ETHIOPIA - EXPLORE ETHIOPIA WITH NORTH EXPEDITIONS ETHIOPIA - EXPLORE ETHIOPIA WITH US

WHAT GUESTS SAY ABOUT US

Reviews from our guests

Absolutely amazing!

  Anca U, TripAdvisor
We did an amazing 4day/3nights Simien trek with Nega that we arranged in Gondar the day before. It was the classic 3 nights itinerary as described on the website, all the groups had the same schedule: Sankaber-Gich-Chenek, with Imet Gogo and Inatye on day 3.
We got picked up in Gondar in the morning, drove to Debark, stopped for a bit at the Park Headquarters till Nega sorted out the fees and formalities, met the guide and the scout, then drove all to together to a spot near Buhit Ras, where the actual trek began. On the first day the hike is short, 3-4 hours along the escarpment, but the views are good and we met a big group of geladas. When we reached the campsite at Sankaber the tent was already up and we were welcomed with coffee/tea and popcorn.
We took a short stroll around the campsite / the ranger's village and spotted (thanks to our amazing guide) a Menelik bushback. Then we sat down for a hearty and very tasty dinner (soup and a main with 3 sides).
On the second day we had breakfast then walked to Gich campsite taking in some lovely scenery along the way, including Jinbar waterfall, coloured rock formations and lobelia forests. The Gich village has been relocated outside the park, so there are no human settlements along the way. After reaching the campsite and having some tea/coffee, we went up a small peak near the campsite, called Kedadit, for very beautiful sunset views. A large group of geladas passed by, they were climbing down the cliffs to spend the night in the caves, it was quite memorable. Dinner was again a tasty feast and we also had a campfire, it was very atmospheric.
The 3rd day of the trek is the hardest and offers the best views, as you hike up to Imet Gogo at 3,920 m, come down, then up again to Inatye at 4,070 m and finally downhill to the campsite. There is a sunset spot here as well and there were walia ibex on the cliffs near the campsite.
On the last day we did a short hike around the camp, saw more walia ibex and geladas before being picked up by a 4x4 and driven back to Gondar. All in all it was one of the greatest trip we ever did!
We briefly considered organizing the trip ourselves to save costs, but I'm glad we didn't. Getting a steaming mug of tea/coffee first thing when you come out of the tent in the freezing early morning is worth all the extra money. You save a lot of trekking time by not having to put up / take down the tent or cooking. We had excellent, very varied food the whole time and we were very happy for it after each day's trek. The option of not taking a tent at all and sleeping in the public lodges was not at all popular with tourists while we were there and the lodges are said to be much colder than the tents at night.
But the thing we enjoyed the most, and I never thought I would say this as we aim to go independently whenever possible, was the company of our entourage.
Our guide was a young man named Angaw, he's knowledgeable about the park, unbelievably good at spotting wildlife and a lovely person overall, very considerate and friendly, a joy to have around. We were always informed about the itinerary for the day, how long every leg of the trek was and how difficult, what wildlife we could expect to see and we got lots of details about the plants, the birds and the local communities living in the lowlands area. We also learned general things about Ethiopian society and customs, as we'd chat over meals.
Our scout was a very courteous man named Fente, he offered to carry a big bottle of water for us while trekking, went to check on walia ibexes while we were in Chenek and was generally very nice, despite not speaking any English. Angaw was acting as a translator.
Nega was the trek organizer and also the chef, everything he cooked was delicious, the evenings in the camp were just great, and the entire trek was flawlessly put together.
His prices are very reasonable, on the lower half of the range mentioned in the Bradt guidebook, he goes out of his way to make everything perfect and he's got good quality camping gear.

One of the best trek organisers there is

  Wynne Aveling, UK
During my three months working at Gondar Hospital I made three trips to the Simiens all organised by Nega. The attention to detail was excellent and the all inclusive price covered everything including guide, park fees etc. Nega began life as a chef so his food is always superb and prepared from fresh ingredients. A short trip in the rainy season was memorable for the force of the Jinbar waterfall and close up views of Walia Ibex at Chennek. The next trip in October (4 days 3 nights) was memorable for the profusion of wild flowers, the sunset at Kedadit, soaring lammergeiers at Imet Gogo and the night sky at Gich camp. The third trip was marred by one of the party getting altitude sickness at 3600m but this was well handled with a mule provided for rapid descent to the waiting 4x4. Nega Setargachew grew up in the Simiens and is one of the best trek organisers there is.

