Destination: Bahir Dar -Lake Tana monasteries

Tour title: Natural with cultural tour

Tour Code: TT-1002

Duration: Half day boat trip

Transportation: Boat

Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia; with a surface area of 3500km2, and it is also the source of the Blue Nile River and the 39 islands makes Lake Tana the most breathtaking site in Ethiopia.

Debre Maryam

Debre Maryam monastery was founded by Abuna Tselalesh near the Nile outlet in the 14th century during the reign of Amde Tsion (1315-1345). Debre Mariam Island is the ideal place watching wetland and forest birds and majestic hippopotamus.

Kibran Gabriel and Entos Iysus

Kibran Gabriel was founded in the 14th century during the reign of Amde Tsion and rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Iyasu I (1682-1706). Its lies on a tiny, forested crescent- presumably part of the rim of an extinct volcano. Near Kibran Gabriel, there is Entos Iyesus Monastery. Both Kibran Gebriel and Entos have served for long years as monasteries dedicated only for monks and nuns respectively. Kibran Gabriel boasts no paintings, but it houses the largest library (musem) of ancient books of any church in the region –almost 200 volumes in total including a beautiful illustrated 15th century Life of Christ.

Korata Wolete Petros monastery

The most populous and important port on Lake Tana for much of the Gondarine period, Korata was also once the most beautiful city in Ethiopia in ancient time, according to Guglielmo Lejean, a French explorer who visited Korata in 1862. Korata is situated on a forested peninsula located eastern shore about 20km northeast of present-day Bahir Dar. The town supported more than 15,000 people in its prime, but it fell into decline towards the end of the 19th century, and was reduced to little more than a ghost town following a murderous attack by the Italian occupiers in 1936. The most significant relict of the old town is a church dedicated to Wolete Petros, a nun of aristocratic birth who suffered immense persecution during the reign of the Catholic converts Emperor Susenyos due to her outspoken refusal to convert, and is now one of the few female saints recognised by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The original church, by all accounts one of the most beautiful in Ethiopia, was destroyed by an Italian hand grenade, but its replacement, built in the 1940s, houses several treasures including an armoured dress reputedly worn by Wolete Petros prior to her death on Rema Island in 1643, and a tapestry donated by Tewodros II.

Zaghie Peninsula

Ever green forested Zeghe peninsula is a home of 7 historical monasteries. URA Kidane Mihret church. Ura Kidane Mihret ranks not only as the most impressive of the southern monasteries, but also possibly the most beautiful church anywhere in Tana region. This monastery was founded in the 14th century by a saint called Aba yohhanes and the present church was built in the 16th century. In the peninsula, there are other monasteries such as Azwa Maryam, Mahilzegie Giorgis (Betre Maryam and Yiganda Tekele Haymanot.

Tana Chirkos

Tana Chirkos, the oldest monastery in Ethiopia, is situated to the eastern shore of Lake Tana where one can observe life and rituals that have hardly been changed since the Old Testament. This monastery had been used as one of the four places of ancient Judaic worship where sacrificial stones are still found. This scarifying stone testifies to the island’s importance as a Judaic religious shrine in pre-Christian times. It is believed that the Ark of the Covenant had been kept for 800 years before it was taken to Aksum. The founder of Ethiopian church music, St. Yared has written his first book of song called Degua at this monastery

Kiristos Semira monastery

Separated from Tana Cherkos Monastery by River Gumara, a tributary to Lake Tana, the Monastery of Kiristos Semira is a religious place given a special prestige by its believers. The church is situated on a hill called Guangut which is found at the edge of Lake Tana and beautified by different species of plants and songs of birds. The hill on which the monastery lies is a natural tower that allows a perfect view of the magnificent stretch of Lake Tana from the front, Daga Estifanos, Mitsly Fasiledes and Rema Medhane Alem monasteries from a little farther and Tana Cherkos from the boarder. This monastery which is said to have got its present shape in the 14th century during the reign of Emperor Dawit has been rebuilt at different times.

