Boundless Ethiopia Tours PLC

Great service and guides -punctual too

Boundless Ethiopia is exceptionally helpful and professional – one of the best we have seen in many years of travel. Dutchman Hans van der Haar and his Ethiopian wife Mariamawit Tesfaye Baheta combine the best of Western organisational skills with real local knowledge and expertise. We initially wrote to several travel agents specialising in Ethiopia, but Hans stood out because he replied immediately and efficiently, and promptly began to explore options and tailor-made itineraries for us. We wanted to loosely follow the northern route which many tourists use, but also wanted to incorporate a fair amount of trekking in the Simien Mountains, the Tigray region and in the Highlands of Lalibela. Boundless worked with us to come up with the perfect itinerary, organised an excellent and safe driver (Getahun), arranged knowledgeable and pleasant local guides who spoke English, and found us a mix of good hotels, luxury eco-lodges (especially the Gheralta Lodge in Tigray), and local homestays based on our request. The 3-day trek from Lalibela to Yemrehane Kristos, with a homestay in a village as well as in a lodge managed by the local community (Hudad Lodge) was a highlight, combining spectacular countryside with beautiful historical churches, and a wonderful farming family who hosted us in their hut. No luxury, but what an experience! When we arrived in Addis Ababa on Ethiopian New Year's Day ( September 12), Hans invited us to his home where we celebrated the day with his lovely in-laws. On our last day, we met again with Hans and Mariamawit at our hotel so they could hear our stories and learn from our experiences. As a testimony to Hans’ dedication and responsiveness: Two friends were supposed to accompany us, but had to postpone their journey at the last moment. Hans spent many long hours working very closely with them trying to reschedule flights, change reservations and accommodate their continually changing plans. We can’t speak highly enough of our experience with Hans and his wife at Boundless Ethiopia!