The best accommodations Ethiopia

The latest Kuriftu opened at the gateway to the Danakil desert in 2019. Semara, a town rarely visited by tourists, has become the base camp for expeditions. With its desert-appropriate architecture (a modern sand-colored building with little height), it offers all the comforts of an Addis Ababa hotel. In all, 148 rooms with king-size beds and luxury amenities (air-conditioning, of course). On site: a lovely restaurant, a swimming pool (!) and a complete spa center to unwind after a day of hot, chaotic 4 x 4 driving.

This is an exceptional ecolodge! First of all, it has to be earned, because after visiting Asheton Mariam, you'll have to climb for 5 to 6 hours to reach Lalibela Hudad (or 20 minutes by car and 1h30 on foot). Up there, you'll be blown away by the incredible view. The camp is made up of stone tukuls with thatched roofs. Magnificent solid wood bed frames, optimal comfort, solar electricity. The restaurant serves good food and Mesfin and Derebe are fantastic hosts. A colony of gelada baboons live on this beautiful plateau, right in front of your eyes.

In the heart of the Rasta village lies a surprising lodge in a heavenly setting, a veritable haven of peace owned by Alex, Sandrine and their children. This charming Franco-Ethiopian family is very welcoming and offers excursions to visit the region. For those who want to live the Rasta experience in Ethiopia, this is the place to be. Accommodation consists of five carefully decorated traditional bamboo tukuls, in Sidamo or Oromo style, plus three smaller ones with shared showers. Good vegetarian restaurant.

A 10-room lodge run by a Belgian in a pleasant setting, almost all with a view over the Babogaya crater lake, where you can swim (no bilharzia) or kayak. Cosy, comfortable rooms in traditional style. Coffee and tea available, fresh fish from the lake and salads from local farmers. Birdwatching and turtle watching with English-speaking guide. On-site: mini-golf, tennis, sauna, spa (massages) and boutique.

3 km from Turmi, this community campsite, shaded by mango trees, is an alternative to hotels. Three very simple tukuls are also available, with two sanitary facilities (shower and toilet) and a communal kitchen with water, fridge and generator. The site, on the banks of a river (usually dry), attracts monkeys and birds. The well, at the entrance to the camp, is crowded from morning to night with women and hamer children on water duty. Tent rental available.

This ecolodge (the best in the region) offers 25 round, comfortable and well-decorated tukuls, with straw roofs that let in the fresh air and private bathrooms. There are also 10 camping pitches, raised on a slab and sheltered under a roof, and 5 communal toilet blocks and kitchens. The restaurant serves high-quality dishes, including vegetables from the garden. The local Hamer communities are involved in the camp. Friendly fireside gatherings in the evenings and a very welcoming team. Spa with massages.

An institution in Addis. The country's oldest hotel, an imperial residence built in 1907, the Taitu retains a certain charm, even if the building is decrepit. The 75 rooms are very uneven: in the historic central building, the most spacious rooms are from another era, with retro furniture in its original state. Shared bathrooms are medieval. Those with private bathrooms are the best, but the outside balcony doesn't look very solid. The decent rooms are in the modern wing, without much charm. Lovely garden and restaurant.

In a quiet, secluded spot, this very modest hotel (it's not a resort) offers simple rooms (bed with mosquito net), but they are sometimes dark, damp and of more than random cleanliness. Hot water is intermittent. Ask for the slightly more expensive back rooms: they're airy and quiet. However, compared with other addresses, it's really too expensive given the lack of maintenance and equipment. The restaurant serves Ethiopian and international cuisine and has a pleasant terrace. Camping possible. Wi-fi available.

Set away from the city, in a garden, this hotel is certainly the most recommendable in Yabelo, which doesn't really have many excellent addresses. It's quietly located, but the rooms are deteriorating and the prices are high for the quality of the facilities. The most acceptable rooms are in the new wing, the other being dilapidated and unnecessarily expensive. Insist on getting a new room at the same price as the old one, as the hotel is taking advantage of the influx of international NGO guests to double its prices. Restaurant.

