EXPERIENCES FROM TOURISTS TRAVELLING WITH VIEW ETHIOPIA TOUR

​References

​View Ethiopia Tour​ has had guests from Canada, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Serbia, and Ukraine.
You will find here some reviews and if you become enthousiast you can contact me and tell me your holiday wishes.
A trustworthy person

​Last June, we took a 10-day tour through southern Ethiopia, visiting the Omo Valley tribes. We hired Mieraf, who picked us up with his driver in the capital, Addis Abbeba.
Incredible experience! We liked it a lot because we were close to ethnic towns, with no tourists around. Mieraf is a very nice, trustworthy person, who cares at all times for you to be comfortable and not to miss anything!
Lau-Bilbo00, june 2019
PS. If you are going to do this tour, do not miss the Hammer Bull Jumping ceremony!
Extensive knowledge

​We are two women who travelled with Mieraf. Mieraf was quick to reply to my messages and everything ran smoothly for our trip. He has extensive knowledge of the area and he knows all the right people in the right places. At times when we went off-schedule due to unforeseen circumstances, alternative arrangements were quickly made with our consent after a discussion. 
We visited many amazing places and often we were lucky enough to be the only westerners around. Mieraf's contacts ensure that he has the knowledge to get you to any festival or market that is seasonal or random. We got to experience the brilliant jumping of the bulls and went to many markets and villages that weren't on the normal tourist route.
I highly recommend Mieraf!
Trojanguru, Kuwait, november 2018
Incredible experience

​We had an incredible experience touring the Omo Valley and its beautiful tribes with Mieraf. Our group consisted of three overlanding vehicles and eight overlanders. Mieraf customized our tour to meet our needs and all of our requests. He had amazing personal contacts with multiple different tribes, which gave us a very personal experience with the tribes and their cultures and traditions. We will never forget our experience overlanding the Omo Valley with Mieraf and we will forever cherish the memories made with him. 
HSak90, oktober 2018
Professional and really fun

​​“Myself and my husband couldn't have been happier that we chose Mieraf as our guide for our 5-day trip around the Omo Valley. Before we even left Ireland he made sure to tailor a tour to our requests and he backed this up with a brilliant trip.

​Mieraf was a great mix of being professional and really fun too. His trip brought us into regions that were mostly outside of the usual busy tour routes, which was what we wanted. He also made sure to keep everything running smoothly and nothing was ever a problem for him.
The Omo Valley is an incredible region but thanks to Mieraf we experienced so many locations with different tribes and this was down to his experience and the effort he puts in to the planning. My husband is also a cameraman and he found Mieraf invaluable in helping to navigate the various cultural as well business transactions that will invariably arise when you want to take photos.
We had a great mix of accommodation from sleeping in tents among the tribes (clean and well maintained) to staying in clean, newly built ‘hotel’ rooms. As we were not very familiar with Ethiopian food, Mieraf helped us to order based on our likes.”
Matthew and Tracy Kirrane, Ireland, february 2017
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Drinking coffee with Mieraf in Jinka
Amazing Experience
“Mieraf is a very good guide. Reliable, considerate, punctual, friendly. He has built good relationships with the local people over the years. He organised a wunderful party for us with the Hamar-people. Under a beautiful starry sky, we sat together eating a fresh grilled goat, drinking local honeywine and singing songs, both theirs and ours. And we stayed overnight in a small tent at their compound, sharing coffee-tea in the morning. It was an amazing experience!”
​Huub Mudde & Mattanja Coehoorn, the Netherlands, jan. 2017
Great Tour with Mieraf
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My girlfriend and I did a two week tour in Ethiopia and we spent five days touring the Omo Valley with a great guide: Mieraf!
​He was very responsive and easy to deal with when communicating over email to book the tour in the first place. I talked to a number of recommended guides and Mieraf offered the best itinerary for the best price. And: the itinerary lived up to our expectations. Mieraf made sure that we were able to attend a bull jumping ceremony with the Hamar people. He adjusted the itinerary so we were in their village on the right day.

