Testimonials

Thank you so much for organising such a superb trek in the Simiens. We had an absolutely incredible five days.
    A special mention must go to Degen, who was an outstanding guide. He managed our mixed ability group calmly and sensibly, watching each of us and learning when we needed to stop and when we needed to be gently pushed on quickly but politely. He was a fountain of knowledge about the region and very open to discussing wider ideas about Ethiopia around the campfire in the evening. He wisely introduced me to the head teacher in the village on the third day and we passed our gifts of pens and colouring pencils into his safe hands. I would recommend him wholeheartedly to all of my friends. 
    Soloman, Sissay and Asmara must also be mentioned. Their expertise in the various makeshift kitchens they faced was incredible and each day I was impressed by the combination of Ethiopian and European cooking.  Porridge, Habesha eggs and pancakes hit the spot each morning. It was wonderful to introduce some friends to collo and popcorn at snack time, a coffee ceremony in the village at the top of the big climb on day four, and to watch them tucking into so many vegetables under canvas and star-light each evening. We saw a shooting star/comet one night.  No doubt, you are the mastermind behind much of the above: the formula works!
Julia Bevan, Nov 2015

My trip went all to plan and I was grateful to your guides for their patience with me and their detailed information which they shared without hesitation  .

All guides had good English , detailed knowledge of the area we were in and good sense of humour which I enjoyed .

I hope the new lodge (which I was very impressed with) is a successful , I certainly will be telling all my friends of it and its great location , what a view !.

Michael, October 2015

thanks for a wonderful trip into the Simiens! Everything went very well, your guide and scout made all their best to make this an unforgettable experience for us. We saw Gelada monkies several times, two times close by, and I got some nice pictures of them as well. All in all we are very satisfied with the trip. We got more out of the day than we expected, and went as far as to see  the waterfall. The driver was also good, and stopped several times to let me take pictures. I hope we get the chance to go another time for a few days, and we will be happy to contact you in that case.
Ola, April 2015
My boyfriend and I spent 10 days in Ethiopia this past June and it was remarkable. Our friend, Shiferaw, from the travel agency called “Simien Trek” put together a marvelous trip for us. We first visited Lalibela with one of his guides and were blown away by the history and culture of the place, then went on to Gonder, where we embarked on a 4-day trek. Although it was just the two of us, we had probably a crew of 10 people to aide us throughout the trek–a chef + assistant, guard, mule care-takers, etc–and all at a very reasonable price! Not only did we feel a little like royalty, arriving to the campsite with our tent already prepared and food waiting for us, but Shif does a wonderful job at using his valuable connections throughout the country to employ local villagers to help us out. Each person we encountered on our experience with Shif in Ethiopia has such a generous, hospitable, and truly kind spirit. If you plan to visit Ethiopia, I highly recommend going through this company, and be on the lookout for the opening of his new Eco-lodge in Gonder next year!
Natalia, June 2014

I just finished a 5 day trek with SimienTrek owned by Shiferaw Asrat (Shif). We did a 5 day trek with 7 people to Ras Dejen/Ras Dashen and had the most amazing experience. Every staff member was exceptional and so thoughtful. They went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed and were comfortable. The food was fantastic and varied everyday. Our guide and scout were fantastic the entire time!

I have been living in Ethiopia for over a year and have used countless guides throughout the country and Shif and SimienTrek are by far the best experience I have ever had. Shif is so organized and detailed with his arrangements. He is very experienced and has endless knowledge of the Simiens. It is also so nice to see a local business owner who gives back to the community and is so passionate about what they do. His prices are exceptionally fair for the service you receive! Can’t speak highly enough! Simientrek.com

Happy Trekking!

