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Lalibela Rock Churches and Simien Mountains, Ethiopia

Lalibela and Simien Mountains National Park · Ethiopia

Moderate14 daysAfrica~£1,800 est.

Overview

Ethiopia rewards the traveller who goes beyond safari circuits. Lalibela in the Amhara highlands contains eleven rock-hewn churches carved directly into solid volcanic bedrock in the 12th century — an engineering achievement so implausible that medieval Europeans attributed the construction to angels. Bete Giyorgis (St George), the most photographed, descends 12 metres into the earth, its cruciform roof perfectly level with the surrounding ground. The Simien Mountains National Park, 400km northwest, is an altogether different experience — a shattered plateau of basalt columns and deep escarpments, home to the endemic Gelada baboon (the last grass-eating primate), Ethiopian wolf, and Walia ibex. Trekking here at altitudes above 4,000m to the summit of Ras Dejen, the fourth-highest peak in Africa, is a world-class high-altitude hiking experience largely undiscovered by international visitors. Combining Lalibela, Gondar (the 17th-century castle compound), and the Simien Mountains in a single two-week itinerary is achievable via domestic flights on Ethiopian Airlines. The cuisine — injera flatbread, doro wot chicken stew, tej honey wine — is excellent and inexpensive throughout. Dry season (October–May) is the best visiting window. Budget USD 100–180 per day including guides, permits, and accommodation.