If you’re planning your trip to the Tigray region of Ethiopia, it’s likely you’re going through a tourism company or individual guide who is experienced in the region and will complete accommodation bookings on your behalf. However, if you’re like me, even if this is true it’s nice to have some control over your experience and know beforehand what options exist in the region.

Just like anywhere, accommodations range in terms of budget, comfort, and type. During our trip, we got to taste a little bit of each which was perfect for our preferences-

Homestay & Camping

Camping at Maryam Qorkor & Daniel Qorkor Churches

During your stay in the Gheralta mountains you will be making your way up and down many routes to the top of different mountains. But what if, rather than planning to go up and down all in one day, you could just stay at the top? This is true at the top of the mountain next to Maryam Qorkor & Daniel Qorkor Churches, where the land dips down beside the mountain’s pinnacle in a “u” shape, leading to a slightly sheltered campsite perfect for viewing both sunset and sunrise. Although there is no formal “booking” in advance at this site, you can just show up, guides and tourism companies will want to know in advance that this is something you are interested in for your itinerary to plan your days accordingly. Our guide offered to ask friends to borrow camping equipment for this journey, however since we had our own we packed overnight backpacks with a tent, camping pads and sleeping bags. This meant our bags were quite heavy on the trek, and considering how vertical some of the climbs were to the top, it actually meant it was quite challenging at times.

Once at the top, the Priest actually offered if we would rather stay in a small mountain cave they had available for tourists that had several mattresses inside. We politely declined having brought our own set-up, but this would also be an option to anyone planning in advance and wanting a unique experience. I imagine you also need to inform your guide/ the Priest at the Churches beforehand for this. We were thinking perhaps the best compromise might have been to only bring sleeping bags and use the mattresses available at the top to sleep out under the stars . . . Dinner was a delivery service from the hotel (see hotel details below) we had stayed at the night before. They had a local friend help them by delivering our meal to the top of the mountain. He joined us for the meal and even stayed overnight, enjoying a lively campfire with community members at the top.

Abuna Yemata Guh Campground & Homestay

After camping for one night at Maryam Qorkor & Daniel Qorkor Churches, we trekked across the mountain range to a home, surrounded by towering mountains and in the middle of vast farmland, at the base of the famous “Church in the Sky” Abuna Yemata Guh, . Waiting for us upon our arrival, were two freshly made up mattresses outside on the porch, and a freshly prepared local lunch of Shiro and homemade bread. This came as a surprise to us, as we initially were scheduled to head directly up the second mountain (overnight backpacks and all). The home of this refreshing stop is owned by one of the Priest’s of Abuna Yemata Guh Church, Aba Kidane Mariam, and his wonderful wife and kids. We learned during our meal that not only do they offer pit-stops to tourists, but they also are a fully functioning homestay and camping site for visitors. He shared with us several pictures of tents on the roof and on the field from past large parties they had hosted (see below). We were actually scheduled to spend the night in a nearby hotel in the city of Hawzen that evening, but with “Habesha planning” we were able to easily switch our itinerary and stay the night instead on their property.

After completing the hike in the afternoon, we came back to their home to find a homemade dinner waiting for us. We sat around with our guide crew, some neightbors, and Aba Kidane Mariam, to enjoy the meal and drinks. Since we were exhausted from our camping experience the evening prior, we elected to stay the night on the two mattresses they had using our sleeping bags. In the morning we woke up early to one of our guides, Fikeru, and Aba Kidane Mariam farming the teff crop on the land. We were excited when they asked if we’d like to give it a try, and were able to get some farming in before breakfast. No local homestay would be complete in Ethiopia without traditionally served coffee. We had also had some the day prior, but were grateful to have a delicious cup before starting our day.

Hotels & Lodges

Vision Hotel

If camping is not your thing, or even if you want a mixed experience like us, there are several hotel and guest lodge options in the area for tourists wishing to have beds, electricity and running water. Our first night in Hawzen, we stayed in a small hotel in the middle of town that was hidden away from the main town strip called “Vision Hotel.” The owner lived in the US for a large portion of his life, and comfortably hosts western tourists looking for quality and comfort. You enter the hotel from the side gated entrance, however they are currently building a main street lobby entrance. Once inside, you are met by a large courtyard with rooms surrounding the perimeter. Our room had two beds, one large queen and one smaller twin bed in the room. I’m not sure if this was standard for all of the rooms at this hotel. We had been driving all day the evening we arrived, so were happy to have running warm water that we could wash ourselves with and a clean room to wind down in. In the morning, they served us breakfast included in our stay of freshly baked bread with rich local honey and a large plate of scrambled eggs. We had the choice between tea and coffee.

Gheralta Lodge

One of the most famous lodges to stay at in the Gheralta area is know as “Gheralta Lodge.” Self classified as an ecolodge, this beautiful stay is scenically set on the plateau between the mountains, boasting sustainable practices and private bungalow style accommodations. Unfortunately during Tigray’s recent conflict, much of the lodge was destroyed. The owners are currently rebuilding to ensure the full functionality and exceptional experience that those I know were so impressed by during their past stays. A simple google search can get you lots of pictures of this incredible oasis.

New Construction

Lastly, the government has recently begun a new construction project in the Gheralta Mountain area that will be a large modern resort set to look directly out over the mountains. This project is only at the foundational stages currently and has a long way to go, but gives promise to the continued commitment to tourism in the region for upcoming years.