Ethiopia

[MarkyGoldStar]

I'm headed out to Addis for the first time in early November. Staying just off Mickey Leyland street. Any tips you could give me gratefully received. Not a novice having lingered all over Asia, and a few trips to Morocco.

[Sam 14]

Moto bikes are not very popular in AA I guess. For renting a car you see advertisements in town (sign posts along street. <Snip> International driving license should be fine.

Thanks for your reply, John. Ya, the situation on self drive cars and bikes seems like they're there, you're just not going to find them promoted online or see an Avis at the airport. Find it once you're there and save money and probably the local DL requirement. Of the 10 emails I sent, only three bothered to reply, two were positive. In case anyone's interested, Blue Sky Tour has a motorcycle, Pulsar ns 200,2015 model. Cash payment, deposit US $ 300. FKLM Ethiopia Tours has a Toyota Corolla (or similar). US $56 per day. Requirements: Locally exchanged driving license, US $140 deposit. $13.00 if a driver is needed.

<Snip> I also stayed in "Bole Guest House" about 200 m before Atlas Hotel, same large road leading to Edna Mall. (Attention I think there are other Hotels with the same name! Its located in a large 9 (storey building, bad service, but easy to bring girls along. It was 550 birr 2 years ago. I could imagine things have changed for this place too? I need a place for September.

I got an email back from a Bole Guest House, I assume it's the one off Ghana St. Standard room $59 US, wifi in room. I decided to stay at Mr. Cozys. It got a good recommendation here and good write ups on the travel boards.

For those interested in venturing out of Addis, Hawassa is worth the time. A clean, well designed city, with a lake surrounded by some nice resorts good for hiding away. Not many tourist traps. .

Nice update on the massage scene Kib. Interesting about Hawassa. Since it's further off the track, I imagine it would be at least slightly better for "regular girls". I don't see much information on that subject here, but I'll check back in after I see for myself. Meanwhile if that fails, I know where to go! Thanks.

[John Auro]

I loved so much ALMAZ Pension 2 years ago in Olympia, but I was told its closed now? I was always fully booked? 350 Birr. Perfect place.

Via booking_com there are quite a few Pensions offered in Bole from 17€ on! Any recommendation?

I also stayed in "Bole Guest House" about 200 m before Atlas Hotel, same large road leading to Edna Mall. (Attention I think there are other Hotels with the same name! Its located in a large 9 (storey building, bad service, but easy to bring girls along. It was 550 birr 2 years ago. I could imagine things have changed for this place too?

I need a place for September.

John.

[DarrenGap]

First a bit about me....

Great report Dan, as an Addis regular I totally recognize those streets. Even the trick with the cigarette boys. They come up to you, bump you, with the tray, pointing at the products with one hand and the other hand goes into your pocket.

I picked the little * up and threw him out the bar on the spot.

Its changed the last few years, less wild west more rebuild and construction work and the hoes are getting harder and harder core.

But my tip for Mickey Leyland street is find the H20 and there's a road on the opposite side running 90 degrees that's a great resource, more freelance easy going hoes than the hardcore bar putas on ML street. Fresher WG's, but still quite pushy. In fact past the pinks massage place and through to Djibouti Street is good. In fact on the corner where Djioubti Street meets the side road I picked up a great 20 year old big titties, just had a kid, and still a bit milky, don't pay more than 400-500 birr, and that's overpaying by local standards. Reject the first stinky room they go too. Insist on a better room for about $2 extra its worth it.

There are two levels of WG emerging. Firstly the $100+ tourist girls in a room, E. G. At the opposite edna mall. These are way overpriced and exist purely for tourists.

The streetwalkers are much cheaper but you have to deal with all the street crap that comes along, pimps, haggling, dirty rooms, dark streets, muddy streets if its raining.

Its still a "trip" in every sense of the word.

[MarkyGoldStar]

Thanks Dan. Very useful info. I'm hoping to be headed to Addis shortly.

