All visitors to Ethiopia require a visa. However, at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, a tourist Visa on Arrival (VOA) is available to leisure visitors from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, China, Japan, Korea, Israel, Russia, the UK and all other European Union nations. A one-month tourist VOA costs US$50 and three months costs US$70. Multiple-entry visas are not currently available on arrival, so should be obtained in advance at an embassy. Please note that visa on arrival is not available to visitors entering by land borders. Business travellers, consultants and professionals working for NGOs need a Business Visa. This should be obtained in advance from an Ethiopian Embassy. Visitors who have their residence in countries without an Ethiopian Embassy, or far from the capital where the Embassy is located, can get the support of the organisation they are working for in Ethiopia to provide them with a document issued by the Immigration Authority allowing them to get a one-month single-entry visa on arrival. Both tourist and business visas can be extended at the Immigration Authority offices located in Churchill Road, near the Post Office, in Addis Ababa.

Banking and Money

The Ethiopian birr is one of the strongest currencies in Africa, though it has devalued significantly in recent years. Banknotes come in denominations of birr 200, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1, and centime and birr 1 coins are also minted. Foreign currency, in particular US dollars, pounds sterling and euros, can be changed into birr at private ‘forex bureaux’, as well as at most banks during banking hours (usually 8.30am to 4pm Monday–Saturday). Local currency can be drawn from a countrywide network of 24-hour ATMs with international Visa and MasterCards.

Retail Opening Hours

Shop opening hours tend to be less fixed and more whimsical than in Europe or North America. However, most places operate to core opening hours of around 8am to 5pm Monday–Saturday, but some might stay open until as late as 9pm or 10pm, and many also open on Sundays and public holidays.

Power Supply

Electricity is 220 volts at 50 cycles. Power cuts are frequent although the largest hotels and restaurants serving international visitors usually have generators. In any case it is a good idea to bring a torch as some streets in Addis can be dark at night. A torch will also be useful if you are planning to visit remote locations. Plug standards vary but the Type C (European two-pin) and Type L (Italian three-pin) sockets are most common.

Telephone

The international dialling code is +251. As is the case elsewhere, mobile phones are now more popular than land lines. The only provider is Ethio Telecom (www.ethiotelecom.et), which sells cheap local SIM cards at its stores in Addis Ababa and elsewhere. All phone numbers are now 10 numerals long, and mobile numbers can easily be recognized because they all start with ‘09’.

Ethiopia is a safe and reasonably healthy country provided you take a few common sense precautions. Ensure your inoculations for typhoid, tetanus, polio and hepatitis A are up to date, mainly if you are traveling out of the capital or you will stay away from the largest hotels Anti-malarial prophylactics should be taken if you’ll be visiting low-lying moist regions such as the southern Rift Valley and South Omo. There is also a small risk of malaria, especially during the rainy season, at mid-altitude sites such as Bahir Dar and Harar. Malaria is all but absent above 2000m, for instance in Addis Ababa, Gondar, Lalibela and the Bale and Simien mountains.

Avoid drinking or brushing your teeth with tap water. Bottled water is safe and widely available. It’s a good idea to carry a few packs of antiseptic wet wipes to wash your hands after toilet stops or before meals in more remote areas where running water may not be available.

Ethiopia is a safe and politically stable country, though there may be some risk attached to travel in remote border areas with more volatile neighbors such as Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan. None of these areas is likely to be visited on a normal tour.

Pickpockets and con artists proliferate in central Addis Ababa but are not a serious cause for concern elsewhere in the country.

Booking: All Contracts and Agreements will be valid consequent to Gebriel Tours confirmation of the booking by fax, e-mail, letter or telephone. At the time of confirmation, a deposit of 40% of the total cost shall be paid in advance, while the remaining 60% shall be paid upon arrival to Addis Ababa or mid way through your trip. Cancellation: Gebriel Tours will charge 30% of the tour cost for last minute cancellations of less than three weeks prior to tour commencement.

Transportation: Gebriel Tours offers a wide range of transport. We have a fleet of 4WDS vehicles, coaster buses, minibuses and deluxe big buses for sightseeing tours in Addis Ababa and the countryside. However in the event that a vehicle breakdown should occur, Gebriel Tours will make every attempt to provide a new vehicle within 2 hours. Depending on the traveler's preference and availability.

Itineraries: Gebriel Land Tours has created selected itineraries to display on the website. However numerous types of tours can be combined or tailored to suit the traveler's time schedule and budget. Please contact us today to start customizing your trip to Ethiopia.