Covenant Ethiopia Tours

 
 
 
  Excellent  
    
 Based on 14 reviews 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Stefano T 
 
February 13, 2020
 
 
  
Excellent organization and friendly staff
We asked Dawit to organize a private tour for 4 persons in Lalibela, Danakil and Gheralta, and everithing was great. Everybody involved in the organization by Covenant Tours was professional, reliable, flexible and superfriendly. Local guides, drivers, porters and the chef were fantastic. Hopefully we will go back to this beautiful country soon and Covenant Ethiopia Tours will be our reference again.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Paul 
 
January 11, 2020
 
 
  
Excellent Guides and Service at Reasonable Cost
My friend and I took an 18 day customized tour to both the North and South of Ethiopia. Dawit was responsive and also provided solid recommendations. He has a great knowledge of the country--including its history, people, geography, and special places--and can easily provide suggestions for areas of interest. He arranged a tour that catered to our interests and his selection of guides and drivers was excellent! We were thrilled with Teddy (Tedrose), our first guide, who has a vast understanding of the culture and religious traditions of the people. His insights and explanations greatly aided our understanding and appreciation of the daily rituals of the people and religious iconography. I also greatly appreciated his flexibility and willingness to engage the local people with our questions and requests and some house visits we were able to arrange on the spot will be among the many highlights of the trip. In the south, we changed guides, and Alex was great at helping us see the most with our limited time as well as introduce us to many of the birds in the South (another of our interests). We were fortunate to be able to see the Running of the Bulls Ceremony. I highly recommend Covenant Tours to anyone considering traveling to Ethiopia. Dawit is very knowledgeable and professional with an excellent group of guides and drivers and will come through on his word. The cost is also very reasonable--and much less than some other companies; providing the highest quality and value.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 kha 
 
January 7, 2020
 
 
  
