After visiting the Danakil Depression, I traveled to the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Contrary to popular belief, it is currently safe. It was a conflict area a couple of years ago, but the situation has since waned. There is still unrest, but it is not for tourists like us to worry about.
Of course, embassy websites will tell you otherwise. Frankly, many of them are overly paranoid and exaggerate the situation. I suppose it is a liability, so if a citizen encounters problems, they can say, “I told you so.” As someone who holds two degrees in the field and almost pursued a career in this line of work myself, I believe the State Department, along with other foreign ministries, tends to exaggerate everything. They are to be taken with a grain of salt.
Follow the news and travel groups to stay informed about the actual setup.
We were fortunate to visit during a time of no conflict.
Where is Tigray?
Tigray is the northernmost regional state of Ethiopia, officially known as the Tigray National Regional State. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north. The region’s capital and largest city is Mekelle.
The ideal travel period is the dry season, from November to March, when you can explore Tigray’s natural beauty and historical sites, especially if you want to visit the churches carved into the rock. It can be pretty hazardous to do so in wet weather.
The Historical and Cultural Legacy of Tigray
Tigray was the heart of the ancient Aksumite Empire. This empire thrived from the 1st to the 7th centuries. It was renowned for its trade, impressive stone obelisks, and an early adoption of Christianity. It’s well-known for its association with the Queen of Sheba. Ethiopia was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity.
Fun Fact: That stupid Christmas song by Band Aid, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” was about Ethiopia. So it made them look even more stupid because Ethiopia had Christmas hundreds of years before the Brits.
After Aksum’s decline, Tigray stayed a cultural and religious hub. Many stunning rock-hewn churches were carved into its cliffs during the medieval period.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Tigrayan nobles held significant power during Ethiopia’s Era of Princes. The region played a vital role in the famous Battle of Adwa in 1896. Here, Ethiopian forces defeated an invading Italian army.
In the late 20th century, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rose to power, playing a crucial role in the overthrow of a military dictatorship. More recently, between 2020 and 2022, Tigray faced a significant conflict. This led to a humanitarian crisis and calls for lasting peace.
Tigray’s Landscapes
Tigray’s landscapes are dramatic, shaped by time and tectonics. Towering sandstone cliffs rise sharply, glowing red and gold in the sun. These cliffs often hold ancient rock-hewn churches high above the valleys, accessible only by narrow ledges or climbs. Below, deep valleys cut through the terrain, winding past dry riverbeds, terraced farms, and villages clinging to the hillsides.
Between the cliffs and canyons, rolling highland hills stretch to the horizon. They are covered in dry grass, acacia trees, and fields of teff. The altitude brings cool air and expansive views that seem endless. These landscapes are not only beautiful, but also perfect for hiking and trekking. They offer solitude, challenge, and cultural richness. Trails lead through remote villages, across mountain ridges, and up incredible viewpoints.
The main attractions of Tigray
Rock-Hewn Churches of Tigray: Tigray is home to hundreds of ancient rock-hewn churches, many of which are in cliff faces and accessible only by daring climbs and drop-offs
These include Abuna Yemata Guh, carved into a sheer cliff face and accessible only by climbing a vertical rock wall. Debre Damo Monastery, reachable by rope only, usually with some random local trying to charge you to use it. It’s almost impossible to do any of these alone, as you will have people following you and demanding to be your guide. It’s usually best to find one of the clever ones to accompany you, so you have fewer people offering “help.”
You do run into those with “ helping hands” along the way, although a lot of them are more in the way. They make you do a lot of these without shoes for the last stretch. So while you have a scary dropoff point to deal with, you get people trying to grope you and talk your ear off.
I was particularly impatient with Abuna Yemata Guh, as I had spent a whole day working and had a fever, so navigating uphill for several hundred meters and then having these helpers get in my way wasn’t enjoyable. It has the potential to be a lot more. I feel bad for their situation, but I don’t respond well to this type of nonsense. If I could go back again, I’d probably have extended the tour with our guides from the Danakil region, who were from Tigray. We just went off to do this on a rickshaw after I finished work.
The priest on top of the monastery was also somewhat weird. We didn’t want him to show us the material or recite prayers with him, but he was somewhat pushy. These churches, carved between the 4th and 15th centuries, are not only marvels of faith and engineering but also perfect examples of how humans have harmonized with the stark terrain.
Danakil Depression: Tourists who visit Tigray often pair this with a trip to the Danakil Depression. That was what we did. Read more about my adventure with that here.
