In this second part of my useful travel advice for Ethiopia, I’m delving into toilets, showers, laundry, vaccinations, language, and some useful gear I recommend bringing to Ethiopia. If you missed the first part, I talked about phone, internet, electricity, customs, cheap flights.
Toilets
– You’ll find Western seated toilets in many hotels, but if you don’t encounter a squat toilet, you likely haven’t explored Ethiopia deep enough.
– Sometimes, you’ll see bottles of water next to the toilet. Water can be intermittent, so that’s to help you flush when the water’s off.
– Bring your own toilet paper, either to wipe or to dry off after rinsing.
– Don’t flush toilet paper.
Showers/Laundry
– Heated showers at hotels, depending on electricity situation. If you find yourself without, then you’ve successfully gone off the tourist trail and into the countryside.
– Likely have to wash your own clothes. Much of Ethiopia is dry, so expect your clothes to get quite dusty.
Language
– Official language is Amharic, but there are many dialects and local languages. Definitely useful to learn if you wander.
– Don’t get put off by tongue twister of saying “thank you”. The rest of the language is better.
– Pronounce Amharic neutrally if you want to be understood.
Vaccinations
– Nothing is required, but get Typhoid, hepatitis A and B shots
– You can get shots in Ethiopia for cheap
Food
– Much of food information saved for another episode
– Food is fantastic, vegetarian friendly
– Beer is cheap and abundant.
– Coffee is everywhere.
Recommended Gear
Here are some extra things I recommend for Ethiopia Travel.
– Small Gorilla Tape for on the road repairs
– Large clear Gorilla tape if you’re volunteering or visiting schools. You can patch up broken windows with this. The regular dark roll is also good for other repairs.
– Very strong glue. I prefer this one over the one I showed in the video
– Compact, non-hanging mosquito net for sleeping. This one takes more “building work”, but is compact. while this one and this one are pop-up style.
– Lifestraw bottle to reduce water bottle waste (there’s no recycling in Ethiopia)
– Dual USB Travel Adapter. This one has more amps than the one I vlogged about, so it charges faster.
– Aeropress travel coffee maker if you don’t want to walk out for coffee every day
My full recommended gear list.
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