Great Tigray Church Tour / mixed experience about Danakil Depression Tour
As Covenant Tours was listed in the Bradt travel book and especially their own fleet and reliability was mentioned as a plus we reached out to them via email to get more information about the tours they offer. Dawit, the owner, was very helpful, responsive and provided us with the necessary information. At the end we decided to book first a 2 day Tigray Church Tour and - after the tour was very well organized - decided to book also the 3 day/2night Danakil Depression tour with them. We met Dawit in his office in Axum to discuss the details and settle the payments. Tigray Church Tour (2 days): we were picked up by a minibus from a very nice driver in Axum. On the way we picked up a local guide, who was also very friendly and knowledgeable and hiked with us up to the churches. For lunch our guide invited us for a cup of tea/coffee before we continued the trip. We slept one night in Hazwen (Tourist Hotel, was newly renovated, clean, modern) before we continued our trip the next day. Unfortunately one of us got sick over night and we told the driver we want to skip visiting the churches. The driver was caring and brought us directly to the hotel in Mekele (Sayzana pension, one of the cheapies in the city but clean/good location). Also Dawit called and gave us a refund of approx. 40 USD (more or less the equivalent of the entrance fees for the churches and possibly the guide for that day). Overall the Tigray Church Tour was very well organized and we can fully recommend it! Danakil Depression (3 days/2 nights): we were picked up around 10:00 from our hotel and brought to the office of "Magma Flow Tours" infront of the Axum Hotel. (We were a little bit surprised that we "ended up" with another Tour Operator and the tour itself was not done by Covenant Tours. But it seems this is the case if you "join a group".) After other people have arrived, the cars have been loaded with water/mattresses and the manager has explained the itinerary we left Mekele around midday. As a part of the group had booked a 2 days tour only the order in which we visited the places was changed and we started heading to the salt lake at the first day and to the volcano Erta Ale on the 2nd day. In total we have been 4 cars and 16 people leaving Mekele. On the 2nd day part of the group left, but other cars from the same tour operator joined us so that we were a group of about 20 people. Unfortunately we had bad luck with our driver. Apparently he did the tour the first time and had no idea were to go. Also his driving skills were not very good, he was driving very slowly and unsecure and we lost the other cars of our group quite soon. Every now and then they were waiting for us and it became clear that the other drivers were quite annoyed by him and his slow driving. When we arrived in the desert the driver lost our group (again) and took the wrong way. After driving without having seen any other car (though there have been other groups as well) for a while we asked him if he is sure this is the right way. It turned out it was not and he tried to reach the others on the phone to get instructions how to get back. He was driving a few meters, stopped, got out of the car to ask locals or to call the others and left us alone in the car which was not comfortable at all. After about 1 hour we managed to get back to the main road where one of the other cars, which had returned, was waiting for us to guide us to the salt lake were all others were already waiting. After we arrived at the salt lake we told the other cars to not leave our car behind and to make sure we are not the last car of the convoy to not get lost again. The next days they tried, but two times we got lost again (though it took only a few minutes until we found the right way). Also the car we had, had problems with one of the windows and we were not able to properly close/open it which was quite annoying. When we returned from the trip the manager from "Magma Flow Tours" wanted to talk to us in the office, explained us that one of their drivers got sick and they had to replace him on short notice and apologized to us. We understand that this can happen and appreciate the apology, but nevertheless each driver should be informed about the itinerary upfront, new drivers should be accompanied with another experienced person (most of the time there was one car with only 3 tourists and 2 locals in the car), other drivers should pay special attention and the convoy should stay together! The tour as such was amazing and - beside the negative experience we had with the driver and the car - well organized. The mattresses and blankets that were provided were good. The food prepared by the chef was more than enough and tasty (though it could have been a little bit more variety as we had pasta with tomato sauce every day / sometimes twice). The woman we had as local guide at the salt lake and dallol and the other guides were very nice. In general: be prepared to spend a lot of time in the car on bumpy roads and to have no/little sleep (we got up at 04:30 every day to manage to visit all the places planned on the itinerary). Nevertheless the Dallol and Erta Ale is worth it - I have never seen such a place anywhere else before and might never see something similar again! One of the main reasons why we decided to book the Danakil tour with Covenant Tours - taking a higher price into account - was that we did not want to end up with a very big group (like ETT where we have seen there have been 30-40 people). At the end we were glad that our group was smaller than many of the other groups we saw and for us it was worth paying a little bit more.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Carmela A 
 
January 5, 2020
 
 
  
Highly recommended
We were a group of 12. Covenant Tours did a superb job. Picked us from the airport, took us through Axum, Yeha and Gheralta to see the Rick churches. The car was comfortable and clean and reliable. kibrom was an excellent driver. We had an exceptional guide with Teddy. All together a memorable trip. Can absolutely recommend this company.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Doug A 
 
December 31, 2019
 
 
  
Great service, very reasonably priced
We looked at several companies to organize a tour of the rock churches of Tigray. We settled on Covenant Ethiopia Tours because their prices were well below the other quotes. We were met at the Axum airport by our guide, Tedros Girmay, and our driver, Kibrom. Both were experts. Teddy was by far the best guide I’ve encountered in over 40 years of traveling in Ethiopia. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and never frustrated by our group’s endless stream of questions. Our driver Kibrom was superb—none of us ever felt the need to apply the brakes! He is a careful and highly experience driver. The owner, Dawit, was great about communication and responsive to our needs. I can’t recommend this company highly enough. They did a terrific job for us, and we all enjoyed our visit to northern Tigray—the rock churches are fabulous and definitely worth a visit.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Lisa.drog 
 
December 16, 2019
 
 
  
1 week Northern Ethiopia highlights
A friend recommended Covenant tours and we weren't disappointed. Dawit planned a brilliant itinerary for our 8 day trip, which despite being far too short a time, he made sure we saw as many of the highlights as we could comfortably fit in. He organized us a brilliant driver and knowledgeable guides and everything including accommodation and equipment was pre-paid so it was super easy. Every single day was exceptional. We saw the churches of Lallibela and Tigre, 2 days in the Simien mountains and a 3 day tour in the danakil depression with a quick overview of some of the cities. Thanks for an incredible week in an astounding country.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 1008shakti 
 