​We visited the tribes that we hoped to see and had a great time along the way. Mieraf speaks great english and is a cool dude. He knows the people at the tribes, in the towns and in Arbaminch so you feel like you are visiting a bunch of friends. You definitely get a chance to chat with the local people and experience the local flavor.
His help is essential when navigating your way through the villages and some interesting situations. Anyone who thinks that they can effectively visit these Omo villages without a local guide is crazy. 
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The lodging that Mieraf arranged was good. The sleeping options in the tribal areas are limited, and he picked the best of the bunch. There is a lot of driving necessary but it is enjoyable because of the amazing scenery. The driver is great and the SUV that you travel in is comfortable. 
My girlfriend and I were often slow to get moving in the morning and he always patiently waited for us without a word and adjusted the itinerary when necessary to make sure we didn’t miss anything.
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​Overall, it was an amazing trip. It is beautiful and it’s educational to learn about cultures that are so different from ours. The photo’s we took are amazing. Mieraf also made sure we had a lot of fun all along the way. I would recommend visiting the Omo Valley and highly recommend Mieraf as a tour guide. Have a great trip!
Keirn O’Connor, USA, september 2016
Responsible tourism 

​We first had some doubts if we wanted to visit the lower Omo Valley at all, because of the zoo like visiting style. I am glad that we did it anyway. Not only did we learn a lot about the tribes, but also about the influence of tourism on the area. It can be beneficial for both sides if done the right way. Our guide helped us to see that.

We learned about Mieraf and Billy on Trip Advisor and they suggested a fair price for a six days tour, so we picked them up as our guide and driver. It was a very good choice. During the trip we saw many of the amazing tribes, their markets and even a traditional Hamar bull jumping ceremony. Not staged but the real thing. Everything was very well prepared, be it food stops at the best local restaurans, accommodation, or the trips to the tribes. Mieraf and Billy also took us for coffee and khat with their friends, thus giving us an even deeper insight into the local culture. During the 6 days we became friends and often had a lot of fun in the car (NISAN 4WD) singing along to Billy's Ethiopian hit mix CD. I would recommend a visit to these amazing areas with the two of them to everyone. Experiencing tribes which live seemingly thousands of years in the past is an unforgettable experience and Mieraf and Billy did their best to make the stay even better for us.
Damian and Silvan, Switzerland, april 2016
Can't wait to get back!
I have visited many african countries, but Ethiopia is another world! A visit to the Omo Valley is a must for anyone looking for beauty, adventure, culture and education in abundance! 

I wanted to visit the Omo Valley in a safe and respectful way. Mario Gerth – a German photographer who has taken the most beautiful portraits of the tribal people – advised me to contact Mieraf. I gave him an idea of what I wanted and he was really fast at getting back to any questions I had, and made an amazing itinerary for my friend and I.

Mieraf and his friend Billy, our driver, took care of us as if we were family. They met us at night the airport in Addis Ababa, even though we were not starting the tour until the next morning.
Mieraf speaks excellent English and also can communicate in all the different tribal languages of the Omo Valley. When we sat around a campfire under the stars with the chief of an Arbor village explaining how his people 
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live, Mieraf translated everything for us. He is very respectful towards the tribes, which was very important to me. When we visited a Hamar village, they even checked in on him the next day, bringing him food and drinks.

​Mieraf and Billy took us to visit the Dorze, Kara, Arbore, Hamar, Mursi and Konso tribes. We travelled in a Nissan land cruiser which was really comfortable and Billy and Mieraf had great music in the car for long drives! We camped for about half of our trip and stayed in hotels the rest of the time. I found it great as Mieraf took care of all the bills for food and accommodation, allowing us time to relax!

No request was too much trouble for Mieraf and Billy and after a few days it didn’t feel like a business arrangement at all, more like four friends on an epic, fun field road trip!
We felt safe and taken care of at all times. Having the right guide is essential when traveling in this sometimes harsh environment. I can’t wait to go back! Enjoy your trip!
Karen Sheehan, Ireland, july 2015
The full ethiopian experience

In july 2016 my travel companion and I visited ethiopia for a full tour. We started off in the south to experience the culture and tribes. We got in contact with Mieraf as a guide and Billy as a driver. When we arrived at the airport in Addis Abeba, they were there to welcome us and bring us to the hotel for our first night. From the beginning there was a great friendly vibe. Starting the next day, we went south to explore. We like to spend most of our time with the locals and blend in. We visited the tribal villages and even camped a couple of nights next to their huts in the most amazing places, like on the rim of the Omo river, sharing injera (their food). We definitely owe this amazing full ethiopian experience to Mieraf and Billy. They suit your needs and respect your way of traveling. The people we met on our way are legends. I highly recommend to get in touch with Mieraf and Billy.
Stephan Bolderman,  july 2015, The Netherlands