Guide to Ethiopia for Independent Travelers(FIT Guide)

It may seem counter intuitive for a tour and travel company to offer tips for travelers to come to Ethiopia independently, but we have good reasons. Firstly, we are travelers ourselves and know some times you want to do your own thing. Also if your budget doesn’t allow you to use a tour company, we still think you should visit Ethiopia and see, do and experience as much as you can. Lastly you save us time and effort by knowing where you budget fits and coming with a clear idea. Here are our top 9 tips for independent travelers in Ethiopia:

1.      Download RIDE app (Ethiopian version of UBER) for getting around Addis Ababa. It isn't perfect and you have to pay cash, but it is a thousand times better than bargaining with a Lada driver. Plus you usually don't smell like motor oil when you get out of a RIDE!

The ubiquitous old Lada car in Addis Ababa

2.     Rent a car and driver from any reputable tour operator like Travel Africa Tours, especially if you are going to Southern, or Western Ethiopia or have limited time. 

3.      Buy a local SIM card at the airport or at any Ethio Telecom office. 

4.      If you are traveling by public transport it is better to go by long distance bus not minibus as you’ll change many places. Although please note that public transportation does not always connect so you might waste a lot of time trying to get places.

5.      Travel during the low season which are the months of June, July and August for the best deals on accommodations and rental cars. It is the rainy season though, but typically in Ethiopia there is no tropical downpour and rain lasts just a few hours. 

6.      Download the Ethiopian Airlines app so you have the power to buy domestic flights easily, check in for your flights, and check the flight schedule. Plus you get a discount for purchasing online. 

7. Speaking of Ethiopian Airlines, when you fly ET you get a free stopover in Addis Ababa(for the length of time you choose) and a heavy discount on all domestic flights for one year!

8.      If you are staying in budget hotels you can never expect a generator when the power goes out, as it often does in Ethiopia. We recommend you bring a LuminAID lantern with a phone charger so you aren’t left in the dark! 

9. Make sure to bring a credit card when you inevitably want to splurge on a nice hotel and restaurant.

10.  Most importantly: Do not give money to any of the hustler children you find at tourist destinations. Often these children have left their village home at as young as ten years old and moved to these sites to hustle on the streets. When you give the kids money, you encourage more to leave their homes; to harass other foreign visitors; you discourage them from getting an education(which is free in Ethiopia from primary through university) and instead give them a sense that conning foreign visitors day in and day out is a valid career option. 

      Do independent travelers really want to see more young street hustlers everywhere they travel? 

 

The first time I visited Ethiopia, I came as a FIT(Free Independent Traveler) and learned all these lessons the hard way! 

Please comment below which tips you plan to use in your travels in Ethiopia or in general.