look forward to his upcoming revision of this indispensible travel guide, to be published soon.

I just returned from Ethiopia and this guide was extremley helpfull. My brother had bought the Loney Planet guide and we both felt that the Bradt Travel Guide was much more thourough. Highly recommend.

As world travelers experiencing our first trip to Ethiopia, we found ourselves carrying Briggs' book with us everywhere! His intelligent guidance was informative and helpful in every way. We felt that he was with us, helping us understand and enjoy this complex and fascinating land. We wish to thank Mr. Briggs for his incredible attention to detail, which greatly enhanced our trip. Don't go to Ethiopia without it!

I left the safety of my overland truck in Kenya to travel Ethiopia independantly in April 2004. I found myself being shot at by bandits with AK47's in Northern Kenya about 50km south of the border with Ethiopia. We were treated OK but all I was left with was the clothes I was wearing, my invaluable Bradt Guide to Ethiopia and of course a bin bag to carry these in.

Due to my determination not to let the bandits win I then spent 7 weeks travelling around Ethiopia. Your guide is the best I have used as it really does tell you how to get from tiny villages, to ancient sites, to cities, and to meet the ordinary people. If you want to experience life in a different culture as apposed to a holiday overseas then this is the guide for you.

Despite such a stressful start to my adventure, and the difficulties with bus travel in Ethiopia, I will never forget what wonderful people Ethiopians are. Philip Briggs writes not just an informative and very practical guide but a fascinating story of the history of Ethiopia and the lives of the people there today. I read and re-read every word on every page.

Without this guide book I would have turned back and missed this memorable adventure.

Thank you
Natalie Cousins

I have just returned from Ethiopia and found this book to be indispensable. Most of the travelers there had this book and were reading it. As a travel book addict (I often buy 3 or 4 for every place I go, including my local town) I can say that this is the best travel book I have ever used. Bring it with you also as you will find the history and background more interesting as you go. Also, information on Ethiopia is difficult to find in the US. Once you are there, the bookstores have more information on history, culture, language, etc. so plan on buying some books. One problem in Ethiopia, especially Addis Ababa where I spent some time, is that the maps are very difficult. The author does mention this problem and has maps that are more helpful for Addis than any others that I found. However, the mapps for Addis are spread over several pages, making it difficult to figure out how to get from one place to another in town. I never once was yelled at with Ferengi (sp?) or any other obnoxious event, so this is different compared to what is described in the guidebook. Perhaps things have changed (see below)? For your first trip, it is reasonable to use a local travel agent. I used Sophia at Leisure Travel in Addis, and there are others who advertise in this book that are probably reasonable. If you call for reservations at hotels they will speak English but don't expect to make online reservations. One online reservation service was going to charge double the hotel rate. The agent might get a referral fee from the hotel. This seems reasonable to me for the service provided, but you might be able to find something less expensive by yourself.

As far as quick recommendations for your trip: bring cash unless you are staying at the Sheraton or other similar very upscale place (in which case you are not really going to Ethiopia!). Cash means US dollars or Euros. It is likely that this situation will improve soon and that credit cards will be more widely accepted but right now, it is cash that you need. The money used there is the birr and, if you get money from a legitimate place, like a bank, be sure to get a receipt if you might need to change the money back. The limit on how much birr you can take out of the country is a few hundred birr (about $40) but this does not seem to be enforced and it is a good idea to take some home if you ever want to go back as banks here do not have this money available. Internet is basically not available in ET though you will be able to use email somewhat if you have a lot of patience. The people are wonderful, hard-working, and helpful. Most people speak English unless you are dealing with uneducated people or in rural areas. The Lonely Planet Amharic guide Ethiopian Amharic (Lonely Planet Phrasebooks)is helpful and not necessary, but people like it if you try to speak the language. The language guide in the back of this guidebook is really all you need. Unfortunately, I did not find it until the end of my trip. You will need an adaptor for any electronics. The only one I used was a 2-prong adaptor. I did not need a converter as my laptop could use 110-220. Mosquito spray and possibly a net is useful if you are out of Addis. Travel clinic is a must at least 1-2 months before you go. It is $70 to get the visa from the embassy and it took me 3 weeks to get mine back, vs. $20 at the airport for Americans. However, I guarantee that, once you are in Addis, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour in line to get a visa. Also, I wrote the embassy a nice letter about why I was going and they gave me a one year visa, even though that went past my passport expiration. Due to lack of an internet, you will need a cell phone in the country and these will be easily available for about $50, including all the airtime you need, once you get there.

