Excursion to Melka Kuntre, Tiya and Adadi Mariam

The trip together with my tourguide Capital was fantastic! Everything was perfectly organised and it was an unforgettable experience! The sites were very impressive, I liked the most Tiya with its amazing and beautiful monoliths.

A very well organised tour, we saw the beautiful landscape around Addis Ababa when the end of harvest season for teff was in full swing. Very good explanations of the archaeological sites, for security reasons we couldn’t visit the church, a good call on our guide’s part -(Beki), who looked after our wellbeing and security. Amazing archaeological finds, followed by a lovely traditional coffee ceremony with a charming family, delicious lunch, a great experience!

I had a long layover at the airport and I took the opportunity to take this tour, which was an unforgettable experience. The guide Capital and the driver Result went out of their way to make me feel comfortable and gave me all kinds of explanations about everything I asked. Also, since I had plenty of time, they offered to show me around Addis Ababa and take me to all the places I wanted to visit. What could have been an endless wait at the airport, turned into a fantastic day that allowed me to get to know Ethiopia and its people a little bit. Thank you very much Capital and Result!

Had a wonderful day with Beki and driver who made me feel very comfortable and safe as a solo female traveller. Beki is very knowledgeable and friendly and provided an excellent tour of the amazing world heritage sites- Tiya Stelae and Melka Kuntre. I also enjoyed the traditional food and coffee we shared at a local restaurant along the way, as well as seeing how kotjo (a bread made from the false banana plant) was made (it’s delicious!). I would highly recommend this tour with Beki!

We went on a 4-day tour to the Highlands and Rift Valley south of Addis. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. First we visited three very interesting historical sights: the archaeological site of Melka Kuntre, the wonderful Adadi Mariam rock-hewn church and the Tiya stele field, a Unesco World Heritage Site. We also visited a farming family and learned about the processing and preparation of False Banana. From a viewpoint on the way to Ziway, we had a breathtaking view of the Rift Valley before the road winds down into the valley. On the second day there was an exciting boat trip on the huge Lake Ziway to an island with hundreds of birds and to a very enchanted monastery island, rounded off with a visit to the best fish restaurant in town. At Lake Langano we were then able to relax and swim at the idyllic Sabana Beach Resort. The visit to Abijata Shalla National Park on the third day was another highlight with a hike through the breathtaking landscape, where we saw lots of pelicans, flamingos and other water birds as well as antelopes, ostriches and a jackal. We were particularly fascinated by the hot springs. All in all, it was a very impressive and unforgettable experience. My guests, who were in Ethiopia for the first time, got a great impression of the country. Beki is a wonderful tour guide. He knows how to explain the culture of his country in a very interesting and sensitive way and has in-depth background knowledge. It's a pleasure to travel with him.

Very rewarding day trip south of Addis Ababa. We did a lot. We visited an archaeological excavation where 1.8 million-year-old stone tools were found, we saw grave sites from the 13th century, a church excavated in a mountain. We also got to see how juniper, fake banana tree, is prepared so that it becomes edible.

Highly enjoyable, very competent and sympathetic guida and driver. We had a great time. The sights were fantastic and interesting

I was visiting Addis solo on business, and needed to split up my site seeing over two different days. The first afternoon Beki gave me a wonderful afternoon guided tour of the Mercato with a coffee stop along the way. The Mercato would have been overwhelming for me to do solo. We were able to see all the different areas from spices to metal working to recycling and more! Quite a unique functioning market. Some of my best trip pictures are from here! My second trip with Beki was also very informative. This was the all day "Excursion to Melka Kuntre, Tiya and Adadi Mariam". This was a great chance to get out of the city to see more of the country but also learn about history, religion and culture. I appreciated the on-time hotel pick ups, the ability to clearly explain points of interest, safe driving, and overall the non-rushed and enjoyable set of tours! If/when I go back to Ethiopia, I'll be looking up East Africa Tour Operators again!

We went there in early October this year via the 'Fly Africa' platform and the owner, Beki, was very welcoming and accompanied us the whole time along with the plane. In addition to taking us on the regular southern route (Tiya, Hamo, Lip Pan, etc.), it also took us through a lot of unique features and gave us lots of small gifts that we loved. In short, the trip was perfect and thanks to the very low prices that Smooth Africa helped us secure. If I ever get the chance to play upstate again, I'll find them.