Hi everyone. I've just completed a month-long custom Ethiopia tour with 2 other travel companions. We did a 10-day Simien Mountains Trek, went to Lake Tana, Gondar, Lalibela, and to the Lower Omo Valley. I'd like to share what I've learned about local guides.
First, based on good recommendations in this forum, I planned the whole itinerary through http://www.guide-ethiopia.com/ which is run by tour guide YALEW TAFETE. He started his guiding career 11 years ago leading treks in the Simien Mountains, starting from his hometown of Debark. Now he's based out of Gondar, and has lots of experience and contacts for arranging tours throughout Ethiopia. We opted for basic to mid-range accommodation, and the all-inclusive tour worked out to be about half the price of quotes I got from other companies. YALEW is honest and will do his utmost to ensure you are happy. His dealings with local guides and villages are unfailingly polite and fair. He is humble rather than assertive, so it's best to know what you want and tell him, and he will make it happen.
One thing you need to know about guides in Ethiopia is that the company you book with works basically as a facilitator to organize your itinerary, book accommodation and vehicles, and pay your entrance fees. At each and every stop along your itinerary, you will be required to engage the services of a local guide (whom your facilitator will arrange for you). This is a good thing, in a sense, as it spreads the financial benefits of tourism more widely. It means, though, that the guide who accompanies you throughout your trip will not be the one telling you about the people and places you visit. Further, you will be expected to tip all the half-day guides, boat captains, and drivers, not to mention your whole trekking crew, which can end up feeling like "death by a thousand tips."
YALEW has a solid network of contacts, and so in each place we got the best of the local guides and drivers. The ones who impressed us most were:
SIMIEN MOUNTAINS: trekking guide MULAT is the best of the best - very professional - ask if he is available when you are planning your trek.
GONDAR: local guide ABEBAW TILAHUN was really, really knowledgeable and excellent at explaining Ethiopian history and culture. I believe he has good potential to lead excellent tours around Ethiopia, especially to the historical monuments in the north of the country. Contact him at abebaw.t16@gmail.com or telephone +251918774181.
LALIBELA: local guide TESFA knows everybody in town and was superb at getting us access to the best possible places from which to participate in the Timkat festivities. If you are going to Lalibela during a festival, ask if TESFA is available to make your experience unforgettable.
