From Wikitravel Shared

Eritrea is in East Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan, with a long disputed border with Ethiopia.

[edit] Regions

• Central
• Anseba
• Southern Red Sea
• Northern Red Sea
• Southern
• Gash-Barka

[edit] Cities

• Asmara (Asmera)
• Keren
• Massawa (Batsi or Mitsiwa)
• Nakfa
• Tessenei
• Assab (Aseb)

[edit] Other destinations

Eritrea is a relatively small country (by African standards), about the same size as Pennsylvania or England, and has a varied and contrasting landscape due to its diverse topography as part of the geological feature of the Great Rift Valley which traverses all of Eastern Africa, the Red Sea and Middle East. The country's most interesting destinations are its natural attractions, beyond the towns and villages. There are six main topographical features in the country. The highlands in the center and south of Eritrea, the western lowlands, the Sahel in the north, the subtropical eastern escarpments, the northern coast and archipelago and the southern coast.

The highlands where the capital Asmara is situated lie between 1500 and 3500 meters above sea level and are blessed with a temperate, mediterranean and dry climate, with little seasonal variation in temperature but where the rainy season falls between May and September and dry season between December and April. There is however considerable variation in temperature between the different levels in altitude of the highlands. The landscape essentially consists of valleys, hills and vast expanses of flat plateaus interrupted by very dramatic chasms. The dry season from December to April is distinguished by the redbrown, rusty, beige or black (stone and rubble-colored) landscape, resembling photos from Mars. The vegetation consists largely of shrubbery, eucalyptus, aloes, cacti and the odd explosively colorful specs of bougainvillea, jacaranda or other adornments planted in the villages and towns. The rainy season brings torrents of rain and nourishment to the land which transforms completely into a verdant, emerald and grassy landscape in the post-rain months of August to October. Rural highlanders live a lifestyle which resembles biblical times. Villages with stone houses, small plots, ancient temples (both christian and muslim), people farming and herding with traditional means using little technology, transporting their goods (as well as themselves) with mules and camels. A good place to explore the highland landcape is in the outskirts of Asmara, the capital. Near the village of Tselot is the Martyrs National Park, inaugurated in 2000. It is a mountaineous forest and wildife preserve at the ridge of the highland plateau where the capital was built.

The western lowlands lie between 1500 and 100 meters above sea level, the climate is tropical with high humidity and heat throughout the day during the rainy season (which falls at the same time as the highlands) and dry hot days with cold nights during the dry season. The landscape consists largely of plains, grassy, muddy and green during the rainy season and dry, dusty with sparse shrubbery during the dry season. The plains are interrupted by the odd hills and mounts as well as three seasonal rivers originating in the Eritrean highlands and one perennial river constituting the border with Ethiopia and originating in the Ethiopian highlands (the Setit, known as 'Tekeze' in Ethiopia and 'Atbara' in Sudan). All major towns in the lowlands are placed on or around these rivers. The southern half of the lowlands consists of a typical African savannah and hosts the odd flocks of wild African elephants and other typically savannah-type flora and fauna. The northern half of the lowlands is considered part of the Sahara desert and consists of vast expanses of sand dunes and rocks with a few sparsely populated oases. The best place to explore both aspects of the lowlands is the market town Tessenei by the Sudanese border and its surroundings, as it lies right between the dry and green parts of the lowlands and is a place of trade for the nomadic peoples of the desert as well as the sedentary farming communities of the savannah. Tessenei affords some of the most basic of amenities for visitors such as hotels with showers and flush toilets, shops (including photoshops to buy film and bottled drinks) and restaurants serving well-cooked meals. It is accessible by asfalt road from the capital Asmara via Keren and the towns of Agordat and Barentu which takes about 10 hours. Buses run daily from Asmara. It can also be reached by dirt track from the Sudanese city of Kassala only 40 Kms away. Considering the border bureaucracy, this short distance however could prove to be a whole days endeavour.

