If you want to be sure to have a great tour in the Simiens, contact Alebachew Abebe (alebachew_2005@yahoo.com; he also has a website: http://simienmountains.com/). If you want, you can arrange everything from home via e-Mail, including 4wd to/from Gondar if you wish. Let him know what you want and he'll tell you a price.
My girlfriend and I did a 5-day tour with him last summer. To say the truth, the woman was more than a little sceptical before about spending nearly a week in the mountains without a bathroom and cursed me for arranging the trip... what can I say, in the end she loved it even more than I did! Alex booked us an amazing cook who made three delicious meals for us every day, and we had the most helpful crew. Everything was included in the package, including food, clean water, firewood, tents...
we payed a little more than we would have if we had arranged everything ourselves, but then again I'm actually glad we did because of all the trouble that other people seem to have had. We felt like our trip was worth every single birr that we spent on it.
I've just got back from seven weeks in Ethiopia.
The Simiens are wonderful - I've not been to the Grand Canyon but I'm prepared to argue that the views over the North Simien escarpment are the best in the world! And the wildlife and flowers are incredible.
Like martin85, I too had a trek arranged by Alebachew Abebe (Alex) and it was great.
Indeed I was so impressed I asked if he could arrange two further tours by car - one around northern Ethiopia visiting Yeha and the rock-cut churches of Tigre which are comparable to those at Lalibela but much less well-known, and a second a little later to the Bale Mountains. He's not licensed in Bale so we had to employ a local guide there, but Alex has good contacts and everything was excellent.
For those of you that have gone with this Alex, have you been charged an arm and a leg for a short trip? We've enquired and he wants upwards of USD$450 for a 1-2 day short trek to the Simiens to the first camp, Sankaber.
Here's his breakdown:
Car-Driving you from Gondar to the park and for taking you out. So that you could see more.
Guiding service
Scout (park ranger)
Professional cook with its complete gear
Food
Sleeping materials (tent, sleeping bags and mattress)
Entrance fee
Price-470USD everything.
Seriously? What have you all paid comparatively?
Cheers.
#12 - well, that sounds like a proper rip-off, and as the two posters who suggested using him have made exactly 6 posts between them I would take it with a pinch of salt.
We met a guy in prague a few weeks ago who had just got back, they trekked for about 5 days I think in a group of four adn the total cost for the whole trek came to 700 Czech crowns each which is less than $20. In total.
I just want clarified one point though - we have our own tent, matress, bag, cooker and utensils. So, does that mean all we need to pay for is a scout and food, plus a guide if we decide? the mule, cook etc are unneccasry right?
btw - was it a fully grown, mentally sound adult that fainted due to lack of food? had they actually ever trekked anywhere before? and could they not of just said "hey, im hungry guys"? did they not think to keep a few snacks on their person?
#13, there is quite a difference in price when you organize it yourself versus if you have a tour operator in Gonder arrange things for you. (The main expense is the 4X4.)
To clarify, you will need a scout and food plus park fees. You are correct that the guide, mule and muleteer are optional. And do bring enough food to feed your scout!
#12, I also look forward to hearing more reports about what Alex charges. You can certainly do better if you wait and book in Gonder. (Even Alex will lower prices, as there are several good competitors running the same types of trips.)
kpristup, you should pay around 30 US a day I'd say... if you organise things on your own in Debark.
Edited by: uersii
The cost of doing it yourself from Debark is not in question. The OP has laid everything out.
Going through a tour operator from Gonder is the price in question. The main expense here is the vehicle. These tours also include a cook, who takes care of buying the food and preparing meals. (I have heard strong praise about the cooking provided by organized tours.)
Having a cook is a really nice luxury. Any large group should consider hiring a cook, even if they arrange everything themselves from Debark. (The cost per person is minimal if spread over a larger trekking party.) (True enough, sometimes you will get a guide who is willing to cook, but this is not guaranteed, nor is his cooking proficiency.)
Per OPs warning, you should still bring snacks.
And perhaps the cooks available through the park office in Debark should not be entrusted to purchase enough food. (Moreover, there is a much better selection of foods in Gonder.)
Peace,
BB
I found it hard to tell if prices we paid last year in Ethiopia were fair, not only in the Simiens, because prices have apparently gone up sharply at the ethiopian millenium. we found that just about everything (food, hotels, taxis, guides...) cost us about 30-50% more than the 2006 LP edition told us, and that was also the case when we went somewhere together with people who had been to the country several times and spoke fluent Amharic, so it can't just be us being unable to haggle over prices.
about Alex' prices... he and other guides that offer pre-booked tours will always charge you more then you'd pay organizing everything yourself. however, 470$ for 1-2 days may sound unreasonable, but there was a 4wd from gondar to sankaber (and back?) included in that price? agencies in Addis charge more than 100$ per day for a car and driver (not a guide)...
also Alex always tries to throw in a tour in Gondar, where he's also licensed as a tour guide, taking that out of the package will also lower the price.
all in all, pre-booking a tour is certainly not the cheapest option, but if you look at what you're getting it's still cheap, and ridiculously cheap by western standards.
honestly, the reason I've posted a recommendation of Alex is because he organised us a wonderful trip, and that he was offering a perfect quality service. we felt like this was worth paying a little more for.
#17 is the key. I'm lazy enough to want to travel in comfort to Gondar to and into the Park; and I'm rich enough to do so, and to pay someone to look after the hassle and ensure that I have a great time. The BIG expense is the car. The rest mount up but individually and on a global scale people and food are cheap.
#13: yes - I have posted several recommendations of Alex. Cost was not my main consideration - although I have found him very reasonable. Basically he found out what I wanted and then did "look after the hassle and ensure that I have a great time". And he did so very well. On that basis, I recommend him.
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