Daga Istafanos monastery

Daga Istafanos lies on a small wedge-shaped island immediately east of the much larger Dek Island. Daga was founded in the late 13th century by Hiruta Amlak during the reign of Emperor Yekuno Amlak. The main point of interest at Daga Istafanos today is the mausoleum, which contains mummified remains of at least five Ethiopian medieval Emperors namely Yikuno Amlak, Dawit I, Zara Yakob, Susneyos and Emperor Fasilidas.

Narga Selassie monastery

The monastery of Narga Selassie is situated on the western shore of Dek island. It was founded by Empress Mintewab in the 18th century. Its architectural style has resemblance with the buildings of Gonder. Narga is the most ornately decorated of all the lake monasteries. As with Ura Kidane Mihrte, the inner walls are covered from top to bottom with a riotous and absorbing collection of paintings, most thought to date from the 18th century.

Meet our representative/guide at the lobby of your hotel or anywhere in town. The guide will give you highlight information about your boat trip then together take one of our comfortable boats to the scheduled church/ monasteries afterwards return back to Bahir Dar. 

Included

Accommodations/ Hotels/Lodge/hostels/Camping/

Not Included

A great place to unwind…

A great place to unwind… Thanks.

Enrico Lavrov

I had an amazing time

I had an amazing time with your tour guides. Thank you so much.

Adams J.

This is my second time

This is my second time visiting and it was wonderful. Thank you guys.

Mark Anderson

Great memory

testimonial one

Jhon Doe

Liability and Responsibility

Only the laws of Ethiopia govern Tsega Ethiopia Tours liability to its clients and all claims are subject to the jurisdiction of the court of Ethiopia in which the cause of action arises. Although every possible care is taken to safeguard you and your property, Tsega Ethiopia Tours accepts no liability for loss or damage of any personal effects. Tsega Ethiopia Tours will dispose its best efforts to assist visitors when dealing with third parties such as hotels, airlines and other transport companies and travel agents. However, Tsega Ethiopia Tours cannot be held responsible for any loss or harm such as sickness, injury, death or additional costs incurred due to denied boarding, overbooking, cancellation or delay caused by the third party.

Program Reservations

Contracts and agreements will be valid consequent to Tsega Ethiopia Tours confirmation of the booking signing a contractual agreement/form. At the time of confirmation, a deposit of 50% of the total cost is requested. The remaining amount of the total cost shall be paid upon arrival before the tour commences. Unless prior arrangements have been made, Tsega Ethiopia Tours cannot be forced to conduct the tour if complete payment has not been received.

Quotations

Tsega Ethiopia Tours provides tour prices (quotations) on request. After the contractual agreement is concluded the final quoted price is non-negotiable. Tsega Ethiopia Tours offers prices with validity date & has a full right in revising the offered prices which are not confirmed within the time frame/validity date.

Cancellation

Cancellation of confirmed booking must be made in writing via email Cancellation received 30 days prior to departure will be subject to a penalty of 30% of the total rate of the tour. Cancellations received less than 15 days prior to departure will result in relinquishment of the entire advance payment.

Visa and Immigration requirements

Visas may be obtained from Ethiopian diplomatic mission overseas ,in addition nationals of 33 countries listed below are allowed to receive their visa on arrival to Ethiopia, the detail includes:- Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea Republic, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, and US.

Health Requirements

Prior to entry, visitors should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in Ethiopia.

Religion

The main religions are Christianity and Islam, but some other traditional beliefs are also practiced.

Accommodations

Addis Ababa offers variety of hotels ranging from luxurious 5 star hotels to the tourist standard. Tourist accommodation facilities are also improving at destinations outside Addis, the offer ranges from 2-4 star hotels to camping facilities.

Food

Enjera, the Ethiopian national dish is a flat, circular pancake of fermented made from an endemic grain seed called teff, served with different kinds of cooked meats, vegetables and different sauce. Though it is different from region to region, in generally Ethiopians used hot and spiced sauces that give Ethiopian food its characteristic taste. Vegetarians should try “Ethiopian fasting food”, a colorful spread of salads and vegetables devoid of all meat and animal products.