Morgan D, December 2013

my experience with simien trek was exceptional. after initial contact with shif, i bought a flight to ethiopia with only five days to go. he had limited time to organize, but from the first moment everything ran smooth. shif was really accommodating to my changing plans while on the trip, and went out of his way on more than one occasion. every person i dealt with at every destination was considerate, friendly, punctual. my mountain guide messi was an awesome companion and brother on the trek. my favorite moment of the journey was sitting around a fire in the mountains on a cold night, myself and eleven ethiopians, fully immersed and totally happy. many thanks to shif for helping me create memories like that.

sean bunce, kitimat, bc, canada, november 2013

A trip to Etiopia – Trekking in the Simien-Mountains October 2013

We find only positive words for the country, the people and our travel organization “Simien Trek”, which enabled us an untroubled journey. Everything worked fine, Hotels, pick-up service, the guides in Lalibela, Gondar, and naturaly the trek through the Simien mountains.
The 10 day long trek was unique. The highligt of the tour was the scale of the 4.543 m high Rash Deshen, the highest mountain of Ethiopia. The crew was mindful and took good care of us, so that we could enjoy and observe the nature, mountains and animals. Especialy the scout was busy with the children from the villages in the highlands, whom he gently showed their limits without getting agressive or scaring them off. The cook understood to prepare rich, mild and delicious meals for our european stomaches. The guide was a pleasant person and knew a lot about Simien.
Althought the country with his poverty was not without difficulties, the perfect organization helped us to enjoy the treck.
At the end we can say that the package had a excellent cost-performance ratio.
Karl, Thea, Matthias

 Two years ago, after my first visit of Ethiopia, I get idea to make a bike tour in this country. This trip was finally realized during JAN/FEB 2013 with a big help of Shif and his staff. Unlike the other Ethiopian agencies Shif had no problem to try something new and unknown like bike trip was. He became to be quickly my enthusiastic partner in time of preparation and also later during the tour. Thanks to him, me and all my clients were absolutely satisfied with organisation, provided equipment and all required services. Special thanks also to cooking boys for excellent food specialties!

Slávek Suldovský, Adventura Travel Agency, Czech Republic, www.adventura.cz 

6 Day 5 Night Trek Sankaber – Chennek January 2013

We were four trekkers visiting the Simiens from Scotland with a keen interest in the wildlife, landscape, culture and food of Ethiopia.  Simien Trekking surpassed our expectations in providing for all these aspects of our trip and this trek was the highlight  of our visit to Ethiopia.

Simien Trek is very well organised and responsive.  All our enquiries about food, clothing and prices were answered quickly and clearly.  Everything ran smoothly from start to finish and we felt that there wasn’t enough our guide, scout and cooks could do for us to keep us happy.  Our  guide Yonas was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and had excellent English.  He was clearly passionate about his country and fully engaged in answering all our questions. Yonas had an amazing ability to spot wildlife almost invisible to our Scottish eyes.

Our scout was a true Highlander and – we reckon – must have been made from girders (Iron Bru anyone?). He trekked with us through the heat of the day and guarded our tents through the cold of the night.  He was a willing and smiling guinea pig for our awful Amharic.

The food was exceptional.  The best any of us have ever had on a camping trip. Not only was it delicious, abundant and ready exactly when they said it would be, but the presentation and attention to detail made us feel like we were in a top hotel and not the side of a mountain.

Finally, Shif, who manages the company, will go the extra mile to make your stay as happy as possible.  He works indefatigably, and puts his customers needs first.  If you decide to book with Simien Treks, you’re in safe hands.

 Alice, Emma, Larry and Linda.

‘Just wanted to say a massive thanks for all the arrangements you made for our trip back in November. Everything was organised perfectly and we couldn’t have had a better 5 days with you and Jonas. We particularly appreciated your regular communications before our trip, providing advise on the best route based on our time available (and also helping with other travel arrangements for our arrival and departure from Gonder), the quality of all the equipment you provided and the friendliness and efficiency of the team who were with us for the trip. Special mention should go to Jonas who is a first class guide as well as a fun guy to be around – we greatly enjoyed his company throughout the trip!! It was also really great to go with someone who clearly had such an intimate knowledge of the area and the mountains and was so willing to share this with us.

I’d highly recommend a trip to the Simien Mountains for anyone interested in trekking, wildlife or anything associated with the great outdoors. A place we won’t forget in a hurry!!’

William Midmer & Alex Simmonds, November 2012