Ethiopian Experiences
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All the tours information
** We ask every guest travelling with us to take the time to read carefully what follows ...
First of all, an all-important question for you to answer ...
Are these tours the right ones for me?
Our Ethiopian Experiences itineraries are designed to appeal to a wide range of interests and cater for guests of all ages who want to explore some of the most fascinating countries in Africa, in comfort and safety at all times. Our long and varied experience in Ethiopia and our growing experience in both Madagascar and Kenya mean that you will have an amazing time, in beautiful countries,
with hugely welcoming people.
Let us remind you that we not only run escorted group tours at certain times of the year, but we also cater for those who prefer to travel on their own, with a partner or friend, or as a group of friends or associates
at any time of the year.
For our group tours, we limit the numbers to about eight guests in order to keep things personal and intimate. It is part of a tour leader's skill to adapt quickly to the needs of the group as a whole and to the individuals within that group.
And in that respect, we think we can claim to be particularly skilful.
See 'Our tour testimonials' on the 'Our tours' menu above
to read what people say about us.
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And remember that, by coming with us, you are automatically making a significant donation to Eyayaw's supported charities and helping some very needy people in Ethiopia to live more effectively and happily.
You are having a great time touring with us while helping and supporting some of individuals who need help the most.
Hotels
With more than twelve years of touring experience, we have clearly learnt that even the most adventurous guests appreciate returning to a safe and comfortable base each evening. The hotels we choose for our guests are always comfortable, peaceful and welcoming. We go out of our way to provide a special place of retreat in each of the towns where we sleep.
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Please note: While we plan and confirm all arrangements well in advance of every tour, there can occasionally be times when changes are needed at short notice. We try to adhere to the published details whenever possible but we reserve the right to adjust elements for the general good of the guests if and when necessary.
Food and restaurants
The cost of each tour includes all meals and coffee stops en route. Only alcoholic drinks and extra food items need to be funded individually. You will be welcome to choose from a great variety of traditional local food whenever you wish to and we shall certainly make sure you have been introduced to the local dishes if they are new to you. But otherwise you can expect to find a wide range of international cuisine wherever we dine - excellent fish dishes; all sorts of pasta offerings; egg dishes; chicken, lamb and beef dishes. The standard of cuisine in Madagascar is particularly fine, thanks to many decades of French influence. If you have vegetarian leanings, you will certainly not be disappointed in any of the countries we visit. We tend to take breakfast around 8am so as to be ready to start the day's activities at 9am. We try to finish those activities somewhere between 4 and 5pm to give free time before dinner, which usually takes place at around 7pm.​
Please note: These are the basic intentions - the reality has to remain flexible and responsive.
Transport
When we are not flying high over dramatic countryside, moving between major centres, we usually travel in our own fleet of high quality Toyota tourist vehicles, either the larger Toyota High Roofs or the smaller Toyota Landcruiser 4x4s. In places where we have short urban trips to accomplish, we might occasionally use the local public transport - sometimes an adventure in itself! And for shorter countryside trips, we might well use rather more down-to-earth vehicles that are still carefully chosen for their roadworthiness.
On our lengthy Madagascan Odyssey road trip, we use roomy and comfortable tourist vehicles with large uncluttered windows to maximise the touring experience for every guest, the vehicles and their drivers staying with us throughout the main road-trip.
Itineraries
The itinerary for each of our tours can be found on the relevant tour page accessed via the drop-down menus above.
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Please note: While we make every attempt to adhere to the advertised arrangements for each tour, flexibility and responsiveness to local conditions is always necessary and we reserve the right to flex details in order to create a successful and enjoyable tour. This can apply to all aspects - routes, activities, schedules, hotels and transportation. In every case such changes will only be applied to ensure the best experience for our guests.
Safety
Ethiopia has, for much of the last twenty-five years, shown itself to be one of the most stable and welcoming of African countries for the visiting tourist. Unfortunately, that reliable record has been broken rather frequently recently, and we keep a very sharp eye on political and social developments at all times. We monitor local news on a daily basis and automatically receive any postings from the UK Foreign Office as soon as they are issued. We would only go ahead with a tour if and when we felt that things were peaceful and safe in the areas through which we travel. If anything of note were to occur, we would expect to know about it long before it became a problem.
Both Madagascar and Kenya have been largely peaceful and stress-free for tourism in recent times.
We ourselves travel in all these countries on a regular basis and can assure you of a warm and friendly welcome wherever you go. All three countries are very special places indeed.
To read more information about personal safety and individual responsibilities relating to our tours, click here.
Health matters
During more than ten years of organising and accompanying tours, we have never experienced anything worse with our guests than an occasional tummy upset or mild allergic reaction (and the very rare tumble that has needed some gentle patching up). The standard sets of inoculations for these countries are to be thoroughly recommended and we shall update you with further specific thoughts during the preparation stage for each tour. If any of the countries were to insist on any specific health protection measures, we would make sure to inform you prior to departure. In general terms, your doctor must be your main source of advice in all matters medical.
Booking process
As soon as you are ready to go ahead and reserve a place on one of our tours, you get in touch with us via the form at the bottom of this page, telling us briefly your contact details and which tour you have chosen. As soon as we have received your message, we shall get back to you and welcome you to that tour. From there on, we shall guide you through every step - transferring your deposit, lodging your personal details with us, and so on.​
To see full details of our booking process, click here
Finances
When you are ready to reserve a place on one of our tours, we ask you to transfer the standard deposit of £200 per person. All tour finances are securely placed in a Barclays holding account in the UK until just before departure. After the deposit has been paid, the balance of the cost is welcome at any time up to one month before the tour begins.
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Please note that we impose no single supplement on our tours. We do invite individuals to share twin rooms if they are happy to do so and this often results in a more spacious and airy room for their comfort. On tours with particularly small numbers of guests, this also allows the budgeting to work successfully. But the ultimate decision is made by each individual guest without pressure of any sort.
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Every guest is encouraged to arrange suitable personal insurance for themselves and we ask to be informed of the basic details prior to any tour.
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To learn about our cancellation policies, click here
Flights
We usually organise all the flight bookings for guests as a single package. We often use the well-respected and reasonably economical Ethiopian Airlines or Kenyan Airways. For tours in Ethiopia, we are able, by using the same national carrier for both international and domestic flights, to get the latter discounted to half price.
All flights are ATOL covered. Flights are usually reserved as soon as the tour is confirmed, and guests are then asked to transfer the flight cost as promptly as possible to secure the prices obtained. We use very reliable and efficient flight agents who have been our partners for many years.
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Visas
A reliable online facility now exists for obtaining tourist visas in advance of travel for both Ethiopia and Kenya. Indeed, at the time of writing, the online visa-in-advance for those two countries was the only option. It is somewhat tricky to accomplish however, and we shall be happy to deal with this process on your behalf if you wish us to do so.
Madagascar has a very straightforward visa-on-arrival facility and we shall make sure that all guests understand the process prior to the trip.