Harar - Dire Dawa

Thanks for the report. It's amazing how much your choice of hotel changes your perception of a town. It's disappointing that the author of the LP guide didn't like Dire Dawa. Like you, I too loved the place. It's got a real desert town/Somali feel to it with it's camel trains, dusty markets and incredibly friendly people, while Harar is less than an hour away and is surrounded by green hills.

Less than an hour?? I wish! 2.5 hours to Harar, nearly 2 back.

I understand OP's feeling about Harar being aggressive, as I also traveled alone. I did not meet anyone while in Harar but talked to a few people afterwards who had been, and as couples/families no one else had the same experience. Yet, I liked it...thought it was one of the more interesting places I went.

I liked Tewodros, and had no problem with the food. Unless there is a different receptionist now than when I went, he was no more than a boy and there was only one price--price of the room--that was ever discussed, and it was only discussed when I first saw the room. If you mean the guide Guma--who is a guide only--yes, he hovers. And leers a bit. It's off-putting, especially if you're a solo woman. He would tell me he'd meet me (for the hyenas, or a walk) at a certain time, then knock on my door 30 minutes early. But with him again, prices were never changed, it was really just his hovering that creeped me out.

Oh, and right before I left Harar Guma asked to have my phone, "because he is so poor." (Yet lots of people in Harar have mobiles--are they very expensive?) Sigh. That was annoying. OH and he told me that children have to pay for elementary school in Ethiopia, but my TESFA guide said that wasn't true. I suppose that could cast doubt on other things he told me, but it was such a relief to meet someone in Harar who spoke English.

I would like to go back but I wouldn't go alone--it is a bit tough there. But if I DO go back, I'd like to have more time for Dire Dawa. I really didn't get the impression the Bradt guide "slated" it, just that the author found Harar more interesting. Reading about was enough to make me want to go, I just didn't have time.

Oh, just checked my notes and it was a bit under 2 hours on the way to Harar as well...I guess it felt longer because of the wait time at the bus station.

I personally found Harar to be the place that people were the nicest to me. A lot of them asked if I wanted to see hyenas but there was only once that a kid came to ask for money(unlike other places where they came all the time) and one adult actually told him to go away.

I thought Tewodros was fine. I didn't have any food there though. I arrived there at 5am, one guy took me to the room, I paid for it and I didn't really see him again.

OK, two hours then. I can't remember it all that well because I had my eyes shut the whole time - our driver was on a suicide mission with us all strapped into the back.