November 13, 2019
 
 
  
Great Tour Agency for Ethiopia
I found Covenant Tours through Lonely Planet. Dawit regularly communicated with me for months via email prior to our arrival and helped us create a wonderful itinerary. Then when we arrived in Addis, he met us at the airport. Throughout the trip, we had fantastic drivers and tour guides for the 2 weeks we visited. Our accommodations were comfortable. Dawit is completely trustworthy and reliable. I wire transferred all the money to him prior to our arrival and it was no problem,. We also had to change the itinerary last minute and he was completely accommodating. I cannot recommend him enough.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Danakil 
 
October 19, 2019
 
 
  
3 day trip to Erta Ale and Lake Asali (sulfure spring and salt mining)
October 2019 we booked a three-day trip to the volcano Erta Ale and the Danakil Depression to the salt lake Asali, the sulphur springs and salt mines there. We, 2 adults and our 15 year old daughter, as well as a travel group of 6 students, drove with 3 Landcruisers, guide and cook. We have booked directly from Germany at Covenant Travel. We were picked up in Mekele at the airport. First we went to the office, where we paid Bir in cash in local currency (that's better because of the Exchange rates). After coffee and a short wait we started. Teddy our guide sat with us in the car. A stroke of luck for us, because he told us a lot in good English. The other two vehicles were occupied by two other drivers, the cook and the six-man group. First destination was a place far outside where we got a delicious lunch. Then we continued through a flat sandy desert to a village of the local Afari. As they regard the country as their own and have to ask for access, this station was especially important. After a longer palaver and payment of about 200USD we were provided with a road guide and an armed companion. With both we continued after approx. 1h. On rough desert and later lava roads we drove to the volcano. In former times we stopped about 8km before the volcano and had to walk 4h over sharp-edged lava in the dark. Above we stayed overnight. With Chinese support now however a way was built bus below the volcano. From there it is only a short walk to the crater (50min at night, 25min during the day). This new but very rough road led us to what was locally called a campsite. It is a flat area at the foot of the volcano. The Afari have built semi-circular, knee-high walls here, which represent the sites for the overnight stays. These walls provide shelter from the wind and can accommodate 2-3 mattresses. But nothing more. To a number of these sites comes a "hut". It is a structure of loosely stacked lava stones, the roof consists of raw branches and foil and offers reasonable protection against rain. And depending on the season there can be rain, as we had to learn. We arrived at gg 17 o'clock and had still well 90min Ziet before it became pitch dark. Our cook and the drivers immediately moved into the hut to prepare dinner, while we had time to explore the area. It is an extremely barren area. Few trees, from time to time a camel nibbling on acacias and lava rocks to the horizon. Unfortunately also very, very much garbage. Especially the plastic water bottles. Everywhere. Too bad. While we were walking around a heavy sandstorm came first and then rain. Against the rain only retreat into the vehicles helped, because in the hut was no place for our group of altogether 14 people plus Roadguide and "Bodyguard" (our Kalashnikow carrier). If I should judge this "camping site", a star would be certainly too much, but who makes such a tour, should know, on which he gets involved. The overnight stays take place in the open air, when it rains you are unlucky and have to go through it. You shouldn't expect a shower, there's water to drink and brush your teeth from the bottle - but that's enough to take with you. And toilets are also not available. Bush toilet is announced. Please do not expect more, there is nothing else there. Well, after the rain has subsided, we could have dinner. 