I recommend it unreservedly

  Dr. John Mabley, Canada
Nega organized an amazing 2 day trip for us from Gondar to the Simiens. His organization and control of all trip details, including a stay at the Simiens Mountain Lodge, was masterful. In addition, he and his family are well known in the area. Nega's father served as our scout and wherever we went with him the people we met accorded him incredible respect. Our trip concluded with a delicious lunch overseen by Nega, who, in addition to his trip management expertise, is a seasoned chef. Heather and I can recommend Nega and his company unreservedly.

Impecable care for guests

  Monique Muggli, USA
After working a week in Addis Ababa, I went on a 4 day trek in the Simien Mountains with Nega and crew. The plants, animals and people we saw along the way were amazingly beautiful. Nega took care of us from start to finish, including getting us to and from the Gonder airport.Nega is an extraordinarily talented chef and incorporates a wide variety in cultural foods from French fries to lentil soups to the best pizza I have ever had! Getting to camp after a gorgeous day of walking was always a treat. I highly recommend going on a guided trek through North Expeditions Ethiopia.

So good that I went twice

  Tim Yates, UK
I spent six months in Gondar and made two 4-day-long trips to the Simiens with Nega. Although both trips were for the same length of time, Nega arranged for the itineraries to be different so that we saw different aspects of the National Park on each trip. We got to see the Simiens both in November - when it was green and fresh (especially at night!) - and in March when it was much browner, hotter and drier. On both occasions Nega made our transport, camping and moving our stuff from camp-to-camp very efficient and comfortable, and his cooking was always excellent. On the second trip, two of my travelling companions had recently arrived from Europe and found the altitude in the Simiens hard work; Nega quickly arranged for the third and fourth days' trekking to be changed to follow routes at slightly lower altitude and with fewer steep ascents. This helped to make our visit to the mountains so much more enjoyable. I would recommend Nega's organisation to anyone who is looking for a comfortable, comprehensively organised and good-value way to visit the Simiens.

Great trip organised for my friends

  Sue and Jaquie, Ethiopia
Thanks so much for the great trip you organised for my friends, we really enjoyed it. The mountains are stunning, and although we all enjoyed the walking it was really good that you could organise a mule for the day that my friends found it difficult. We also appreciated the variety of food you provided, it was so good, especially the evening meal which was much needed after a days trekking. So glad you advised the two sleeping bags as it meant we had a great nights sleep despite the cold. The day time views are amazing and the night sky is fabulous. Everything was so well organised and once we had paid the initial price it did include everything, so no worries over hidden extras.We also appreciated that everything happened on time, not something that can always be taken for granted in Ethiopa.

A really memorable trip

  Melissa Leigh, UK
I visited the Simien mountains for a 3 night/4 day trek with my partner and another couple. We arranged this through Nega at North Expeditions (www.northexpeditionsethiopia.com). I would definitely recommend them for their personalised and wonderful service. They provided everything we needed for our trip, and were amenable to all requests before and during the trip. One of the highlights of our tour was the food. Nega is a brilliant chef and served us breakfast (pancakes, french toast, porridge, toast and preserves, teas and coffees, scrambled eggs), packed lunch and dinner. Dinner was around 4 different dishes a night, all of which were really delicious (various pastas, salads, meat and vegetable) dishes! We had evenings by the campfire with them all and traded stories about our cultures.
I really felt like they would do anything we wanted to give us the best possible experience. For example - Unfortunately some of our party (including me) were struggling on some parts of our planned route mainly to the altitude. I had never been at altitude before and had a moment where I really struggled to catch my breath and got quite panicky as a result. The scout and guide were really supportive: the guide even suggested that he could carry me up the rest of the hill! I declined, but accepted the scout's offer of carrying my bag for a while. This made a massive difference and I was so grateful for their understanding. I very much doubt that you would get this kind of personalised service if you were to travel in a large group with a big company. I felt very looked after by them at a very vulnerable moment.We discussed our difficulties with the altitude with Nega and our guide and they totally changed the plans for us and arranged for us to remain at the same camp for the 3rd night and do a slightly easier circular route.
The mountains themselves are indescribably beautiful. I had never seen landscape like this before. It was really breathtaking and humbling. There were a range of animals in the national park, of which we saw big groups of Gelada baboons and some Lamergeyer Vultures and other birds. We stopped to take lots of pictures and the guide and scout didn't mind this (something that may be an issue if you went in a big group). I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Nega's amazing service to anyone visiting the Simiens. The price was very reasonable. He is a lovely guy and made our whole trip really memorable. Thank you!

