Ethiopioa: Traveller's Handbook

Ethiopioa: Traveller's Handbook

Joanna Lumley, OBE FRGS, says:- an absolutely stunning book, it has made me think of all I missed and reinforced my determination to return to Ethiopia, the book is a masterpiece, a masterclass on what every handbook should be. Ethiopia - Travellers' Handbook is a book conceived for the discerning traveller, the package tourist and those people wishing to have a quick reference guide with a range of facts at their fingertips. The book provides a clear understanding of what there is to see and do in Ethiopia. The background and reference information conveys a wide-ranging view and it has been designed to be uncomplicated and straightforward to use, without having to constantly refer to abbreviations and symbols. It is a travel guide with a user-friendly presentation that allows quick reference to topics of interest. The many map illustrations have been designed to be uncomplicated and easy to follow. The book, which is full colour throughout, is packed with information, images and illustrations. As well as people, places and fauna, the book covers many aspects of Ethiopia including myths, history, development, political history, topography, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, language and reference data. Colonel John Blashford-Snell OBE, one of the greatest travellers and explorers of our time, has written the foreword. Other prominent organisations and people have contributed articles illustrating their exciting and heart-warming involvement with Ethiopia that are intended to further inform the traveller. The book contains completely independent travel advice. As Globetrotters we all have our preferences when it comes to guidebooks. We all remember when our guidebook was our greatest friend or almost ruined our day when we needed it most, especially when under pressure. So I got very excited when I received a copy of Ethiopia - Travellers Handbook by Trevor Jenner and decided to put it through its paces during my three week trip to this country in April 2017. Trevor Jenner is a former operator of tours to Ethiopia, who has spent two decades in travel and exploration of the country. The guidebook comes highly recommended by Anne Parsons, secretary of Anglo - Ethiopian Society, Joanna Lumley and includes a foreword by Colonel John Blashford-Snell. I dreamt about visiting Ethiopia since being at secondary school when I read The Emperor by Ryszard Kapuscinski but it took me almost 25 years till I finally decided to pack up and go. The final push was given to me by Sam McManus from the Yellow Wood Adventures who gave a talk on Ethiopia at Globetrotters Club earlier in the year. My plan was to visit the tribes in Omo Valley in the south of the country and Christian churches in Lalibella up north, so I only used part of the book. In my experience I found that Travellers Handbook helped me through most of the confusing situations while traveling due to its extensive, up to date and in-depth information on history, people, myths, the political situation, topography, religion, language and all the practicalities you need to know before you go and when you get there. It even has a whole chapter on fauna! All the sections in the book are very clearly laid out and straight to the point. It has advice for every occasion. First time in Omo Valley? No problem! It provides a great schedule as a suggestion for the first time traveller. All this is based on Trevor s own experience so I learned very quickly to trust his judgment and rely on his opinion. I was travelling independently so I used the maps from the Travellers Handbook for general guidance and supported these with a more detailed map of the country for general travelling and higher level view. For those who need one, Trevor provides a handy list of the best maps available which you can buy separately. As for Addis and Lalibella, maps in the book were very detailed and extremely helpful. The book is printed on glossy paper to get the best quality for over 650 colour images which makes the book quite heavy - this may be a consideration for some travellers. But the pictures are great quality; they not only show how Ethiopia looks but also how it feels. The book provides extensive lists of places to stay and I used them throughout my journey but you will have to do some internet searching to get more details what those places are like. I treated this list as good database to choose from. I also found very easy and straightforward to use. It is a very high quality publication and I am planning to take it again to Ethiopia during my next trip! --Jacek, Globetrotters Club Member This is a really excellent guidebook which far outstrips all others in the field for its scope, detail and attractive presentation. --Richard Snailham for the Scientific Exploration Society Trevor Jenner's book is a well-researched and comprehensive guide for anyone travelling to Ethiopia with valuable insights into the wildlife, culture and history of this fascinating and welcoming country. --Naturetrek