5 DAYS EASTERN ETHIOPIA – AWASH, DIRE DAWA & HARAR

Day 1 – Arrival in Addis Ababa

Upon arrival at Bole International Airport you will be met by a Ruba Tours representative and be taken to your reserved hotel. Depending on your arrival time, we have various sightseeing options:

• Mount Entoto with the best views over the capital.
• Institute of Ethiopian Studies, where you can see a variety of artifacts from all the different regions reflecting the history and culture of the country
• National Museum which among other exhibits the 3.5-million-year-old bones of Lucy.
• Saint-George Cathedral, where paintings by the famous Ethiopian artist Afework Tekele and other ecclesiastical wealth and cultural heritage of the past are displayed.
• Trinity Cathedral: this is the burial place of members of the imperial family and noted patriots; the cathedral is the most magnificent of its kind in the country, ornamented with carvings, mosaics and other artistic works.
• The Mercato, the largest open-air market in Africa.
• Unity Park, located within the National Palace of Ethiopia , embodies generational legacy of Ethiopia And Ethiopians.Prime minster Dr Abiy has announced that The park will be open to the public as of October 11, following the October 10th launchThe National Palace was Built under Emperor Menelik II over a century ago, the Palace rests on 40,000Sqm of land. For generations, it has been viewed as the epicenter of political power, where the most powerful family in the land resides. The renovated compound incorporates several sights of interest to visitors, including an arena, a playground, a zoo,three churches,House of Royals and an imperial banquet hall.

Day 2 – Drive to Awash Doho lodge.

The driving distances from Addis Ababa to Awash National Park is 214.7 km. We will drive through the Park and see the waterfalls and continue to DOHO LODGE.

WELCOME TO DOHO LODGE & HOT SPRINGS!

Amazing!! Never you will find such hot spring pools elsewhere in the world but only in Doho Lodge, ETHIOPIA – along 200m ridge, Tourists witness confirm that it is “world Class Ecotourist Hot Spring Pool”

Doho Lodge & Hot Springs is situated at the fabulous northern edge of Awash National Park. Its restaurants and bed rooms are built with comfort but local style. Natural hot springs, lakes, palm and acacia forests and the vast typha reeds added its natural beauty.  Wild animals like Lions, Leopards, Hippos, Waterbucks, Lesser kudus, Jackals, and Warthogs are among the larger mammals. The Lodge is neighboured by Awash National Park and Allideghe Wildlife Reserve. Game driving and bird watching is super in these areas than any sites in the country. Above all, enjoying in the natural hot springs of showering, bathing and swimming is breathtaking.

The lodge is located 248 km east of Addis Abeba, 22 km north of Awash-Sebat Town with the shortcut road and 36 km along the asphalt road of Semera-Djibouti and with only 7 km gravel road.

Day 3 – Drive to Harar

After breakfast we begin driving east towards Harar, we will pass through the town of Asebe Teferi , a major hub for trade in the region. We will arrive in Harar in the late afternoon.

Night and dinner at Ras Hotel

Day 4 – Visit Harar

Today we will spend the day visiting Harar’s countless mosques and shrines, animated markets, crumbling walls and charming people will make you feel as if you’ve floated right out of the 21st century. It’s the east’s most memorable sight and shouldn’t be missed. As if that wasn’t enough, there are many chances to get up close and personal with wild hyenas.

Day 5 – Drive to Dire Dawa & Fly to Addis Ababa.

In the morning we will drive to the old railway town of Dire Dawa with its Babel-like ambience, the enormous Kafira Market, sprawling way beyond its Moorish-style arches, is the most striking of Dire Dawa’s markets. Delving into the organised chaos of its narrow lanes is an assault on the senses. This market attracts people from miles around, including Afar and Somali herders, Oromo farmers and Amhara merchants. Charcoal and firewood is brought in from the hinterlands by camel; look for them in the wadi (riverbed).

Around noon we will go to the airport to catch our flight back to Addis Ababa.