Was in Ethiopia for 6 days at very end of March 2023 to first week in April.
I wasn't able to find the famous "Dome Club", but the Sheraton Hotel is a nice spot for picking up top quality ladies on Friday and Saturday night. Perhaps Dome is closed. Based on the forum, the hotel in which Dome was located is now permanently closed per Google Maps.
I was actually so worn out from daytime visits from the Modeling Service and walking around getting massages during the day that I was worn out at night. Which was nice, I just got to observe.
Here are a few notes that may help someone on their first trip here.
Money
If you have access to USD, by all means bring them.
Currently one can almost double their money. You won't be able to get USD from your debit/credit cards at ATMs or the banks. Bring what you need (up to 10,000 USD by law). I was told that they accept $100 notes and even $20 notes. Just passing along info that I heard.
The current rate is 53 or 54 ETB (Ethiopian Birr) to 1 USD (dollar). On the black market you can today (the date of this post April 4th 2023) get 101 ETB to 1 USD. The day before it was 104. Check black market rates online
HERE
According to that same website as of the day before the date of this post you could get 108 ETB for 1 Euro. However, according to a few taxi drivers and also according to one of my tour guides it is difficult to trade Euros. There are a few people that will do it. You can get a quick 80 ETB for the Euro with most taxi drivers.
Because it is severely frowned upon by the government, I won't list any names of connections or contacts. Not even by PM. Finding people to do it for you will not be difficult. Taxi drivers, hotel workers, tour guides. Most will give you 10,000 ETB for 100USD immediately on site, if they have it. They will make a few extra hundred birr for it. If they don't have it on them and they work in your hotel, for example, you can hand them the 100 and get your 10,000 the next day. Disclaimer: Did I ever do this? The correct and legal answer is "Of course I didn't. It's illegal".
But having 10,000 ETB for every 100 USD makes the math easy and the living a lot more fun. Hypothetically, of course.
Internet Connectivity
I use Google Fi, which allows me service in most countries all over the world at no extra charge for data. However, there are a few countries that do not have Google Fi service. Ethiopia is one of those countries. My phone number in my phone is on an e-Sim (digital electronic sim). So, I purchased an unlimited data package for 7 days at the price of 10 USD in the airport after clearing luggage through the final security check. They do not accept ETB. Only USD. It is a physical sim card, which the guy installed in my phone and set it up for me. You have to have a VPN for their sim to work on a non-Ethiopian phone. I always keep a VPN. It worked like a charm.
On my phone setup I had the Ethio Telecom sim setup as the preferred sim for data (internet) and the Google Fi e-Sim as the preferred sim for SMS messages and phone calls (wiFi). Because I had data with the Ethiopian sim or while on airport/hotel wiFi, my SMS messages to my phone worked fine even though there was no Google Fi service in Ethiopia. I only needed SMS for credit card online transaction verifications (we sent a code, etc). WhatsApp is what I use for all friends and family. That worked like a charm. As well as Instagram, Facebook, FB Messenger, etc. No issues with data while in Addis once I had the Ethio Telecom sim card added. Since it was unliited I even used my phone as a hot spot to stream Netflix, HBO, etc when the hotel wiFi was slow. No issues. I tested the speeds on the phone and was getting 25 Mbps to 50 Mbps for upload and download speeds.
Transportation
Before arriving download the app "Ride" for Android and iPhone. It has a black and yellow logo. You can input your credit card or choose the cash option. The average 15-minute ride around town was 180 ETB.
This app works pretty much like Uber, except the driver's names are not listed. Just the car color and plate number. Also, a lot of the drivers don't come to your exact location, so sometimes you may have to walk a hundred meters/yards or so to their car. Even though the business name is listed on their phones I think they just go by GPS and apparently in Addis the GPS is not very accurate. It was not a major problem. Just know when you see the driver not moving any closer towards your location than around the corner that you need to walk to them. You can message them as well on the app.
A lot of the drivers were not aware that the passengers could pay by card, so I had to watch their phones with them when the ride was over. With both our phones side-by-side on the Ride app, it would say in the middle of the screen "Paid by card". Most drivers were surprised. They were accustomed to cash transactions. Most Ethiopians use Ride, but pay by cash. So just point that out on their screen (you paid by card) and you will be good to go.
Escorts
I used the Ethiopian Model Delivery Service. RTFF. Their number is in this forum, not too far down. They operate two shifts. 1pm to 7:30 and then a night shift. Message them on WhatsApp. They will send you photos with names and ages of the available chicas (chicas: that ever-present DR and South American influence ingrained in my brain). Pricing is 2,500 ETB for 2 hours. 5,000 ETB for all night. 9pm to 6am. They are flexible with the 9 hours. You can do 11p to 8a.
Recommendation: The person you are texting is the manager. Always message them additionally when making the appointment that you want your complete time. They will confirm your start and stop hours in writing. You will need it!