[Dan D Dick]

First a bit about me: 65 y / o. Been to more than 90 countries. I don't care about tourist shit.

Caravan Hotel.

Perfect location. It's about 2-3 blocks off the main drag (Mickey Spillman). Very dark no lighting at all. But I had zero issues. There are several wgs on the unpaved dark streets more about that later.

Room was okay. You'll want the street side there's construction on a building about 10 ft from your window on the back side. The banging in the morning was horrible. Moved to room 403 which was great (other side, a bit smaller, corner room).

Wi-fi sucks. They give you a passcode in about #6 font. It will regularly kick you off and you'll have to re-log in. Also they expire in about 3 days or whenever they feel like it regardless of what the paper says. Also you need one passcode for each device or it'll kick you off. Just ask for 3-4 passcodes no big deal.

They're very cheap with their towels & toilet paper so you'll have to get aggressive (I was having allergy issues for a few days).

Girl must have an ID. I brought one back from Club Melo. I had second thoughts because she was shit-faced & I've never had a good time with a drunk woman. She didn't have an ID so I just gave her taxi money (100 ETB) and said goodbye, sorry but those are the hotel rules. Worked out well for me. Next time I just signed my name & room number on a blank piece of paper & said I'the be responsible and there was no problem.

Overall I would recommend.

Club Melo.

Just down the street, same side. Get there about 9 pm to avoid the crowd. By 10 it starts to get busy. By 1 or 2 it's SRO on some nights. Great waitresses (not sure if you can bar fine them or not but there were several well worth it.

No problem smoking my cigar inside. Shishas / Hookahs available. Everything very reasonably priced by western standards. Last night I had one water & 3 beers for about $7 US. I tipped too much but everybody was happy.

Tipping.

Seems to be like Thailand if you leave the tip in the bill folder apparently the girl doesn't get it. Hand it directly to her.

Bars on the opposite side.

You'll see a butt-load of string LED lights. Good place if you want a drink and want to fondle a girl (s). Took one girl out from there and had an ok time. As other mongers have said most do not like oral given or received. That's why I settled with the street girls cheaper, S / T and just ask up front. They'll also lady-drink you to death in those little bars.

The bar will also want a ridiculous amount to take her. Just say no & offer what you think is reasonable depending on how you feel. I would not take one out of those bars again though the one I had had a killer body.

Shebeta Lounge.

Just down Mickey Leland from Club H2 O. Loved this place more relaxing & good service. Again, Shishas available and no problem with cigars. We typically got there about 10 and by 11-11:30 there were a lot of single gals entering. Went several nights & enjoyed the place. Not as loud (though still loud by my old-man standards) as some of the other clubs.

Club H2 O.

Closed on both Sat & Sun.

Club Flirt.

Could not find. Appears to be gone while they build a new building.

Club Havana.

Just down from the hotel. Looks like a strip joint but we found it overpriced and useless. But there is an excellent pizza place next door.

Edna Mall.

Beware of scammers and pick-pockets. Knocked the cigarettes & gum out of one kid's hands as he was trying to slide his fingers into my pockets from under the box of goodies he was trying to sell.

There's also a scam in the neighborhood touts will try to get you to go see a bunch of "university girls" dancing. Tried to talk my wingman out of it he went the 2nd time & I had to extract him. I was kinda rude but we got out for very little damage.

If you go to the movie just buy VIP tickets much better and still cheap about $4 US.

Overall.

Yes the 7000-8000 ft elevation can be felt unless you're young & in great shape. Prices are good. Don't go to the local market unless you have nothing that can be stolen. Overall maybe worth a visit but there are better places.

Oh and do not count on cell service or data. Maybe if you buy a local sim card but I seldom do that I just use my US-based iPhone with International Roaming. Never got data once, often had no service. So Google Maps will NOT help you on the street. Screen capture your maps in the hotel room before you go out. International messaging usually didn't work until I got back to the wi-fi in the room. Could send and receive calls though no problem.

Be upfront about what you expect before you commit. Be explicit.