You can be confident you will really enjoy it

  Peter Bignold, USA
Brenda and I are volunteers working in Ethiopia. We were visiting Bahir Dar and Gondar and wanted to have a one day trip to the Simiens due to limited time and budget. Nega had already been recommended to us by a number of volunteers who had done Simien treks with him. He asked us what we wanted. We said a walk without too much climbing and descending, excellent views, to see Gelada baboons and the Sankober waterfall. This was quite a tall order for a one day trip as it takes some time to reach the mountains from Gondar. Nega delivered on all we asked for. There were glorious views throughout our walk, we walked among a large group of Geladas and Nega's crowning triumph was to give us a wonderful lunch on a site overlooking the waterfall. We have recommended Nega to other volunteers without reservation. He can organise whatever type of trip you need from one day to the more demanding week long trips and you can be confident you will really enjoy it.

I came back for a second tour

  Nina James, Ethiopia
As promised I came back for a second tour, this time with my cousin. Another fantastic experience. It makes such a difference knowing we can rely on you to organise everything for us. The hotel in Gonder was great, so central, but apart from the Sunday church services very quiet and with great views. Like last time we saw a variety of animals, Gelada Baboon and Wallie Ibex and even a Jackel all very near the camp. My cousin was surprised at how good the food was despite being so far from everywhere. The breakfasts set us up for the day, and the picnic lunch kept us going. Again having a mule handy was good as she is not acclimatised to the altitude and despite being a bit nervous of horses she got on very well with her mount. All the staff were very helpful and the tents being ready for us each night was so good for a much needed rest before dinner. Thanks again, maybe see you next year.

Nega did a great job arranging the trip

  Roger Clarke, UK
My wife and I spent six days trekking in the Simien mountains arranged by Nega at North Expeditions. We had a great time. The weather was excellent. We enjoyed the scenery and wildlife, and learned a lot about the National Park and the lives of local people. We camped at Sankaber, Geech, Chennek and Ambikwo (two nights), from where we climbed Ras Dashen. The ascent was enjoyable and not too strenuous (we are both in our mid 60s) with a short scramble to get to the top.
Nega did a great job arranging the trip. He went out of his way to be helpful. Our guide, Shegaw, was fluent in English and had grown up in the area. He was particularly helpful in describing the local way of life and the challenges facing people. The camping equipment and food were good. We had the biggest two-person tent on the site, and more to eat than we could manage. The price was reasonable, by comparison with other operators. We would have no hesitation in recommending North Expeditions to anyone thinking of visiting the area.

Great service

  Nick Rand, UK
Nega and North Expeditions provided a really great service. They were very flexible and accommodating. My trip to Ethiopia was fairly last-minute and I hadn't made arrangements in advance, plus it was just me travelling on my own, which can make it harder to arrange a tour. But Nega went immediately into action and came up with a plan for a 4-day walk that suited my needs and was at an affordable price. He puts together a great team - people that you can trust, have fun with, and are keen to make sure that you have the best time possible. I'm a fairly experienced walker but it really helped to have a guide who made sure that I tackled the hills at a slow pace, so that there wouldn't be a problem with altitude sickness. Nega and his team are all locals, and they're keen to make sure that you see the best of their region. It's fascinating to learn about people's lives, and the views are incredible, plus there's plenty of wildlife to enjoy - I could watch the baboons for hours as they work their way across the hillsides. I would strongly recommend North Expeditions. The Simens are an amazing experience, and these guys will make sure that you have a great time.

We are grateful for your reviews

We pride ourselves in providing excellent service to our guests, on each and every expedition that we organise. Some of our guests have kindly sent a testimonial describing their experiences with us. If you would like to add a review of your North Expeditions trip, please do not hesitate to contact us or write a message on our Facebook page. Alternatively, any review on TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet, Bradt or any other travel-related online portal is highly appreciated.
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