Basic Information you want to know before visiting Ethiopia.

Language

Amharic is the national Language of Ethiopia. Although a multi ethnic country with 83 languages and 200 dialects.

Economy

90% of Ethiopians earn a living from land. Mostly subsistence farming.

Time

Ethiopia is in GMT +3 time zone. Follows the Jullian calendar, which consists of 12months of 30 days each and a 13th month of 5 or 6 days on a leap year.

Currency

The Ethiopian currency is the Birr and cents.

Notes are 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 Birr

The 1 Birr coin is also in circulation.

1 South African Rand = 1.6914 Ethiopian Birr

Health Requirements

A yellow fever certificate is required when traveling on a South African passport.

Immigration Requirements

For most countries, you have to apply for the Ethiopian visa at the Ethiopian mission at your country of residence. With exception for Kenyan and Djibouti nationals who do not need a visa to enter Ethiopia.

Nationals from 39 countries can get their tourist visa on arrival at the airport, countries include: South Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, North Korea.

***Visa on arrival doesn't apply for entry through land border gates.

Tourist visa on arrival: US$50 (30-day single-entry); US$70 (three-month single-entry); US$80 (three-month multiple-entry); US$100 (six-month multiple-entry).

Public Transport

Like all other Africa countries, Ethiopia has an established public transport. Not the most dependable. Sharing taxis are available all over till very late in the day.

Ethiopia is relatively safe, but just be responsible and not let your guard down.

The taxi cabs are blue and white and you will find them all over the streets. Unfortunately no metres, so you have to negotiate your rate before you get in.

x0x0

#TheSoloWanderer

Traveling from Nouakchott in Mauritania to Dakar in Senegal over land

Mauritania is a desert country. Nouakchott is the capital city of Mauritania. Mauritania is a desert country, bring loads of water and sunscreen. Although there is a caveat to bringing loads of water, this trip has no bathroom breaks. I did not see a toilet anywhere and asking the taxi to stop so you can relieve yourself is a bit tricky as there is no bush and you are driving through the desert. So drink loads of water at your own peril. The local taxi to get to the border Take a taxi from Nouakchott to the border with Senegal. The taxi stops about 1km from the border. There are horse carriages available to take you to the border should you need but it is a walkable distance. When you get to the border, you need to produce a copy of your passport. There is a place to photocopy your passport if you don’t have a copy, and there are guys who can change money for you. The border town is called Rosso. There are plenty of trucks at the border. there is no ...

Africa's Northern most Point - Cap Angela

Cap Angela Monument. I have spent a whole 5 days in Tunis the capital of Tunisia and surrounding areas. But the Journey begins at the most Northern Point of Africa. On google, the most Northern Point of Africa is in Bizerte, Northern Tunisia. Bizerte is a city that lies on the Mediterranean sea with breathtaking beaches. Cap Angela Beach with locals out for a swim. Although Bizerte is the closest town to the northernmost point of Africa, the point is at a place named Cap Angela. Cap Angela was only recognized in 2014 as the northernmost point of the African continent replacing Cap which is also in Tunisia. Although getting to Cap Angela can be a full day outing from Tunis, you can also get there from Bizerte and will definitely will be cheaper. Cap Angela is in the middle of nowhere so you will have to hire a car. It is cheaper to hire a car with a driver than it is to hire a car to drive yourself, i guess this is because of the insurance. As for an english sp...

The perfect baked bean curry recipe at Durbans Spice Emporium

Those Durban Tourism aprons came in handy for this cooking session. I'm no foodie but I know a bit about food. Besides eating it, I can also throw down in the kitchen. Was recently in Durban at the Spice Emporium, here anything and everything curry related you could possibly want you can find. It's all spice and keep in mind strictly vegetarian. On our visit they shared a perfect recipe of Baked bean curry. Who knew baked beans could be so interesting? I've put together the recipe for you guys in varsity, the backpackers and of course for the days when it's been a rough month and you have a spare tin of baked beans. Here's the recipe: Ingredients: 1. Baked beans 2. Chopped Onions 3. Chopped green peppers 4. Chopped tomatoes 5. Mustard Seeds Spices/Seasoning: 1. All-in-one ma dala 2. Turmeric 3. Paprika 4. Salt & Pepper Instructions: 1. Heat...

Thesolowanderer

Search This Blog