Visiting Aksum: Aksum was the main reason we bothered to do Tigray, as it’s the heart of where it all began, and the town was also rather pleasant. We had a friendly hotel owner, albeit a bit pushy. The locals were exceptionally kind and found a cute cafe to eat at. Most of what you can see is relatively compact; there are some excursions to more ancient sites further out, but between the Queen of Sheba and the obelisks (Towering stone monuments that are over 1,700 years old), it was enough for me.
Tigray’s Challenges
As mentioned, a peace agreement was signed at the end of 2022, so the opportunity to go is relatively recent compared to what it could have been. We might have been at a lucky time to go. The war led to atrocities, displacement, and famine. Eritrean forces also joined the conflict.
There is some spillover from that. Although I didn’t see many remnants of it when I was there, I think they are in other areas. They were welcoming to see anyone there. We had a rickshaw driver who was just curious and wanted to take us around for free. Of course, we paid him, though.
Many areas are still underserved and under-resourced; it is harder to notice in Mekelle and Aksum, but in Hawza, I could see it to a slight degree. There are also numerous checkpoints within close proximity, which add more time to drives.
As mentioned with the churches, they were cool to see. Still, I nearly broke down twice due to various factors, which were partly a result of my mismanagement. However, popping over to see nature as an after-work outing isn’t feasible.
It was pretty disheartening to see all the abandoned USAID signs there. While there may be some criticisms of how these programs are implemented, it is devastating to see the closure of health and educational programs that will set many people back. I didn’t conduct as much research on this beforehand or spend as much time examining local initiatives in other places. But these look pretty good. Both of them seem to be inclusive and emphasize helping the Tigray take control of their own.
- Omna Tigray aims to establish a global community and resource center that advocates for the human rights and economic development of Tigrayans and other marginalized communities in Tigray. I
- GOAL is an Irish one, but it seems to cut a lot of the savorism and seems to be doing some good work with getting resources into Tigray
Practical Travel Tips for Visiting Tigray
There is no special type of entry needed for the area. Your regular Ethiopian visa is fine. Most countries can get an e-visa or a visa on arrival for Ethiopia. It is 62 for a month. Always check, though, as visa regimes change.
Packing doesn’t differ much from how you would pack for the rest of Ethiopia. I would recommend having some appropriate walking shoes, but often, when you’re climbing to the churches and monasteries in the rocks, you’re required to take them off. However, many who also visit Tigray do some trekking in the Simien Mountains as well.
For ladies, purchasing one of the white scarves worn by locals at the monasteries is a good idea. Some of the culture there is relatively conservative, and you need to see the religious stuff. It commands a certain amount of respect, and it’s a helpful thing to throw over.
As I previously complained about how the state department and foreign ministries exaggerate fears, it can still be worthwhile to use them as a reference and then look into the actual news. The situation changes often there. The situation may change again, as the Ethiopian president is replacing the leader of Tigray. So, still follow things up.
You only have the option to fly to Mekelle or Axum; traveling between the two cities is time-consuming and inconvenient. You have the good old-fashioned minibuses. There was a real bus we took between Hawzen and Askum, but it wasn’t much better. It’s filled to the brim with several people in one seat. It also doesn’t arrive at the expected time. I had a full-on fight with my travel partner, who made me skip breakfast to ensure we would be at the stop 30 minutes early (Spoiler: it arrived 2 hours late). Oh, if you are a woman yelling at a man, it is entertaining to the locals because the culture is a bit patriarchal. The kids got a big kick out of it.
But if you don’t feel like dealing with this, add on the Tigray part of the tour to the Danakil depression. You have someone knowledgeable and a 4×4. It is expensive, but it saves some headaches and helps local guides.
If you work remotely, yeah, don’t use this as a destination. It’s better to visit most of Ethiopia during your leave time. I took my full-time job with me and nearly got an ulcer out of it. The internet was slow, there were blackouts, and transportation was time-consuming.
Be nice to the people and don’t be an asss. Yes, in places like Hawza and Axum, they can be obnoxious and pestering, but they did undergo a war. Don’t take any BS, but don’t try to bargain with someone to the last cent. Encourage local initiatives that are vetted, or at the very least, find the most capable person around and pay them a fair rate to accompany you for some activities.
Conclusion on Tigray
I am very grateful for the opportunity to go. It was humbling and one of the more captivating places I’ve been, as it’s off the beaten path and many still think it’s off-limits. I hope things pick up for them. Tigray deserves attention, as it has been overlooked in its struggles and continues to face significant needs. It has a lot to offer in terms of its historical and cultural significance. I would gladly give it another go. Although I think the rock church is a one-and-done thing. I would also like to visit Eritrea one day, but that would require a significant amount of effort and time.
