Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Money
Dashen Bank
The branch north of the piazza has an ATM, as do some others further out
of town.
Wegagen Bank
Has an ATM inside Taye Hotel.
Tourist Information
Gonder City Tourist Information Centre
( 0581-110022; 8.30am-12.30pm &
1.30-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 8.30am-12.30pm Sun)
One of the best tourist offices in Ethiopia,
staff here go out of their way for visitors. They don't sell tours, though they often know
when companies have clients looking for others to join them to share costs.
Getting There & Away
Air
Ethiopian Airlines
( 0581-117688)
flies twice daily to Addis Ababa (US$65, one
hour) and once to Lalibela (US$41, two hours) via Aksum (US$45, 40 minutes).
Bus
It's a rare traveller who heads direct to or from Addis, but it can be done in 13 to 14 hours
with the luxury buses. Sky Bus (Birr373, 5am) departs from the Royal Enclosure entrance
gate and the ticket office is nearby in the Genet Café. Selam (Birr375, 5.30am) departs
from the Royal Enclosure exit gate and has a ticket office at Taye Hotel. The Post Bus
(Birr283, 4.30am) has Monday, Wednesday and Friday Gonder departures and Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday Addis departures. Ordinary Addis buses (Birr250, 5am) require an
overnight stop along the way.
Shorter trips to Bahir Dar (Birr55 to Birr65, three hours) and Debark (Birr48, 2½ hours)
are easiest by minibus, though there are early-morning buses too. For Aksum, catch a con-
nection in Shire (Birr120, 10 to 11 hours, 5.30am).
There's nothing direct to Lalibela, but you can take the 5.30am bus (Birr85, four to five
hours) or one of the minibuses (Birr160, four hours) headed to Woldia and get off in
Gashena where you can easily catch a connection, as long as you don't arrive too late.
For information about reaching Sudan,
Click here
.
