Testimonials

I can recommend Awoke Hailu Bekele, of Safari Ethiopia Tours for a tour of any length . I have been on trips with Awoke in 2012 in 2019 to the north, the west, the east and deepest south with a small group of 2 and a bigger one of 4.

Awoke runs his own agency.
On both tours he has proven to be an experienced all round guide with an outstanding knowledge of Ethiopian wildlife. His knowledge of birds, birdlife and its distribution in Ethiopia is considerable. He is also quite well versed with the country’s cultural history. Often laced with humor he gives you many a good story from behind the wheel. Never a dull moment when on the road with Awoke.

Nevertheless, his chief concern appears to be and remains at all times : Safe transport.

He organises his own transport and provides you with well serviced, spacious 4×4 vehicles, which he knows inside out. I was impressed by the driving skills he demonstrated in many a potentially dangerous situation. I can recommend anyone to ask Awoke to combine two things for you :  Ask him to help you to prepare your tour AND ask him to be your guide as well.

He knows how to communicate efficiently from start to finish. He speaks and writes English fluently and, more importantly, he is true to his word.
This combination of tour operator AND tour guide has shown to be advantageous for both of us, for him and myself. It saves a lot of time and e.g. all our bookings of accommodation went without a hitch.  A next time I would not bother with inland flights and other services. I shall leave this to him.  He is easy to contact by mobile and email and his website can be a great help when making choices in a country that has so much to offer .

It has been my considerable pleasure and privilege to enjoy two visits to Ethiopia. On both occasions, Awoke Hailu Bekele of Safari Ethiopia Tours provided guidance, excellent company, and enduring friendship. The principal purpose of my first visit was to enjoy and to embrace Ethiopia’s huge diversity of wildlife, landscape, and environment, to which purpose we traversed highland, wetland, desert, and forest. My second, and more recent visit enjoyed a much more cultural objective, which took us to Ethiopia’s southlands, and into the South Omo Valley region. This ten-day tour permitted visitation and intimate contact and communication with seven tribal communities, and a rare insight into remote and rural life. Both journeys were hugely enhanced by Awoke’s intimate knowledge of Ethiopia’s wildlife. Equally, his knowledge of tribal and cultural life, and conflict, prepared us well for our community visits.

Awoke is an enormously friendly man, a splendid and knowledgeable companion, and one who truly shares every day and every moment. He will be my first point of contact should it become my pleasure to visit Ethiopia again.

Passion is something I always look for in a guide/driver. Awoke has this in abundance. His eternal smile and interest in his own heritage and the wildlife of Ethiopia makes him the perfect companion on a trip of this fabulous country. I don’t think ’No’ exists in his vocabulary and he could not do enough to make our four-man tour the most amazing experience it could be. Two of my colleagues have already returned for an additional trip with Awoke and I will endeavour to do so again when time allows.

We made a tour in North and South Ethiopia from 7 till 30th November, 2018, with Awoke Hailu Bekele as a driver/guide. We were extremely happy with his service all over.  Awoke knows the country, the roads, the people,.. and always finds solutions to make your trip a wonderful experience! He is a very kind, reliable, and warm person and became a good friend of us. We can certainly recommend Ethiopia with Awoke !

Linda, Jan, Myriam, Katrien & Annemie from Belgium

Ewoke arranged a week in the north seeing the historic areas and a week in the Omo Valley visiting the tribes and seeing the birds and other wildlife. The trip was excellent, very well planned and executed. Ewoke himself is a knowledgeable guide who is concerned that everything should go right, and it did. The country is extra-ordinary in its scenery, churches, castles, and above all the people. The markets in the south were fascinating and the tribes people remarkable.A superb holiday: thank you Safari Ethiopia

He went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure our Thorntree inspired tour of stangers (1 Australian, 1 Belgian, 2 Brits, 1 Spaniard, 1 French-Canandian, and yours truly) had an amazing time. He is knowledgable, passionate, and best of all, quite funny. By the end of the trip I was so in love with Ethiopia and the friendships I built in such a short time, I was “that” lady in the airport, crying so hard immigration practically waived me through. I am still in contact with Awoke and three others from the tour. It was such a special trip for me and my life and I can’t thank Awoke enough for the effort he put into it. Bravo, my friend!

Ethiopia is so expensive to rent a car, with very stingy kilometers included, that you”ll see little but the Capital on your own. The Capital is fine for a few days, but Ethiopia has much more.
That’s why I chose to use a tour company instead and found online very favorable reviews on SafariEthiopiaTours. Ewoke was very prompt answering my e-mails as we went back and forth on my choosing destinations in the country that matched my interests. He knows his stuff not only about his country but how long it takes to travel and see things.
So we compromised because of my limited time and interests that would have taken more than a week to see.
Well the trip timing went well, Ewoke was my personal guide, his love for his country really showed. He also is a very avid bird watcher; binoculars and bird identity book are used during the game drives.
Ethiopia is not the best place to see the “big five” Lions, etc. but it’s great for many mid-sized mammals and birds. I also saw herds of baboons, camels, and even a crocodile in the wild.
Out of the Capital where there is no holiday Inn with a mint on the pillow. Was placed in the best hotel available in each town, and good food. You will see much poverty and get a sampling of the third world and a taste of the real Africa.
On the road to Harar the scenery was as breathtaking as in South Island New Zealand.
Highly recommended

Awoke was a terrific guide, and we saw parts of Ethiopia I would never have seen without him. I hope to go back one day soon.
Moira Yip
Linguist

I only had a short time in Ethiopia and Awoke was able to arrange the perfect 1-day trip so I could see some of the beautiful country of Ethiopia. He is very knowledgeable, personable, and has a great love of his country. I hope to get back and would certainly work with Awoke and Safari Ethiopia again.

John Schaeffer, GIS Instructor for Juniper GIS
www.junipergis.com

Awoke has been instrumental in the success of our project. He has a well organized team that are eager to help in any way they can. They have all the right contacts to make our project a success. I recommend him Awoke and his team for exciting and enjoyable stay during your stay in Ethiopia regardless of the type of project.