19:30 - of course it was pitch dark. But a battery lamp helped over it. And then we packed cameras and tripods, a flashlight in our hands and off we went up the volcano over lava rock. First we go to the edge of the extended crater. There is a now abandoned camp of the Ethiopian military, which until recently was used as accommodation for the travel groups. Unfortunately it is extremely littered. Everyone takes their water bottles up with them - but not everyone takes them down again. And so the blue bottles fly around everywhere. Too bad! From the camp we descended into the outer crater to the vent of the active lava lake. We had to walk cautiously, partly walking over thin layers of lava that collapsed under our steps. At some places we noticed at the temperature that there had to be active areas below us. And there was the vent: 20m in diameter, 40m deep. It was filled with smoke and fog and in between red-hot lava. In our ears a roaring sound, when you closed your eyes it sounded a bit like the sound of the sea. When the wind was unfavourable, we got into the smoke of the volcano and sulphur dioxide surrounded us. That was unpleasant and made us cough. It all sounds a little uncomfortable and dangerous, but we found it all to be absolutely manageable: Neither was it a problem to have the armed companions, nor is the ascent difficult (not even in the dark), nor can we stand it at the volcano. Especially during the long waiting time in the village to organize our company and to pay the money, many children came to the vehicles to look curiously and possibly get something. Who wants to give something, should not give money. Pens and blocks are accepted with great joy and help the children in school. The government has invested a lot and built schools locally, but the poverty is so great that there is often a lack of teaching materials. Of course, this is not a hike in the German Alps, where one hikes on brilliantly prepared and signposted paths to a mountain hut. No, not at all! But with an average physical condition and the courage to expose yourself to uncomfortable conditions (no real possibilities for laundry and toilet), such a trip is easily feasible. The security situation is still described as critical by the German Foreign Office. Before the conclusion of the peace agreement one was accompanied by the Ethiopian military in addition to the companion of the local tribe. That is different today. It is a must to register with the local tribe, to pay the obulus and to accept the escort. Then you have an AK47 in your immediate vicinity. But the whole thing seemed a little bit like folklore to us. Something that is done so that there is a source of income for the local tribes of the Afari. You also have to realize that you are travelling to an area of extreme poverty. The people there live in an extremely barren, almost desert-like environment and have very little. They live in huts made of branches with a plastic roof. In between the children run in large numbers. The poverty is obvious. After a long time of about 80min at the volcano, surrounded by sulphurous fumes, the rushing steam and the glances into the smoking and glowing vent, we are back again. Our armed guide was angry in the meantime, because he wanted to go down again after 20min. Well, he had wrongly estimated the stamina of our troop and our guide Teddy made it very clear what was expected of him. At some point we returned to the vehicles. In the meantime the team had distributed the mattresses there. So we slept protected by small walls under an open starry sky. Not a bad experience. We had also agreed with Teddy that we wanted to climb the volcano again in the morning. So we got up at 5:30 and left without breakfast at 6:00. That really worked, and while we were walking it was bright enough to walk without lamps. Fortunately we made the decision to climb again, because now we could see the whole area, the craggy crater walls, the cooled lava flows and the smoking vent. Fascinating. By the way, our AK47 carrier refused to climb again. I didn't feel like going up again. So the Roadguide had to carry the annoying gun with him. I already said: more folklore than safety issues. With everything I have written so far, one should keep in mind that we had very moderate temperatures. With us it was between 22 and 27 degrees, which is nice. But on other occasions that could be 42-47 degrees, which makes many things more difficult. Teddy had set the early ascent in the morning so that it won't be too hot. Which it wasn't, but it could be. Also this time we could take a lot of time at the volcano. We saw the other open crevasses smoking and glowing at a greater distance. We saw the crater to its full extent. And then down again. With light it took only half the time. Below we had a delicious breakfast with eggs, fruit salad and porridge. Then pack everything up and go back the same way. The destination today was the village Hamed Ela at Lake Afrera, a salt lake. There we first wanted to see the sunset and the next day the colorful sulfur springs and the local salt mining. The trip went the same way back (including a stop in the village to get rid of a massive complaint about our very inactive armed man), and then on well asphalted roads through a fantastic mountain range full of rugged cliffs