In Addis Ababa and major towns, it is possible to get traditional Ethiopian restaurants and others specialized in Italian, Far East and western dishes. In hotels found at tourist sites European style foods are always available. Those visitors who are travelling to the remote and adventure tourist sites such as deep in the Omo valley and Erta’le, Tankwa Tours & Travel Agency is provide professional cook and cooking materials. To read more about food in Ethiopia click here

Clothing

Visitors should take light, summer clothes for the day time and warm cotton made clothes for the evenings. The temperature drops quite rapidly towards sunset.  Mountains trekkers should bring warm clothes and water proofs for unexpected seasonal rains. Shoes must always be removed before entering churches and mosques.

Safety

Generally, Ethiopia is considered as safe destination, but one should still take normal precautions while visiting cities and tourist sites: avoiding unfamiliar areas at night and not carrying large sums of money in pockets.

Time and calendar

Ethiopia is found within GMT +3 hours’ time Zone, and follows the Julian calendar, which consists of twelve months of thirty days each thirteen months of five days (six days in a leap year). The calendar is seven years and eight months behind the Western Gregorian calendar

Currency

The Local currency is the Ethiopian Birr, made up of 100 Cents. Notes are used in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50 and 100 birr. There is no limit to the amount foreign currency imported, but it must be declared to the customs authority upon arrival.

Custom

• Duty-free imports are permitted for up to:
• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 1/2 lb of tobacco
• liters of alcoholic beverages
• Half-liter or two bottles of perfume.

Visitors may export souvenirs, although some Articles (such as animal skins and antiques) require an export permit.

Power

Ethiopia uses 220 volts and 50 HZ. It is good to bring your own round two prong adaptor and transformer if necessary.

Public holidays

The following are Ethiopian public holiday dates:-

• September 11, Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash)
• September 27, The finding of the True Cross (Meskal)
• January 7, Ethiopian Christmas (Genna)
• January 19, Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket)
• March 2 ,Victory of Adwa (commemorates the victory by Menelik II over Italy in 1896)
• Ethiopian Good Friday (variable)
• Ethiopian Easter (Fasika) (variable)
• May 1, International Labor Day
• Eid ul Fitr (Ramadhan) (variable)
• Eid ul Adha (variable)
• April 6, Ethiopian patriots victory day (celebrates end of Italian occupation in 1941)

Banking and Currency Exchange

Banking hours are usually from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday and from 8:00 am – 11:00 am on Saturdays. Closing times may be an hour longer in some private banks. Most banks work through lunchtime including foreign exchanges services

Courier and Money Transfer Services

Money transfers can be made through Western Union and Money Gram. Both have representative branches in Addis Ababa and in some other major towns and make their services available from private and national banks. For courier services, DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT, and EMS have offices in Addis Ababa.

Language

Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia although English, Italian and Arabic are also spoken in cities and towns.

Communication

Internet, Telephone, Tele fax, and postal services are available in the country. Numerous internet cafes are available in Addis Ababa and in other cities. They all give Internet, Fax and telephone calling service. The country Dialing Code is +251

Tipping

Though tipping is a frequent custom, amounts vary depending on the service quality offered and the interests of the visitors. In most hotels and restaurants, a 10 per cent service charge is added to the bill.

Points of Entry

Bole International Airport, Bahir Dar, Mekele and Dire Dawa Airports are entry ports. Dawale and Galafe for those crossing from Djibouti border, Moyale for those driving from Kenya, Humera and Metema from Sudan are surface entry points .All arrivals undergo full customs and immigration checks. These are only entry points and no visa services available.

Driving

In Ethiopia driving is on the right. Drivers require a valid international driving license which can be obtained by exchanging yours with local license. Visitor can recover their license prior to their departure

Vaccinations

These are only indications, so please visit your doctor before you travel to be 100% sure.

TYPHOID

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.

HEPATITIS A 

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.

CHOLERA

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 2 weeks before travel.

TUBERCULOSIS

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 3 months before travel.

HEPATITISB

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 2 months before travel.

RABIES

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 1 month before travel.

MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITI

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 3 weeks before travel

YELLOW FEVER

Recommended for Ethiopia. Ideally 10 days before travel.