Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Post
»Ethiopia's postal system is reliable and reasonably efficient and the prices are low. Let-
ters should take between five and eight days to arrive in Europe; eight to 15 days for the
USA or Australia.
»International parcels can only be sent from the main post office in Addis Ababa. All par-
cels are subject to a customs inspection, so leave them open until you've had their con-
tents inspected at the counter.
Public Holidays
Ethiopia's public holidays can be divided into three categories: national secular holidays,
Christian Orthodox festivals and Islamic holidays. During the Christian Orthodox fest-
ivals, accommodation is hard to come by in Gonder, Aksum and Lalibela, as are open
seats on internal flights. While prices rise for rooms during these times, transportation
costs remain the same. It's best to book flights as far in advance as possible to avoid prob-
lems. See the relevant towns' sections for more details.
National holidays include the following:
Victory of Adwa Commemoration Day
2 March
International Labour Day
1 May
Ethiopian Patriots' Victory Day
(also known as Liberation Day) 5 May
Downfall of the Derg
28 May
MAJOR ISLAMIC HOLIDAYS
ISLAMIC
YEAR
NEW
YEAR
PROPHET'S
BIRTHDAY
END OF
RAMADAN
FESTIVAL OF
SACRIFICE
1434
13 Nov 2013 23 Jan 2013
9 Aug 2013
17 Oct 2013
1435
24 Oct 2014 14 Jan 2014
30 Jul 2014
6 Oct 2014
