Ethiopia Travel Podcast with Dawit Bekele cover art

Podcast

Ethiopia Travel Podcast with Dawit Bekele

82 episodesLatest 4 days agoNew episode
Recorded in EthiopiaAbout EthiopiaEnglishSociety & CulturePlaces & TravelDocumentaryEducation
Ethiopia Travel Podcast follows one person settling in a place long enough to learn it, then moving somewhere connected to it. Travel in Ethiopia is distinctive because the terrain is a high plateau split by the Great Rift Valley, and the climate shifts with altitude. The population is dense in the northern and central highlands, especially around Addis Ababa. The host's range includes Addis Ababa, where population density is highest, the Simien Mountains in the north, Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile, and Gheralta in Tigray, known for churches cut into sandstone cliffs. These places differ in language, religion and climate, reflecting more than eighty ethnic groups. The episodes track Ethiopia's seasons, from the short rains to the long rains, and return to the same towns and valleys as the year unfolds. A market, an Orthodox festival, a harvest or a dry-season journey becomes clearer on the second visit. By staying put, the podcast lets knowledge accumulate. Dawit Bekele lives in Ethiopia and stays for two years, moving between cities, coastlines and smaller towns on a route that follows the seasons. Not a week-long visit — Dawit is there in every kind of weather, working out where to eat on an ordinary Tuesday, which train to take, what a festival actually feels like from the pavement. A new episode arrives every day. Each one is short and specific: one neighbourhood, one journey, one meal, one museum worth the detour — with the practical detail that matters. What it costs. When it closes. Whether the queue is worth it. What to do when it rains. Every episode carries a full transcript and chapter markers. ☕ Enjoying the show? These episodes are free and stay that way because listeners chip in — if a coffee's worth it, support the journey: buymeacoffee.com/paris2tokyo Part of Paris2Tokyo — one show for each of the world's hundred most-visited countries. Made for travelers, wherever you are going next. #Ethiopia #EthiopiaTravel #EastAfrica #AddisAbaba #TravelPodcast #Travel #Paris2Tokyo https://www.paris2tokyo.com/podcasts/ethiopia/

Episodes — page 3

  1. Enkutatash Dawn in the Rock-Hewn Churches

    Dawit wakes to Enkutatash in Lalibela, navigating the steep alleys to Bete Giyorgis before dawn. He reflects on the history of the Zagwe dynasty, the cost of the church pass, and t…

    S2 E210:12
  2. Lalibela Arrival and the Road from Gonder

    Dawit arrives in Lalibela after a long drive from Gondar, navigating the final stretch through the Lasta highlands. He settles into a guesthouse on the ridge, explores the rock-hew…

    S2 E109:00
  3. Last Light in Gondar Before the Journey North

    Dawit spends his final full day in Gonder, navigating city works and security tensions while preparing for Meskel. He reflects on residency logistics, local costs, and the road ahe…

    S1 E4010:09
  4. Last Light in Gondar Before the Journey North

    Dawit spends his final full day in Gonder, walking the Piazza at dusk, sharing a last meal with friends, and preparing for the long road north to Lalibela and the Simien Mountains.…

    S1 E3908:38
  5. Gonder Morning: Meskel Fire and the Piazza

    Day eleven in Gonder. I walk through the Piazza at dawn, visit a local bank to sort out residency logistics, and reflect on the city's quiet tension as Meskel approaches. ☕ Enjoyi…

    S1 E3809:33
  6. Gonder Meskel Preparations and the Green Season

    Day ten in Gonder as the city prepares for Meskel. Dawit explores the Piazza, visits Debre Berhan Selassie, and navigates the practicalities of living here amid tense security and…

    S1 E3709:07
  7. Gonder Green Walls and the Meskel Fire

    Dawit walks through Gonder’s Piazza district on a rainy September morning, reflecting on the restored Fasil Ghebbi, the tense security situation, and the quiet preparations for the…

    S1 E3610:19
  8. Gonder Green Walls and the Meskel Fire

    Dawit walks through Gonder's restored royal enclosure, visits Debre Berhan Selassie, and reflects on the city's preparations for the Meskel festival while navigating daily life. ☕…

    S1 E3510:14
  9. Gonder's Green Walls and the Meskel Fire

    Dawit explores the newly restored Fasil Ghebbi and the serene Qusquam complex, discusses the ongoing security tensions in Amhara, shares practical costs for food and entry fees, an…

    S1 E3409:45
  10. Gonder Green Walls and the Meskel Fire

    Dawit explores the restored Fasil Ghebbi, visits the quieter Qusquam complex, and reflects on Meskel preparations and travel logistics amid security tensions. ☕ Enjoying the show?…

    S1 E3309:49
  11. Gonder's Green Walls and the Meskel Fire

    Dawit explores the restored Fasil Ghebbi, visits Debre Berhan Selassie for its angel ceiling, and walks the quiet hills of Qusquam as Gondar prepares for the Meskel festival. ☕ En…

    S1 E3210:39
  12. Gonder's Rain, Meskel Plans, and a City Holding Its Breath

    Dawit spends a rainy day in Gonder, exploring the Fasilides Bath and the Addis Alem quarter, observing Meskel preparations, and reflecting on the city's resilience amid security te…

    S1 E3109:19
  13. Gonder's Rainy Season Light and Meskel Preparations

    Dawit spends a rainy day in Gonder visiting the Fasilides' Bath, watching the city prepare for Meskel, and sharing practical costs for coffee, meals, and getting around during the…

    S1 E3008:14
  14. Gonder's Castles and the Meskel Countdown

    Dawit spends his second day in Gonder exploring the Fasil Ghebbi royal enclosure, watching the city prepare for Meskel, and navigating the practical realities of a city under emerg…

    S1 E2910:31
  15. Gonder: First Day, Castles, and the Long Road Up

    Dawit arrives in Gonder after a short, tense road hop from Gorgora, settles into a guesthouse, and walks the wet streets past Fasil Ghebbi. He reflects on the security situation, t…

    S1 E2808:32
  16. The Last Birr in Gorgora, Lake at Full

    On his final full day in Gorgora, Dawit takes one last boat trip, settles his bill at the guesthouse, and reflects on the cost of slow living by Lake Tana before heading east to La…

    S1 E2709:57
  17. Gorgora's Last Day and the Lake at Full

    Dawit spends his final day in Gorgora before heading east, taking one last tankwa crossing to a monastery, checking in on the new eco resort, and reflecting on the town's quiet tra…

    S1 E2608:32
  18. Gorgora's Last Rain and the New Year's Promise

    In the final days of the kiremt season, Dawit walks the high-water shoreline of Lake Tana, checks in on the new Gorgora Eco Resort's arrival, and reflects on the town's quiet rhyth…

    S1 E2510:53
  19. The Lake at Full, Ospreys and Ruins

    On day four in Gorgora, Dawit explores the rocky shoreline at Lake Tana's seasonal high, watches ospreys hunt, visits Susenyos' palace ruins, and reflects on the slow rhythms of th…

    S1 E2409:50
  20. Ashenda Drums and the New Gorgora

    On day three in Gorgora, Dawit experiences the tail end of the Ashenda festival, checks out the new eco lodge's impact on the waterfront, and considers the town's future against it…

    S1 E2308:54
Now Playing