Lasting impression of our LALIBELA - DANAKIL - ERTA ALE - BALE MOUNTAINS tour: A wonderful trip which touched me deeply and makes me want to come back and discover more of the country. Always friendly people - except for one experience on the Mercato in Addis (aggressive man, visibly drunk or mentally disturbed). Fortunately we had "Capital" Desale Sisay with us. We were lucky that only the two of us, my daughter and me, and no other tourists (one exception for 2 days) could enjoy the tour. We had excellent guides (for instance Bale: guide Abu - a botanic expert!), cooks and drivers, and mattrasses for the open air overnight stays. And our tour operator Daniel did everything to fulfill our wishes. Still, there are some remarks because nothing is perfect: - We had sleepless nights in the "Bonanza Hotel" in Addis Abeba because of music until after midnight. A quieter place must be found! - We had problems concerning the tips: our reference was on our first stay in Lalibela the tip asked for the man who was taking care of our shoes during the visit of the churches. We took this as a reference for all other tips: guide, driver, cook,... Later, after being used to the exchange rate, we found that it was much too high and we had difficulties to manage our travel budget. A hint by the tour operator would be helpful and avoid unpleasant situations. - The garbage and toilet situation in Erta Ale was shocking - solutions must be found! Two suggestions concerning the trekking: Bale Mountains: we enjoyed discovering nature and animals on horseback the second day. It should be an option in the program. Picknick transport in Tupper Ware would make aluminium foil unnecessary.

I can not praise these guys enough. The amount of information and knowledge that they shared made this trip an amazing experience. Mareg and Ababa showed us around the churches and took us to local places, they knew everybody in town. The hike was well worth the effort and we had coffee with a local family too. I can only give thanks to them for such a wonderful experience. Thanks again and you know I recommend you to all of my friends.

Luel was an amazing guide. Easily the best we’ve had in Ethiopia. His English was very good and he was very knowledgable about the area and culture of the host family. He translated where necessary and made sure our experience was special. Definitely request him if you are booking a tour with this company.

I landed in Ethiopia knowing that I will go to the Danakil Depression but no idea how. After my guide from Addis Ababa got in touch with Daniel about helping me to get there, Daniel worked magic with only two days to go to get me on 3 day tour!! He was considerate, reliable and honest. He made an effort and came to meet me at the hotel I was staying and pitched on time too! 🙂 He was forthcoming with information and the price was more than reasonable compared to what most companies charge for same service. Thanks for making a dream happen, & really appreciate all your assistance including the shuttle service to get me to Mek’ele from Lalibela. I highly recommend Highland Eco Trekking for great service with personal touch & absolutely no admin stress experience.

Lalibella is a must-see when you come to Ethiopia, the churches are awe-inspiring and the nature around the town incredibly beautiful - I was there just at the end of rainy season and the flowers and greenery around was amazing! Highland Eco Trekking came up with a tailor made tour for me, since I only had little time but it was great. I had Ababa as a guide to see the churches and he was so knowledgeable about everything - great experience! I also did a full day trek up to Hudad mountain and the monastery, totally breathtaking views, and Pizarro, my trekking guide, was great - pointing out different plants and wildlife on the way. Overall, I had a brilliant 2.5 days! Can only recommend!

We did this trekking (3 days, 2 nights) and we had fun, the place and the people are really really beautiful. However, we were very disappointed with the company Highland Eco Trekking Tours. The trip wasn't well organized, little information was provided about the places to sleep or to visit, the guide was not very professional and the price was ridiculously high for the service provided. We accepted the price in advance but we were expecting a much better service. Things in Lalibela are cheap but the company charges over 150 Usd/Day and provide low quality food and inexperienced guides. During my tin in Lalibela, I learned there that there are many other companies there that do the same tours at much better prices. So I do recommend the place, it is really worth to see, but I'd not recommend this company. Our trip was very overpriced and it is evident that they got a huge unreasonable profit for that. I like to give opinions face to face but, unfortunately, the owner of Highland Eco Trekking Tours was spending his holidays in Germany while we were there, so we never had the opportunity to talk to him about this.

We did a 4-day tour including 3 days of trekking to Abune Yosef and a tour of the Lalibela churches. The experience of staying with local families and hiking through the beautiful mountains was unforgettable. Our guide, Mareg was friendly, but I would have appreciated if he would help translate more of the conversations when we were with the local family. He really only did this if we asked, but otherwise didn't really help much. The cook prepared plenty of food (western dishes like pasta and soup) so you won't go hungry, but it would be a good idea to bring some snacks for the hike. Also, it can get very cold in the mountains at night so don't forget to pack appropriate clothing! (Down jacket, gloves & hat!) While the landscapes and the people were beautiful, overall we felt that the tour was overpriced for the food and service we received (hence the lower rating). 100 USD per person, per day, seems excessive. Also, we were advised by Daniel that the church entrance fees were not included, but weren't expecting $50 USD per person. An extra $100 USD is a lot to pay when you haven't budgeted for it!