Off to Pattaya where I know I'll have a good time & much less hassle-factor. BTW the government blocks access on the internet to porno sites so print any info you need from ISG or because you won't be able to access it from within the country unless you use a vpn or proxie server. And with the slow internet that will be a pain.

[MarkyGoldStar]

Hi chaps,

I'm visiting Addis Ababa sometime in the next few months. Was wondering if all hotels are girlfriendly. I've been looking at hotels called Concorde, Global and Caravan.

Appreciate your help.

[Tom Han]

Hello everyone,

I am in Addis this week and I would like to have some actions with good looking preferably semi or non pros. Any recommendations? I would greatly appreciate it If I receive some #s or contacts through my private inbox. Thanks a mill!

[Kib123]

Massage in Addis has been covered here plenty, but I had some experiences worth highlighting during my extended stay. The going rates are currently 200/400 for massage / FS (about $25 total damage) in half decent places.

Episode 1: Went to Mack massage behind Aclana Lodge, about 6 ladies at reception. I chose the one who looked the hottest, she was also the youngest looking (about 20 or so). Nice playful personality, good English, and gave a very comprehensive massage that was a perfect blend of sensual and therapeutic. She seemed very uninhibited, wore a skimpy top and underwear only, and sat on my back as she touched me liberally in the right places, the way it was meant to be. For massage experience, I put her near the top of the pile. Massage lasted the full h (about 50 min). The FS part became an unexpected nightmare. First, her 'negotiating skill' was annoyingly scripted, she was obviously new to this stuff and was following her training to the letter. Then came the rules, rules, rules: bra stays on, no touching, only mish, etc. (Amsterdam RLD anyone)? On the plus side, it wasn't a total loss; she was one of the tightest I ever had, she also loosened up considerably and got wet, and even 'participated' quite some. She volunteered at the end that she 'really liked' it, but did not 'love' it, whatever that means. Ironically, I would probably repeat, if just for the near excellent massage.

Episode 2: Went to Take massage at night (same area a Mack), choice of ladies was slightly underwhelming, but I was approached by a young lady (early 20's) with a very feminine body (round booty, slightly oversize boobs), and attractive face (the kind that doesn't look like a gold digger, pretty but not out of your league pretty). The sweetest personality known to mankind, perfect English, knows the right stuff to say to a man. I honestly felt like taking her home to mama. Massage was very good and unrushed (at least 45 min), she had strong hands and was all therapeutic, remained fully clothed, and appeared to even intentionally avoid touching the right places. So I was surprised when she asked if I wanted extras at the end. I was equally surprised when she did not mention donation, just got on with it. She was more open and participatory than any Ethiopian lady I have known (but remember the bar is pretty low in Ethiopia). At the end she cleaned me up and told me to take a nap if I wanted. She came back and gave me piece of paper with her name and # - I was in love!

Then came the nightmare: I usually carry the exact change I am willing to part with when visiting these places, so I had 600. After I got dressed, I asked her if the usual 600 was ok, and she literally threw a fit. A 180 switch in personality, she claimed that was way too little. I didn't ask how much was not 'too little', because I didn't have it. I didn't feel like reminding her this was the going rate, and that she was not my first, I just wanted out before Buffy walked through the door. Looking back, it was a terrible rookie mistake on my part not to insist on setting the price beforehand. The sweet personality lulled me like a sucker.

Episode 3: Went back to Mack massage at night, I was approached by a young lady who was not the best looking by a long shot, but had those eyes that suggested something wild. I quickly realized what a terrible mistake this was. A ridiculous, rushed, disinterested, random body slap. Done in exactly 8 min, a record by any standards. I tried to complain, but she spoke almost no English, and just sat there smiling awkwardly. But she obviously knew how to ask about extras. My instinct was to cut my losses, but then I thought 200 for 8 min of nonsense was too much of a ripoff, so I opted for FS in the hope of somewhat compensating.