Ethiopia Airlines is the way to go. I met many people who fly to ET all the time or go to Ruwanda and other sub-Saharan African countries who say it is the most reliable. They now have one of the newest Boeings for the flight and this is a very comfortable airplane. Also, the movie selection is great. Consider the Indian movies if you are tired of the Hollywood formula. There are also Nigerian movies, which I did not test. I drove 5 hours to Dulles, stayed overnight at the Staybridge Inn (free parking for my 2 week trip) and flew out of there for the 12 hr flight (vs. 24 on other airlines, at a much higher price). If you live father away, it might be worth it to fly to Dulles and then transfer to Ethiopian Airlines. Another advantage of Ethiopian Airlines is that flights incountry are about 1/2 price if you fly into Ethiopia with Ethiopian Airlines. I did not plan to travel but once I got there, I ended up taking five flights, for a total of $300, vs. $600 if I had flown with another airline. Of note, you can take water on domestic flights, but not international.

There are a lot of beggars but I did not find it more difficult to deal with than San Francisco, NYC, or Washington DC. I stayed downtown at the Ethiopian Hotel (older, but I liked, not in guidebook) as I like to walk but most tourists stay on Bolle Rd in Addis and it seemed that there were more beggars there (also more restaurants, bookstores, etc.). There are lots of little shops and people selling things on the street. It seems reasonable to spend some money at these little startups which are now encouraged by the government in order to make people self-sufficient. Perhaps there are fewer beggars now as people are able to support themselves better with these free enterprise undertakings? Tourist money also helps the country.

Ethiopia is a beautiful country, with much history, hard-working and kind people. You will like your trip there, so enjoy yourself!

I purchased the 5'th edition of this guide only a week before leaving for my first visit to Africa (actually to any non-Western country). I chose to visit Ethiopia because of its rich monumental patrimony -- hundreds of little known medieval churches -- but I was a bit nervous preparing for the trip, and an American intelligence officer who sat next to me on the flight to Addis scared the living daylights out of me. It turned out that Brigg's guide was just the remedy for my terror, because one of its most important features -- and one that is not at all apparent from a first reading -- is that it inserts you directly into a human network of good people connected to the local institutions he recommends. I had made so many friends by the fourth day of travel that I completely lost the paranoia which had accompanied my first 48 hours. At the end of 3 days in Addis I was taking the minibuses -- whose routes he describes in great detail -- all over town. After a week I gave away my copy of the Lonely Planet guide to a young couple. Lonely guide was fine for what the needed, a catalogue of hotels, restaurants and bus routes which would let them survive in Ethiopia for the longest possible time on the least amount of money. However Brigg's guide, as from the fact that has more complete and more up to date listings of hotels, restaurants, and other practical travel information than Lonely Planet, is a far more detailed introduction to the history, culture, and politics of this extraordinary country and its myriad of complex societies. It is a guide for the traveller who wants to understand Ethiopia, and not merely observe exotic spectacle on the cheap.

This is a very useful travel guide. Some of the information is outdated (several new regional airports have been constructed and roads paved since this edition was published) but presumably the forthcoming edition will bring the descriptive material up to speed. What really makes this guide, though, (and why I think it is superior to the Lonely Planet guide)is the background material on Ethiopian history and culture. Since it is for historical and cultural reasons (as opposed to say viewing wildlife) that many travellers will visit Ethiopia, this part of the book is a real strength, as is the chapter on intercultural interaction. Reading this guide you get the sense of real human beings writing it, not some generic "three stars for this castle and here is a good restaurant." Definitely recommended.