and valleys whose name I unfortunately didn't write down. We arrived on the salt lake in time. And that is to be understood literally. It is not a lake in the conventional sense. One drives on the salt to the middle of the sea. The area is totally flat and allows nice views to the horizont. It is recommended to wear sandals. Croqs can be used, but Tevas are better. You can try to walk barefooded, but this is not recommended because the salt is harsh and sharp-edged. Not very comfartable. The sun set was phantastic, and we expanded the time and waited a lonmger time afterwards to see the stars and the upcoming thunderstorms. A nice beer in our hands (or the local soft drink with a taste of coffee and beer so called Negus - good taste!). Darkness surrounded us, and it was a nice experience just to sit and wait. Back in the village where we will overnite. Back in the village we drove to the hut, which was assigned to us for the night. Strictly speaking, this hut was also intended for the kitchen and the overnight stay should be on self-made bedsteads. So far so good, the bed frames with their plaited "mattresses" were really good. Unfortunately the night was interrupted several times. First, I have to nibble my ass on the bed. Then rain came up. Then a sandstorm and then again very heavy rain. During the first rain, our troops quickly moved under a canopy. Unfortunately there was no room left for our three beds. However, as the rain stopped quickly, we stayed outside. No problem, until then extremely strong wind began, as a harbinger of a strong thunderstorm. We decided to move to the Kochhütte, which was a wise decision given the heavy rain that started later. At 6 in the morning we really wanted to watch the sunrise. But that turned out because of the many clouds. Teddy then went with three of us through the village across the street. Alone, I would not have dared me. But so I got a glimpse into life in this harsh and extreme area. The salt miners live in the village. At 6 in the morning, they make their way to the salt mines with their tools. One should not confuse this with mining. The mines are parts of the salt lake, where large floes of crystallized salt are broken to be beaten to about shoebox-sized bars. These bars are picked up by camel caravans. This hard work represents the main source of income of the local Afari. Breakfast, pack and go. Our destination is the nearby volcanic activity in the middle of the lake. Sulfur-containing gases and water escape at these points and combine with the salt. There are incredible sculptures, crystals, turquoise ponds, yellow sulfur deposits. The area is a color sea of ​​red, orange, yellow, brown and white tones. It can not be described, but photos say a lot about this area. The ride starts in the rain, which is remarkable, because this place - 120m below sea level - is one of the hottest places on earth. Not today :-). In the rain to the elevated sulfur springs. The rain stopped nice when we scrambled up. There, a surreal world awaited us, with steaming springs, sulphurous deposits, crystallized salts, poisonous green pools and so on. An orgy of colors and shapes. And while the visits usually only have 15 minutes because of the extremely high temperatures of 50 degrees and more, we had infinitely vel time at a comfortable 25 degrees. What such a rain brings benefits. We reveled in this strange area. We did not get enough fat and the memory cards were filled until they glowed. At some point we had to go. Not everyone has the patience to stay longer in such places. A pity, I could have spent hours. But even so it was incredibly beautiful and impressive. Only the feeling that with each step also something of the partly fragile structures destroyed, diminished the experience. Teddy told us that one could not lay paths, as the sources would often change their location. I'm not sure. The danger is there that this beautiful place is quickly destroyed. Pamukkale in Turkey can serve as a negative example. The US in Yellowstone and Iceland are doing better. That is the only way to protect what excites you so much. Oh yes, our AK47 man was of course also there. He had about as much desire as the day before, but his boss has probably missed him a thorough enema, this time he was less annoyed. Incoming rain finally drove us out and we hiked the 20 minutes back to the vehicles. We wanted to go to an open lake or crater in the middle of the salt lake. This crater, 30 meters in diameter, contains brownish water. It seethes in some places because of escaping gases, but the water is lukewarm at most. The smell of kerosene is in the air. The water feels oily, almost creamy. Strange. Some skeletons of smaller birds show us that