Once the girl arrives the service will message you on WhatsApp what your exact start and end times are. One chica, in particular, tried to rush off after I busted at the 1-hour mark. I told her "We already agreed that you would leave at 6:30p. It's just 5:30p" She tried to play dumb. I showed her the message from her manager. She frowned, then called the manager (or pretended to be on the phone). Then hung up and said "Okay, I will stay until 6:30". You damned right you will! In fact, the GFE was great up until that point. I knew she would play this game because she was listed in another post as having great GFE but also trying to escape early. Apparently, she tries this shit all of the time. That ruined the mood for me...but only for a few minutes and we were back at it soon enough.
I think it is a cultural thing with them. Not really sure. But you have to drill that shit into their heads. "I want all of my damned time!" They will still try to pull it on you though. It's hilarious. Not all, but more than 50% will try you.
One other cultural barrier that you will run into is OW and OWO. They don't blow. Period. Some on here claim they got OWO in a massage parlor. I'm pretty sure they were just trolling. All of my tour guide friends and I laughed about that every time I would tell them my disappointment with this lack of one act. Ethiopian girls just don't do it. So, if you do find the rare spotted unicorn, kudos to you. Keep it to yourself, because we won't believe that shit. And if she does do it, I'm sure it will be sub par.
Massage Parlors
I didn't find out about the black market for trading USD until day #2. The first day I went to 2 massage parlors. They all were asking 1,500 ETB for an oil massage. 1,500 extra for hand job (3,000 ETB total) and 5,000 ETB total for full service (you already know, that does not include oral. LOL). I was astounded at those rates because that is not what I was reading on this forum as prices quoted. Basically, what happened is the black market recently went crazy up to 100. It was not always that high. So, the chicas just got street-wise and adjusted the prices accordingly. I had to haggle them way down, but the above prices are what they are asking, so don't be alarmed and just know your price. The average working person makes 5,500 ETB per month. Those girls will accept a whole lot less than their asking prices. Guys were on the street cleaning shoes for 10 ETB (that's 10 to 20 cents depending on how you get your ETB).
In Google Maps you will see a bunch of red dots pop up after you search "Massage Parlors near me". Most of those (especially ones with 1 review) are just fronts to get their number posted. After wasting a few hours walking down 3 of them I realized the pattern. They all led to a mall. The malls have tons of stores over 4 levels. There is no directory in the mall to see what stores are and on what floor. The guards at the door say there are no massage parlors here. One address led to an open field just behind Edna Mall. It was hilarious.
I messaged a number to WhatsApp for a massage parlor listed as Venus Massage and got the true address which was kilometers away. When I got there the sign outside said "Top Morocco". See photo for number ending in 8015 (or just look up Venus Massage on Google Maps. The numbers are different. I communicated via the Google Maps number). It is located at XQPM+PP4, Addis Ababa. Close to Zimbabwe Street and Ring Road. It was kind of sleazy. At times those are just what I am looking for. Mattresses in all five rooms were on the floor. There were about 8 girls available during the day. No stunners, but some sexy ones of all colors.
There is another massage place listed as Bole Girls Massage Center in Google maps. I messaged via WhatsApp the number listed. The girl quoted me an outrageous price, so I told her what I was willing to pay. She didn't budge (that dang American WhatsApp number. My mistake). So I decided to take a taxi over there to see their selection. It was confusing when I arrived because the sign outside said something altogether different. It read "Cozy". See photo for the number (which is different from Google Maps for Bole Girls).
I walked into the place. There were 10 girls all sitting on one side of the room to my right all waving at me and smiling, except for one in particular. I spoke with the madame of the house who was at the front desk. I asked her if this was Bole Girls Massage Center. She said no. But then pointed to one of the girls (the frowning one) and said "You messaged her, she is Bole Girls". WTF? So, I passed her over and was having trouble picking one. The one Bole Girl representative who obviously was the one I was negotiating with on the phone started cussing in Amharic and yelling. I guess she was saying I was her customer. I told the madame I don't want her. Then walked in another chica way more to my liking. She had lovely smooth olive skin and an Ethiopian / Egyptian-type hair style that looked like something from the Michael Jackson "Remember the Time" video. And she was very curvaceous. So, I choose her.
Her name was Mela. I paid the house (room) fee of 600 ETB and then off she took me into one of the back rooms. The bed was nice and elevated (not on the floor). There were rose petals on the bed. Clean place. The way the system worked there is after paying the house fee you go to the room and negotiate your price with the chica based on what services and additions you want. We agreed on a massage and hand job for 2,000. She left and was gone for about 5 minutes. The entire time while waiting on the bed I could hear the Bole chica still cussing and fussing like a psychopath. Mela returned. I asked if everything going was to be okay out there. She laughed it off and waved her hand as if to say "Forget about her!" We then started the massage.
She locked the door and then stripped down to just bra and panties, but eventually all of that came off. The massage was actually very good. I started on my back. Not the standard Chinese start-on-your-belly-bullshit. I wanted to watch her. She never got to do my back. Once we reached that point where my hands were roaming all about, she kept trying to upsell me on full service for 5,000 and would not budge. I wasn't going to pay even half of that for one hour of service when I knew what the escort service prices were. So, I just went with the hand job. She was good. Eventually the panties came off and I hit here with the DATY. It was then apparent to me that she was showering during those 5 minutes of being away. I guess the word is out on foreigners liking clean coochies because during my entire stay here in Addis I didn't run into one that was not clean. Truth be told I was kinda looking forward to running up on a musty one filled with hair. That shit is right up my alley. I was kinda disappointed, honestly. LOL.
