Ethiopian Epiphany – Timket: January 17-19

Founded in 1886 by Menelik II, Addis Ababa is located 2,500m above sea level in the Entoto mountain chain, where it enjoys an excellent year-round climate, with an average temperature of 25°C. It is a vibrant, developing city that is a pleasure to explore on foot, with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa.
Depending on the time of your arrival, it may be possible to fit in an afternoon guided tour of the city, taking in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the National Museum, and the market.

Your day begins with an early morning flight to Bahir Dar on the shores of Lake Tana, one of the major headwaters of the Blue Nile. Perhaps Ethiopia’s prettiest city, with stunning lake views from wide avenues lined with palm and jacaranda trees, Bahir Dar has been a regional trading center for centuries. Even today, traditional papyrus boats, or tankwa, can be seen transporting goods across the lake.
After dropping our bags at the hotel, we cruise across Lake Tana to visit two of the famed monasteries of the Zege Peninsula. While onboard our private boat, keep an eye out for local traders sailing their tankwas, as well as a wide variety of aquatic birds. After a short walk through a traditional village and a coffee farm, we reach the monastery of Ura Kidane Meret, home to an important collection of religious relics dating back to the 16th century. On the walls, colorful painted murals tell the stories of Ethiopian saints.
We then carry on to discover our second monastery, Azwa Maryam, set among pleasant gardens and overseen by an affable young priest. In the afternoon we explore Bahir Dar, stopping at Bezawit Palace for a scenic outlook. We also visit Weito village to meet the local Amhara people, makers of papyrus boats and handicrafts.

Often called Africa’s Camelot, Gonder retains much of its past glory as a center of imperial power. King Fasiledes named the city Ethiopia’s capital in 1636, and by the time of his death three decades later, Gonder’s wealth and beauty were renowned throughout the region. We spend the day exploring the castles of the Royal Enclosure, the bathing pools of Fasiledes (where ancient Timkat ceremonies are still performed), and the Debre Birhan Silassie Church, whose elaborate decor includes 80 ornate cherubs.

Setting out from Bahir Dar, we drive three hours along an asphalt roadway, passing through rural villages and across stunning mountain passes, until we catch our first glimpse of the remarkable castles of Gonder.

We'll have an early breakfast this morning before driving 45 minutes into the Simien Mountains National Park, where we will begin our walks. It is a rough road from our hotel up into the mountains but the scenery more than makes up for it. The Semien Mountains National Park is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and we will visit its exceptional natural beauty which includes superb scenery, endemic fauna and flora. Among other endemics it is here that the Gelada Baboon (bleeding heart Baboon) is found.

In the morning we will continue visiting in the park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ethiopia's main attractions, the mountain range is quiet and we are often the only ones out on the trails. While a wildlife viewing can never be guaranteed, one of the highlights of walking in this outstanding area is the chance to spot the endemic gelada monkeys. Often quietly appearing from over the hillside in huge numbers, the gelada monkeys are the last living species of the ancient grazing primates and are very relaxed in human company.

If we're lucky enough to find them, we'll take the time to sit with them for a while, just watching as the older ones groom one another and the young ones play. As we sit quietly with just our camera clicks for noise, the monkeys will often approach and sit close without any concern. Later in the evening drive back to Gondar.

We rise early for our short Ethiopian Airlines flight over craggy peaks and rust-colored canyons to Lalibela – a remote town situated high in the Lasta Mountains at more than 2,590 m (8,500 ft). In the afternoon we visit three clusters of remarkable rock-hewn churches in the nearby mountainsides. Carved out of massive red stone monoliths, the churches reach heights of more than 10 m (30 ft) and have intricately detailed interiors – though their precise origins remain clouded by legend.
Exploring their quiet courtyards and connecting tunnels and passages feels like we’re journeying deep into Ethiopia’s past.

This night the Priests bring out the Tabots which are two replicas of Moses' tablets purportedly housed in the Arc of the Covenant and are rarely seen by the people. In the very early morning (around 2 AM), the priests bless the water of the pool or river where the celebration will take place the next day.

In the morning we will see the celebrations while the crowds gather around the water, which is blessed then splashed onto them, and religious vows are renewed. The tabots are then paraded back to the church accompanied by much singing and dancing. A unique sight visiting Timket in Lalibela and is a faithful leaping into the baths for a full-immersion ‘baptism’ for the Orthodox Christians.

Fly to Axum, a holy city of Ethiopia, dating back over 2000 years and the cradle of Ethiopian civilization with the Axumite Kingdom, tour of Axum that includes: Axum stele or obelisks; the largest single pieces of stone standing anywhere on the world (World Heritage Site by UNESCO), castles of former monarchs, the Axum Museum and Mariam tsion Church, built on the site of Ethiopia's first church AD, and palace of Sheba and the Gundit stelae field, King Ezana’s inscriptions and the tombs of Kings Kaleb and Gebre Meskel

On arrival in Addis, check into your hotel. This will either be on day room basis or overnight depending on your international flight times. This evening, we will arrange for a farewell dinner in a restaurant with Ethiopian music and dance, or in a good city centre restaurant.