3 Tage geplante Lalibela-Kirchen & Abune Yosef Trekking

The 3 days trek with guide Sammy was great – beautiful views, very friendly people and many opportunities to watch herds of gelada baboons and other animals. Despite the conflict in the region I felt very safe. On the hike we met the military as well as the Fano fighters, but everyone just greeted. The nights were spent in the local village high in the mountains. I took a sleeping bag with me, but it was not really necessary as the hosts provided comfortable mattresses and warm blankets. We spent some time and ate meals with one of the local families, which was a nice experience because the guests are treated as good friends or a part of family. The cook prepared meals that were tasty and various. The second day of the trek is the longest, one passes through several mountain villages and enters the conservation area. We reached the Abuna Yosef summit (approximately 4280 meters above sea level) shortly before noon, so there was plenty of time to enjoy the views and to follow baboon herds on the way down. We also met a very friendly group of local kids who herded their animals. A visit to Lalibela churches turned out to be actually two separate visits (on the afternoon before the first day of the trek and on the third day after descending to the town) with guide Joseph. Thanks to that there was more time to thoroughly visit all the churches and there was no extra charge. Kanu the owner offered his support not only before and during the trip, but also after it. The whole team consisted of really nice men and woman, who made the tour exceed my expectations and worth the money. The money paid for the trek also goes to support the local community which faces a hard time nowadays as the number of tourists has decreased significantly. During my trip to Ethiopia I also trekked Bale Mountains, but it was less impressive than Abune Yosef. I expected the opposite. I recommend Lalibela and Abune Yosef trek more if you have to choose. It was the best experience during my whole trip to Ethiopia.

I enjoyed a great 3 days with Kanu and team in Lalibela, visiting the churches and also spending a night in a local village where I was treated like one of the family. Also got to visit a local school, see the baboons and the beautiful vistas of the valleys around the town from the mountain top. Would love to go back! An amazing experience!

During our research project, me and other 8 friends found Eco Access Trekking company and decided to join! We are architecture students and not everyone where in a good shape of hiking, but I have to admit our guides Joseph and Sami did everything that we would reach the mountain tops and were all the time there for us and walking with our speed. Also, if a person gets too tired there are local people that could carry your personal belongings. The experience received is the most amazing one in my lifetime. We hiked in mountains with beautiful scenery and had an opportunity to stay with the local family! It was perfect to see how people live in the high-lands and how their life is happening daily. Everything (food,water,sleeping area), was taken care for us. Nevertheless, as locals are used to cold, in the night it was rather cold and many of us had limited amount of clothes (because of the hiking and carrying your personal belongings ourselves in the bag). The sleeping matrasses and blankets were not the cleanest ones and itching. I wished i would have my own sleeping bag that could helped me from getting this cold. But even with some minor flaws, all this journey was the perfect experience. My suggestion: bring good hiking shoes, termo clothes and lightweight sleeping bag with you, everything else will be taken care for you! The beauty of the project is that the guys working in Eco Trekking actually come back and invest in the community. They invest in the school, in facilities, they help people and have close ties with them. Thank you,Joseph and Sami for making these 3 days unforgetable!