If you want to live like a local, Ethiopia goes very easy on the wallet. If you're staying in small hotels, eating street food and travelling by bus, you can get by on about US$10.00 a day. Doubling that budget will allow you to stay in slightly classier hotels and eat in restaurants, but you'll still be restricted to bus travel. If you're willing to pay around US$70.00 a day you can stay in quite upmarket hotels, jet between towns, eat whatever you want and hire a guide.

Travellers cheques in US dollars should do the trick just about anywhere in Addis Ababa and the larger towns. Keep cash in US dollars on hand to cover you in really out-of-the-way places. There's really no point taking a credit card with you, other than to pay at some of the larger hotels and airlines. There are no ATMs in the country that accept foreign cards.

If you use a guide while visiting one of Ethiopia's historic sites, they'll expect a tip - about US$1.00 an hour seems to be the going rate. Tips aren't expected in restaurants, but they will be happily received. Bargaining with taxi drivers and souvenir-sellers for a better price is quite acceptable.

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