Ethiopia Xmas in Lalibela

In my very limited experience (I was there only once during Dec/Jan, many years ago) it was Timkat (19 Jan) that got the big crowds, not Ethiopian Christmas. In fact, Xmas day itself was pretty quiet, I spent it at Sodere hot springs - very relaxing!

OP, the crowds in Ethiopia are nothing like the crowds in China. If you are in Ethiopia during Christmas (Coptic calendar means it is Jan 7) IMO it would be a shame to miss out. The churches themselves did not have me gasping in awe but the candlelit crowds all night long was a sight to see. As were the rituals. There are Ethiopians who travel long distances to Lalibela and stay for 5-7 days. You could always leave a day early if you want. I was there some years ago and had no trouble getting a bus ticket. You could always book the ticket in advance.

Thx so much. I booked an flight on the 5th. Ill stay in lalibela at least through the 8th. Its a once in lifetime experience to be there on that day so ill do it

Good! I stayed in Asheton Hotel - nice place with a flower-filled central courtyard. It is within easy walking distance to all the churches and the town. Beware the scams - there are always some very creative ones at play.

If you have time go up north. I liked Axum more than any other town as well as the stelae and the supposed palace of the Queen of Sheba. There are some photos and stories on my blog if you want to see. I never managed to get further north; ran out of time. But heard great things from others about the monasteries built on the table mountains.

Whatever you do, don't stay in the Aman Hotel in the town centre: it's dirty (they're building a fourth floor on the roof) and the rooms aren't cleaned during your stay. They conned us for airport transfer (letting us think there was no charge, until we went to leave when the driver not only wanted 500 birr for the journey, but another 500 for the pick-up a couple of days previously). He held on to one of our bags until we paid. He had us over a barrel, so we gave him 500 for the pick-up and got another driver (200 birr). Breakfast isn't even included in the rate!

These stories worry me. Ive been traveling a year and no prob. That's a mixture of luck and not having traveled in Africa. I booked the Lal resort. It was $35 a night, way more than i hoped to pay and have payed. It was cheapest avail to prebook which i am doing only because its xmas in Lalibela. Any other info appreciated. What did you spend daily on avg, not including tours?

Thx. Ill read it!!

Ethiopia is IMO not quite Africa, nor does it have an Arab-like feel - it is in a category by itself. I don't think you should be unduly worried especially if you have been travelling for year. The people are by and large, gentle - quite different from other parts of Africa. The scam I referred to was a creative one - youngsters, schoolkids claimed that they did not have money for schoolbooks. If any tourist taken in by the claim, went and bought a stack of schoolbooks, these were promptly taken back to the shop and exchanged for cash. Nothing more devious than that.

Re money for the ride. As far as I remember, this pertained to the ride from the airport to the hotel. I flew from Addis to Laibela. At the airport there were several desks with names of hotels. It was refreshingly hassle-free in the sense that although manned by representatives, nobody spoke to the tourists not did they try to persuade the tourists; they only answered questions if anyone asked - probably a regulation set in place b/c of previous hassles. The vans stood outside to ferry us and no mention was made of payment until we reached the hotel. My journal says I paid Br 70. For other rides to the bus station find some others and share a taxi. If it is daylight, you can walk to/from the bus station.

Btw, internal flights are cheap in Ethiopia. For USD 40-60 you can go essentially from one end of the country to another. Check the prices though - I am quoting prices from Dec 2012-Jan 2013.