drinking this water can not be healthy. But we do not know what it is. Continue to the salt mines. Groups of workers squat on the salty ground and work the broken-off plaice. At the pleasant 25 degrees it all looks bearable. But what is 50 Grd? There is no shadow what makes the normal work incredible hard. We were able to watch the workers and they explained what they are doing. But I felt it was a bit uncomfortable, because as a rich tourist, I watch people who pursue this hard activity for little money. A little voyeurism, that's what happened to me: It was interesting. Only camels we did not see there. There must be impressive pictures of long camel caravans picking up the salt bars. But during our visit there were none there. Too bad. The last stop of our trip to the salt lakes took us to some salt rocks and an adjacent open site. Like a salt pool, a 3-meter-diameter spot was open and filled with saturated brine. The feeling of Dead Sea in the middle of Ethiopia. Some have climbed into the water. Must feel strange when the lift is so strong that you can sit. And it has to feel painful when this water gets in the eyes. Some made this experience. I refrained, since it is not so pleasant to have all the salt on my skin afterwards. What can we conclude from this tour? Well, we are very satisfied with the organizer Travelcovenant. The planning and execution of the trip was professional, neat and successful. The costs were reasonable and not marred by extraordinary extra costs (exorbitant tips and the like). We had an excellent guide (Teddy) who could tell and explain a lot to us. Our driver was great and tried to make the ride as comfortable as possible. So even those extremely rough slopes were always reasonably pleasant for us. And the chef brought delicious food to the table in the morning, at noon and in the evening. By the way, not only local food but rather internationalized Ethiopian cuisine. Incidentally, it's also easy for vegetarians. You can not expect comfort on such a tour. It was all rudimentary. There was water for drinking and brushing your teeth. We slept on simple mattresses. If you expect more, you will be more disappointed. Then you should not do such a tour either. The trip requires no special condition. Normal fitness is sufficient. How it is in really hot weather, but I can not judge. I strongly recommend having these things with you: # a light sleeping bag or duvet cover for the night # a good flashlight and / or headlamp # light clothing # a warm shirt for the cooler nights # Disinfectant solution for cleaning hands # Toilet paper # Sandals and sturdy hiking boots # a cloth against possible sandstorms # Mosquito repellent is not necessary Regarding the security situation, I have already written. It all seemed like a show to me. The Afari also want to earn something from the tourists and therefore provide security personnel. I do not think the security situation up there is so critical. I did not feel uncomfortable during the whole trip. We would do this tour again at any time and also choose Covenanttravel. On our part a very special recommendation! The trip to Erta Ale and Dankil Depression was the right choice. The Organisation of Covenanttravel was the right choice. Teddy and Gudo did a grat Job.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Betty 
 
September 9, 2019
 
 
  
Visit to Gheralta churches and Danakil Depression
We did a bespoke 4 day tour with Covenant travel - pick up from Mekelle airport to Gheralta, 1 day visiting the churches in Gheralta, and 2 days visiting the Danakil depression. Dawit was excellent in helping to answer questions about tour options, and was always very quick to respond to emails. We had an amazing driver, Mambratu, and excellent guide, Tewalde. Dawit also organised an excellent cook, so we were very well fed throughout. The whole trip was very smooth thanks to the great team. Would highly recommend Covenant Travel.
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 freddagg 
 
May 13, 2019
 
 
  
Best agency to use to organise trips to Ethiopia
I have worked with Dawit and the team on two visits to Ethiopia. The first several years ago - a trip with a friend including Lalibela, Axum and Tigray, and most recently with my husband and another friend to the Tigray and the Danakil area. He is professional, organised and always has excellent guides. Zeray was a. terrific guide, and in my view Fish is one of the best drivers in Africa - quite important given the hazards of driving in Africa. And I have quite a few data points, given I have visited every other country in Africa, many of them more than once, so have had wide experience of African driving. I can't recommend them highly enough.