In a remarkable pink building on the avenue skirting the lake, this hotel of 40 rooms is very appreciated tour operators for his modernism and its freshness. The rooms are rather impersonal, but comfortable, decorated in let us tons brown with tiled floor and of the facilities. Only the rooms of 4th have a beautiful view on the lake, the others are to be avoided absolutely, on the front of the building vis-a-vis a noisy nightclub. Elegant dining room of restaurant with central well of light (very correct cuisine). All in all, a pleasant address which justifies the additional charge. Ceremony of the café, Wifi, reception and service attentive.

The new rooms in the modern two-storey wing are clean and quite comfortable. They have a small TV, a mosquito net and a shower with hot water in a private bathroom. Good Wifi. On the other hand, the old ones are really to be avoided. The address is popular with travel agencies, but remains spartan and very basic. A decent bar-restaurant, given the supply difficulties, in a flowery garden shaded by mango trees, with a pizza oven and good background music to set the mood.

Also known as Ras 2, this former government hotel was partially renovated a few years ago. It has retained the advantage of its central location and cool garden, and now features rooms with air conditioning, fan, mosquito nets, TV and private bathroom with hot water. A good compromise for staying in Dire Dawa for a night's transfer between Harar and the airport, without spending too much money on accommodation.

The boss is very welcoming.

This small hotel in the center of the village offers a proper restaurant and 4 rooms with a common shower.

At the junction of the runway from Sokota and the paved road, a new hotel of 36 rooms is being completed (Tel (034) 551 02 78/79). Single room with shower: 30 burrs, double with private shower: 60 burrs (non-definitive prices).

Makonnen Zoudé's seven dorzé huts are a haven of peace in the middle of nature. Specially designed for visitors, they are spartan but authentic, with communal showers and hot water. Musicians and dancers perform every evening. There's no restaurant, just tea and a morning omelette. Unforgettable memories and human exchanges! For non-residents, a guided tour of the farm with Makonnen in excellent English.

This is without doubt the best place to stay in Ambo, and the perfect base camp for visiting the region. This large, five-storey building of good standing comes as a surprise in such a small town. The hotel restaurant offers a good choice of local and international cuisine. Well-kept rooms feature en suite bathrooms, TV, balcony and WiFi. Some twin rooms are less expensive. The owner has another address on the slopes of Mount Wenchi, convenient for exploring the crater.

An emergency address, as hotels in Jinka are very rare and often full. For backpackers with little regard for comfort and cleanliness. The 40 rooms are rustic and equipped with mosquito nets. No hot water, but Wifi. Those in the right wing are acceptable, better kept, but nevertheless expensive for comfort, and those in the left wing are dark, dirty and noisy, with altered shared bathrooms, prized by drivers and guides. Fairly good Ethiopian bar-restaurant in a nice garden. Closed parking lot.

This is the former imperial residence of Haile Selassie, now the government hotel Wondo Genet Resort, sold and converted into a private hotel. It's certainly very faded, but has a lot of charm because it's "in its juice", a seventies decor worthy of a film. It offers decent rooms with a marvellous view of Lake Awassa. To be avoided at weekends because of the Addis Ababa crowds and higher prices. In addition to the hotel's Soviet-style restaurant, a snack bar - not always open - serves simple dishes.

This development training agency offers accommodation in the heart of the village of Yirgalem.

The nicest lodge in town, with 16 heavy safari tents and 4 bungalows. Located in the heart of nature, on the banks of the Neri River. The tents, set on wooden platforms, are equipped with private bathrooms and terraces. The bungalows are more rustic and share bathrooms. Generator provides constant electricity. Limited WiFi, hot water, mosquito net, fan. The restaurant serves fine Italian and Ethiopian specialties. Warm welcome from Federico, the Italian owner. Hiking and horseback riding.