She was trying to get a 1,000 tip out of me because of the DATY and was trying to be intimidating as if she were going to tell the madame that I ripped her off. I just kept laughing and being sweet to her. I knew it was an act to rob the stupid American who had googly eyes for her when she first entered the lobby of chicas. I ended up getting her WhatsApp her number and ended up going back for 1,500 for full service 4 days later. Yes, still paying 600 additional to the house for the room. I played the waiting game on her. I knew that what I had paid her before was a substantial amount according to Ethiopian (and ISG) standards. She was dirty sexy and I just couldn't resist. I always like to cost average on the back end. I get better GFE this way. When I over haggle the experience is just average or below. We all have our own styles. I just like to keep the market price the market price. So I was happy to get that 1,500 ETB price.
Street Walkers (SW)
I saw quite a few each time I did an early morning walk to the gym with a buddy at 5 am near Cape Verde and Airport Road. Beautiful ladies. And this was mid-week. Never tried the SW scene here, but they didn't look like a typical worn down, high-mileage SW in the USA.
Food
Ethiopian food is reasonably priced in the restaurants around 300 to 500 ETB for a vegetarian platter. 650 ETB for one with beef, chicken and lamb.
This time of year, most people are fasting all meats. Some places, like my hotel, didn't serve meat during breakfast to keep the cooks from temptation. It was good to break away from it for a few days at a time. I was able to find a nice steak house (Prime Steak House on Ethio China Street). The prime rib 12 oz was 650 birr (6. 50 USD black market, 12 with credit card). It was an excellent cut. Tasted grass fed. I forgot to inquire. They accepted cards. Most restaurants and all hotels do accept cards. However you average store and small restaurants are all cash-based.
Fast food is very high. There was a KFC knock off (called KKFC). They didn't accept cards. They were asking 1,850 ETB for an 8-piece family meal. This was on day #1 for me, so that translated into over $34 USD (at 53 ETB to the dollar). About half of that factoring in the black market. Once I found out about the black market everything made sense to me, pricewise.
Local beer (there are 2 main ones) cost around 70 to 100 ETB. Shots of good liquor from 150 to 250 ETB in most places. These are restaurant and 3-star hotel lobby prices. Of course higher end places charge more.
There is an excellent restaurant which has traditional Ethiopian live music and performing dancers starting at 7 p (Fri and Sat for sure. Not sure what other nights). The name of it is Yod Abyssinia Traditional Restaurant. It is located in the Bole section of Addis Ababa. It closes around 11 pm. I highly recommend it. Great dancers and musicians. There are 85 tribes in Ethiopia. Each segment shows dancing and costumes from some of the larger tribes. About 8 tribes were represented.
Hotels
I found some nice ones in the Bole sector of Addis Ababa on Priceline and Expedia in the 40 to 55 USD per night range. You can trade black market and pretty much cut those prices in half. They allow you to pay cash or card when you arrive. Cash is the only way to go in Addis. Next time I visit I will bring a lot of USD and pay for everything in cash, except my taxi rides. Always convenient to pay with the app because you will not lose by not having exact change. Paying at the 53 ETB to 1 dollar rate is a minimal inconvenience ($4 USD versus $2. 25 USD with cash for a short taxi ride).
Safety
The average person does not have a gun here in Ethiopia. They are highly forbidden. So, the worst thing someone could probably experience is a knife robbery in a dark alley. I was told this by several tour guides. They mentioned that this wouldn't happen on a crowded street ever. Especially during the day. I walked around Bole during the day and only had one experience with two young guys (early 20's) trying to tag team me to pick my pocket. I was wearing shorts that day, so I'm sure I had tourist written all over me. One grabs your arm "Big man, big man" then then other gets close to you on the other side attempting to sell you books he is holding in one hand while going for your pocket contents with the other hand. I caught his hand and yelled at him then they broke away. I was aware of the technique from my visits in the DR so my hand immediately went to my pockets out of reflex, otherwise he would have had me. I didn't feel his hand there. The number one tourist complaint is having their pockets picked. When I walk to crowded sections (like Merkato. The largest open-traded market in Africa there are tons of pick pockets there) I wear shorts with sweatpants over them. Phone is in my shorts. Nothing in the sweatpants pockets. They can have at it. My money is in a zippered waist belt tucked two layers deep.
Touring
There are quite a few tours on Get Your Guide and Trip Advisor. Most are local tours and some even drive to remote locations for a few days. You can see all of the main sites in Addis in 2 or 3 days. There's not a whole lot to do here. Most end up taking a van south to Hawassa. There are no big buses in Ethiopia. I can't do the small vans packed with people. Too old for that shit. You can fly to Hawassa or Gondar round trip for reasonable prices.
Hope this helps.
Originally Posted by JohnAuro
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