Part One of an Ongoing Travel Series
Zethiopia - Issue 47
As you plan your trip to Ethiopia for the upcoming Millennium celebration, consider a trip to Yirgalem for a relaxing and inspiring visit to the countryside. Aregash Lodge, located in Yirgalem Town, is a haven from the hustle and bustle of Addis Ababa.
Upon arrival you will be met by the owners, Dmitri Missailidis and Aregash Tarkenj, fabulous hosts who will make you feel more than welcome. While there you will stay in a fully modernized Sidama-style tukul that is set in the rolling countryside and surrounded by lush vegetation.
Meals, a delicious combination of local and European recipes, are served family style in the restaurant, which was also built in the traditional Sidama style using bamboo. If the weather permits, there is a lovely terrace where you can take your meals and soak in the view.
When we visited Yirgalem, we took our small children, then aged 2 and 7, and they fell in love with the landscape, the flora and the animals. Family-friendly staff and a world of adventure await you.
A highlight for my children was after the evening coffee ceremony when Dmitri called to the resident hyenas who, upon hearing him, sauntered up the hill to near where we were for a meal provided by our host. Smaller than the hyenas seen in Addis, it was very exciting for them to be so close.
On a walk through a nearby village, led by a Sidama speaking guide, the children loved the Gureza (Amharic for Colobus monkeys) swinging from the trees. They loved hiking through the forested hills and visiting with the local children.
Aregash Lodge is the ideal retreat spot. There are board games and books available if you would like to relax at the lodge without hiking or adventure. It would be a wonderful location for a group meeting or retreat; the restaurant can accommodate fifty people and can be used for conferences. The sleeping tukuls have a variety of options for group sleeping arrangements.
We recommend taking your time en route, a stop in Shashamene or at Langano for lunch on the way will break up the 300+ kilometer drive. Once beyond Debra Zeit, the scenery becomes peaceful and the trip smooth. Aregash Lodge is approximately 30 minutes beyond Awassa.
For reservations or more information, contact All Tour Operations in Addis Ababa at 251-11-551-254. When we visited we had to make our reservations and pay in Addis prior to our arrival at the Lodge.
www.Aregashlodge.com
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