Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting Around
A contract taxi to or from the airport should set you back around Birr80. A typical trip in a
shared
bajaj
costs Birr2.
CAVE ART AROUND DIRE DAWA
Dire Dawa is known for its many prehistoric cave paintings. Dating back an estimated 5000 years, the crude red,
white and black figures depict humans and animals. They're important to archaeologists, though lay visitors may
end up disappointed.
You'll need to find the man with the key, who'll take you to the caves. The price for this service is not fixed, but
Birr100 to Birr150 should do it. The guards at the gate will also expect a tip and others may have their hands out
along the way. Going with a guide from town smoothes things considerably. If you're going without a guide from
Dire Dawa, you first need to go to the Tourism Development and Promotion Core Process office at the
Cultural &
Tourism Bureau
(Dire Dawa Administration Council Bldg, 1st fl, 7.30am-noon, 2-5.30pm Mon-Fri)
next to
Blue Bird (previously Salem) Hotel and get a permission paper for Birr50 per cave.
Lega-Oda
By far the best cave art site around Dire Dawa, this 70m-long rock shelter holds some 600 paintings. The figures
clearly show humans, antelope, anteaters, camels, and groups of lines and dots. The cave is 38km (one hour's drive)
southwest of Dire Dawa, an easy 20-minute walk from the road. You'll find the man with the key in
Wuchale
vil-
lage, about 1km from the trailhead. One minibus from Dire Dawa passes Wuchale (Birr20, three hours) each morn-
ing, but you'd be reliant on hitching back.
Goda-Ajawa
Though the paintings in this lofty cave are good, including some palm prints, they're fewer and less varied than at
Lega-Oda, and graffiti around the paintings mars the site. It's 28km (about one hour) southeast of Dire Dawa on a
much rougher road than to Lega-Oda. The man with the key is usually in
Awale
, but he could be off in one of sever-
al other villages that you'll pass as you drive there. The long, uphill-almost-the-whole-way walk takes about an hour
(less if you come with a 4WD and can park closer). There are a few minibuses to Awale (Birr15, two hours) which
leaves you with about a two-hour walk to the cave.
Porc-Epic
The best-known and easiest-to-reach cave has a few rock formations, making it the most geologically interesting of
the three, but the paintings are largely obscured by soot. It's 4km past the bus station to a wadi, the last 2km on a
very rough road, and then a 30-minute climb takes you 140m up to the cave. The man with the key will likely be out
shepherding his goats and will find you after you arrive.
