Deserts & Lost Kingdoms
The Sudan, Ethiopia & Zanzibar

for 2008 dates please enquire - THIS ITINERARY IS ON HOLD FOR 2007

Peter Lindstrom, Hoopoe's Managing Director, spent much of his early adult life in The Sudan and worked in Ethiopia when Emperor Haile Selasse was still in power. It was in The Sudan that he and his wife Aletta, raised their two children. Join Peter & Aletta as they return to the deserts and lost kingdoms of these remarkable places. These countries are little visited by tourists yet are so prominent in the early history and cultures of Africa. Take a journey back in time, a visual and cultural extravaganza.

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Day 1
KHARTOUM

Whenever you arrive, you'll be personally met and transferred to the city's most historic hotel. The Grand Hotel is situated near the confluence of the Blue and White Niles. This evening Peter and Aletta host a welcome dinner..

Day 2
KHARTOUM

The day is spent visiting the important colonial sites of Khartoum, the strategic city where the Blue and White Niles converge. In the morning you'll visit the Omdurman Battlefield where the Madist forces were defeated by a British Expeditionary force led by General Kitchener, a turning point in the early scramble for Africa of the 19th Century. You'll see the impressive Mahdist mosque and the colorful Omdurman market. After lunch Peter will give you a private tour of the Melik Gunboat that supported the expeditionary force in 1898, now in private hands. This evening, enjoy a sundowner cruise on the Blue Nile. Overnight at the Grand Hotel.

Days 3, 4 & 5
EXPEDITION INTO THE DESERT

The Sudan is Africa's largest country, but much of it is inhospitable desert. Along the great Nile, though, enormous farms are growing that someday may be capable of feeding the entire continent. But thousands of years ago, this was the salt market for the great Egyptian empires, and ancient relics including beautiful Pharoanic temples stand even today. Taking 4 x 4's the group will drive north of Khartoum into the desert, never far from the Nile. Three nights will be spent in a modest Desert Camp, fully staffed and quite comfortable. You will be among a handful of tourists to explore such fascinating and remote places. You'll see temples of the Meroeitic period, the famous Elephant Temple as well as the Meroe Pyramids. You'll encounter both modern villages in transition and likely, very primitive desert nomads who rarely if ever have seen a tourist. At the end of these three days, you will have felt that you have traveled backwards thousands of years.

Day 6
KHARTOUM/ADDIS ABABA

Make your way back to the Nile and follow it south to return to Khartoum. Part of the day will be free to explore the city and its markets on your own. Rooms will be available at the Grand Hotel before late night flight to Ethiopia, which arrives Addis Ababa at 10:30p. Transfer to the Addis Hilton.

Day 7
ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that was not colonized. Protected by its rugged geography and early civilizations, the country is unique and separate from the rest of the continent in a variety of ways, including its own language, music, food and rich culture. Today you'll explore the capital, including Africa's largest open-air market, as well as several of the very impressive Coptic Churches that trace their ancestory to the 3rd Century B.C. Enjoy a traditional Ethiopian dinner. Overnight at the Addis Hilton.

Day 8
BAHAR DAR (LAKE TANA)

Morning flight to Bahar Dar at the southern end of Lake Tana. Here you'll board a boat to visit one of the unique island monasteries where Coptic priests have secluded themselves in churches sometimes hundreds if not thousands of years old. You'll learn of the ancient Gees language and see the priests copying the Bible in Gees onto sheepskin. In the afternoon, you'll visit Tississat Falls, where the Blue Nile begins as it plunges out of Lake Tana. Overnight at the Tana Hotel.

Day 9
GONDAR (LAKE TANA)

TA short flight across Lake Tana brings you to the historic city of Gondar, the early capital of the Empire of Ethiopia. You'll visit the early castles and learn the fascinating history of how Portugese missionaries influenced Ethiopian architecture. In the afternoon, you'll visit the church of Debre Birhan Selassie, a half-hour walk out of town, regarded by some experts to contain the finest art of its period anywhere in Ethiopia. The church's roof is decorated with a painting of 80 cherubic faces. Overnight at the Goha Hotel.

Day 10
LALIBELA

Ethiopia traces its creation to the first emperor, Menelik, conceived as the bastard son of the Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. For 13 centuries afterwards, Menelik's family ruled Ethiopia. Then, in the 12th Century, the dynasty was overthrown and King Lalibela came to the throne. In celebration he ordered the creation of a "New Jerusalem". That new Jerusalem is Lalibela, one of the most impressive places on earth. Today a harsh an inhospitable land, nearly desert, the great monuments remain. Lalibela had 11 full-sized churches hone downwards from the ground into solid sandstone, sometimes 80 feet deep. Pathways, streets, altars, windows, pews, doorstops -- everything is a single piece of monstrous underground sandstone, carved by his followers for 32 years. Overnight at the Roha Hotel.

DAY 11
ZANZIBAR

Return to Addis to connect to Zanzibar, where the Omani Sultans ruled. For millennia and starting as early as the 13th Century, these Sultans controlled all of East Africa. From here the early explorers, slave traders and merchant ships stopped to water and obtain the Sultan’s grace to continue. You’ll be transferred to Stone Town’s finest hotel, The Serena Inn. Dinner is independent.

DAY 12
ZANZIBAR

This morning you’ll enjoy a special walking tour of Stone Town. You’ll see the old Sultan’s Palace, the Anglican Church that was built on the old slave market, and Livingstone’s house. You’ll also walk through the large and colorful market, where goods from all over the world are sold side-by-side to the exotic spices grown here. Continue to a private home for a traditional Zanzibari lunch, and the afternoon is free to wander Stone Town independently. This evening Peter hosts a special farewell dinner.

DAY 13
Depart

Private transfers are provided for you to the airport to begin your departure home. Or consider traveling with Peter and Aletta into Tanzania’s great safari country!

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