Ethiopia

Getting there & away

Land

Djibouti

Border formalities are usually pretty painless. There are two current land routes: one via Dire Dawa and Gelille, and one via Awash and Galafi.

Shirkada Gaadidka Dadweynaha Ee Yaryar Dhexe Iyo Xamuulkaa (0251 118455) buses depart Dire Dawa daily for Djibouti City (Birr120, 11 hours). An unreliable, dilapidated old train is supposed to run this route every second day (Birr80).

Although further, the Awash/Galafi crossing is best for those driving, as it’s entirely sealed.

Eritrea

The Eritrea–Ethiopia border remains closed. Detour through Djibouti.

Kenya

The most-used crossing is at Moyale, 772km south of Addis Ababa. Daily Ethiopian buses link Addis and Moyale (Birr79, 1½ days), while Kenyan versions connect the border to Marsabit (KSh600, 8½ hours) and Isiolo (KSh1200, 17 hours) along a bone-jarring dirt road. Trucks also serve the Kenyan side. Banditry has been reduced significantly in northern Kenya, though always check the latest.

With a serious 4WD and Kenyan visas acquired in Addis, there’s an adventurous crossing accessing Lake Turkana via the Lower Omo Valley. Get stamped out in Omorate, before attempting the day-long drive to Koobi Fora research base at Kenya’s Sibiloi National Park. There’s no Kenyan border post, so you must wait to get stamped in at Nairobi. Since getting stamped out of Kenya isn’t an option here, this route is only for those travelling south.

Somaliland

Daily buses run between Jijiga and Wajaale at the border (Birr15, 1½ to two hours). After immigration procedures, you’ll find contract taxis (Birr300) and minibuses (Birr40) to Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital.

Sudan

The only open Sudan crossing is Metema/Gallabat, 180km west of Gonder. To reach Metema from Gonder, take a new direct bus (Birr31, seven hours) or take the one to Shihedi (Birr23, five to six hours), where pick-up trucks (Birr8) cover the last 40km to Metema. Cross on foot before hopping on a truck in Gallabat to Gedaref (Dinar1500, five to six hours).

^ Back to top

Air

Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport (code ADD) is the only international airport in Ethiopia. Airline offices in Addis Ababa include the following:

British Airways (BA; 0115 505913; www.ba.com; Hilton Hotel, Menelik II Ave) Hub: London.

Daallo Airlines (D3; 0115 534688; www.daallo.com; Bole Rd) Hub: Djibouti City.

Djibouti Airlines (D8; 0116 633702; fax 0116 614769; Rwanda St) Hub: Djibouti City.

EgyptAir (MS; 0111 564493; www.egyptair.com.eg; Churchill Ave) Hub: Cairo.

Kenya Airways (KQ; 0115 525548; www.kenya-airways.com; Hilton Hotel, Menelik II Ave) Hub: Nairobi.KLM (KL; 0115 525541; www.klm.com; Hilton Hotel, Menelik II Ave;) Hub: Amsterdam.

Lufthansa (LH; 0111 551666; www.lufthansa.com; Gambia St) Hub: Frankfurt.

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SV; 0115 512637; www.saudiairlines.com; Ras Desta Damtew St) Hub: Jeddah.

Sudan Airways (SD; 0115 504724; www.sudanair.com; sudanair@ethionet.et; Ras Desta Damtew St) Hub: Khartoum.

Yemenia (IY; 0115 526441; www.yememia.com; Ras Desta Damtew St) Hub: Sanaa.

^ Back to top