Things took a surprisingly positive turn. I quickly realized she really really likes the FS, and the massage is a mere inconvenience to her. She got into it 100%, moaning, scratching, pulsating and all, doing her part to the full. Even when I was done, she wouldn't let go, and kept nudging and prodding till I got a second hard on, not easy for me. The most passionate experience in Ethiopia thus far.

Stay surprised, my friends!

[ABJ1255]

I'm visiting the first time, please can anyone recommend a hotel in a busy place where you can meet people.

[Kib123]

For those interested in venturing out of Addis, Hawassa is worth the time. A clean, well designed city, with a lake surrounded by some nice resorts good for hiding away. Not many tourist traps.

Massage parlors are just as abundant per capita as in Addis, especially around the higher end neighborhoods by the lake. The base pricing is also the same (200 birr / about $8. 50 for the massage). Extras can be negotiated down better than Addis, but not by much (200/300 for HJ / FS was typical). Many of the ladies are immigrants from Addis and they try to extract Addis prices from mongers.

On the downside, selection of ladies was a notch (or two) below Addis. Also, no place I visited had ladies sitting together to choose from. A (usually prettier) scantily dressed receptionist walks you to the room. Once you get naked, the real masseuse (almost always uglier than the receptionist) walks in. For this reason, you better stay in the room with clothes on till the real lady shows up so you can ask for another one, or easily bail if you don't like what you see. Or better ask to see the real masseuse before hand. I learnt this the hard way on my first attempt. I am laying butt naked, and the ugliest lady I ever met in a massage parlor walks in; big tummy, no ass, busted face. My dick went limp before it ever got hard. She, however, gave one of the best massages I ever had.

On the upside, every place I went gave the full h massage (45/50 min), and all were pretty good. No rushed service anywhere, and the receptionist always asked if I was satisfied. Maybe why the ladies tried real hard.

There's plenty of bars as well, but the ladies are just as hardcore as the Addis ladies, not my type at all. Good massage and extras for about $20 makes the EMPs hard to beat in my books.

[John Auro]

Moto bikes are not very popular in AA I guess. For renting a car you see advertisements in town (sign posts along street). I once rented a car for about 600 birr a day; from Atlas Hotel walk into direction of town center after about 200 m turn right into double lane to Kazanchiz, go another 200 on the left side, other side you should find a car rent, its little hidden, about 50 back from main road.

International driving license should be fine.

Not answered e-mails?; well network very bad in ET.

John.

[Sam 14]

Hello. Thanks to all the contributors, been reading back a few years and taking notes, now I got a good idea what to expect on my first visit. I'll be sure to report back on what I come up with, and I apologize that my first post here is a question. Hoping to get some advise on my little problem, please. I got my eye on a nice little AirBnb apartment for two to three weeks in November but it's in Kazanchz. I don't care about location because I figured I'd rent a car and go explore, as usual. There was a couple posts saying it's real nice to have a car and one named a company and said it was as low as $15 US dollars a day. Well, this is not consistent with what I'm coming up with. I emailed that place and got no reply, just like the 9 other companies I contacted. One did reply but said no self drive. All the search engines came up with zero results. And all the chatter on the travel forums say they make it very difficult and you need an authenticated Ethiopian licence.

So my question please, does anyone have experience in renting a car or motorcycle in Ethiopia, or have any suggestions, please? Separately, if I can not pull that off, I'll need a place closer to city center. Because I love walking, but not so much for transportation. And I'm not into taking taxis 4 times a day. I saw a couple names mentioned but I'd appreciate a reminder, please. Budget is an issue, as I'm traveling extensively, but not at the expense of living in a dump. Thanks for reading and advance thanks for possible tips on either of those.

[Vhaza]

Culture?

Yes you got it.

[DarrenGap]

Scenery? Girls? Culture? Work?

I am planning to visit Ethiopia specifically Awassa.

Does it possible to and Bahir dar both have lake and seems nice in theory.

My question is if it possible to stay for long holiday a month at each place or I will lose interest and get bored after a week.

Any thoughts?