My friend and I did a two day trek from Lalibela and had an amazing experience. We took in some amazing scenery, stayed with an incredibly welcoming family in one of the villages, and visited a school. Our guide, Mareg, was incredibly helpful and friendly. The only thing I would change is I would have the cook make more traditional Ethiopian dishes; I think he was perhaps trying to cater to our western tastes, but in fact we would have loved to try more of the local dishes! I’m sure this could be requested in advance. Would recommend it to all my friends!

I hiked with Eco trekking tours for two days one night hike in Lalibela. I slept in the best place you can dream of, Hudad lodge, up in the mountains overlooking Lalibela valleys! Marug, the guide, is a very smart, knowledgeable and sensitive guy. We had a great time together, surrounded by nature at its best. We talked a lot and he explained me Ethiopian culture in its depths, sharing personal life and experiences. If you can, don’t miss this opportunity! It really can make your trip!

I had the most spectacular 3-day trek with my wonderful guides Moges and Mareg. The first day we climbed through beautiful landscapes and tiny farmland hamlets. We stayed with a family and got to see what real life is like in the rural Ethiopian highlands. On day 2 we climbed to the top of Abune Yosef, Ethiopia's 3rd tallest peak - absolutely stunning!! Loved seeing the Gelada baboons just beneath the summit. The 3rd day we hiked all the way down going out a different direction, and ended in a small town around noon, then were driven back to Lalibela. If you want to see real Ethiopian life as well as incredible natural beauty (plus a physical challenge!), this is the trek for you!

I highly recommend booking with Highland Eco!! Daniel was very helpful and tailored my tour based on the limited number of days I had to visit Lalibela. I visited all the three groups of churches. The guide, Ababa, was really great,very passionate Answering all questions! I also went on a one-day trekking tour. The two guides were really nice and patient. Everything was wonderful, well organized. pick up and drop off at the airport on time. Amazing staff, genuinely helpful and patient! The hotel they booked me in (Cliff Edge) was also very nice with a great view. I would definitely book with them for any future stays in Ethiopia!

I booked a tour to the Danakil Depression through Highland Eco Trekking and my experience was positive. The tour started in Mekele but they arranged transport from Lalibela for me as well. I got picked me up at my hotel in time and the drive was great since the driver spoke very good English. He even helped me to find a hotel in Mekele since nobody in town seemed to know the one I originally booked. The Danakil tour itself was operated by a different travel agency. However, the agents from Highland Eco Trekking made sure everything went according to the plan. They replied within a short amount of time when I had questions, before I arrived in the country as well as during my trip. They also helped me to arrange a bus ticket to Mekele before my arrival and somebody came to pick me up from the airport in Addis Ababa and took me to the bus at 3.30am. They were always reliable, helpful and kept what they promised. I would use them again for future trips.

The Company is run by a group of local guides from Lalibela. I joined 2-day Lalibela church tour and 4-day trekking with them and everything was really well organized. . Already when preparing for the trip they always answered my emails quickly and even helped me with arranging my domestic guides. For the tour I had different guides for visiting the churches and the trekking, but all of them where great and really knowlegable. I felt well taken care of. Especially Nahom my trekking guide went the extra mile to make sure I could try out everything like preparing coffee the ethiopian way or baking injera. The scenary on the trekking tour is really beautiful and it is definitely worth doing a longer guided tour. I hope to come back some day. I would definetly take another tour with them

Thank you to Daniel and Achenef for organising an excellent tour of Ethiopia! I travelled to Bahir Dar, Gonder, Lalibela, Mekele and the Danakil Depression on my own. Throughout everything was excellently organised. Occasionally things went wrong (flights cancelled etc) which was out of their control but it is the mark of a good company that they responded immediately and made other arrangements, often working out of hours to rearrange things. I appreciated the personal care and attention which I was afforded every step of the way. The trip was excellent value for money and I wholeheartedly recommend travelling with Highland Eco Trekking. They also respond extremely quickly to emails.

We had (two solo travelers) a great time in Lalibela thanks to Desale our guide and friend. He is knowledgeable about the city and very helpful. Contact: +251 91 171 1967