The northern Sahel is a peripheral part of the Sahara desert distinguished by its sharp contrast with the sandy deserts of the western lowlands as well as the eastern coast. The Sahel consists of a towering narrow chain of mountains ranging from 1000 to 2500 meters above sea level aligned between the deserts to the east and west and continuing all the way to the north to Sudan and Egypt (a feature of the Great Rift Valley). The slopes to the east and west are sparsely populated by herding nomads. The rainy season in the western slopes falls in the same time as in the highlands and western lowlands and in the eastern slopes it conforms to the Red Sea's schedule of erratic precipitation between December and March. However, rainfall in this region is generally erratic and of a much lesser quantity than everywhere else. The climate is desert-like with little humidity, dry hot days and cold nights with little seasonal variation in temperatures. Variations in temperature are seen however, between different altitudes. Heavy erosion due to war and previous overgrazing has also seriously impeded the benefits of two rainy seasons. The landscape is therefor very arid and fit for only the most tenacious of nomadic herding communities. The central and northern core consists of impenetratable and hair-raising mountain passes, gorges and valleys. This was the main base for the Eritrean rebels (who now make up the country's current government) when fighting for independence from Ethiopia. One seasonal river, Anseba, originating in the highlands, bisects the mountain range and drains in a delta on the Red Sea coast of Sudan just north of the Eritrean border. The best place to explore the Sahel is the town of Nakfa, the main base of the Eritrean resistance which gave the national currency its name. Nakfa also has a war-museum commemorating the liberation struggle and a comfortable yet modest government-run hotel with restaurant and sattelite TV. It is accessible from Asmara via Keren on asfalt road and from Keren via the town of Afabet on a dirt road. This takes 10 to 12 hours as the road between Keren and Nakfa is aweful. Buses run to Nakfa from Keren starting early in the morning so a trip from Asmara would entai an overnights stay in Keren (which is served many times daily from Asmara). Afabet is accessible by asfalt road from the port of Massawa via the town of She'eb. The Massawa-Nakfa trip would take about 10 hours still as the unavoidable Afabet-Nakfa leg of the journey is the most taxing. Buses run once weekly from Massawa to Nakfa.

The subtropical eastern escarpment, consists basically of the eastern (seaward) slopes of the highland region. Unique for this thin sliver of landscape is that it hosts the country's only subtropical rainforest and one of the world's largest selection of bird species, both seasonal (winter-migrants) and endemic (tropical). Being so mountainous, it has not been heavily settled (luckily) as it was seen as incovenient for farming. But nevertheless there are some small coffee and spice plantations in its central, higher altitude areas as well as tropical fruit plantations in the lower areas. The Solomouna National Park is the best place to explore this area and is accessible by asfalt road from the capital Asmara as well as the port of Massawa. The only way to the national park is by guided tour with one of Eritrea's tour agencies which all operate out of Asmara. Travelling to the coastal Massawa from highland Asmara one also passes through this region represented by the towns and villages between Nefasit (25 km from Asmara) and Dongollo Alto (50 Km from Asmara).

The northern coast and archipelago consists largely of a sandy redbrown and beige semi-desert with some shrubbery and volcanic basalt-rock along the mainland coast. The elevation is between 500 and 0 meters above sea level and the climate is always tropical and humid, reaching uncomfortable highs of 37 to 50 degrees in the summer months of May to September and to breezy and warm "low's" of 25 to 35 degrees between October and March. Rainy season is an insignificant concept on the coast as it seldom rains at all, save for the freak storm that occurs on the odd year. Some minimal precipitation and cloudiness may occur in the months of November to March, but the coast relies mainly on the runoff from the highlands and eastern escarpments for its water supply (from aquifers and table water). The few attractions inland are the hot springs resort about 35 Kms from the port city of Massawa, where hot mineral water baths are available and the water is also bottled as one of the country's most popular mineral water sources and brands (Dongollo, sold in brown glass bottles). The coast and archipelago host some of the Red Sea's most untouched coral reefs, rife with marine wildlife ranging from dugongs and manta's to big spools of tigerfish, dolphins and of course sharks. Eritrea's coast offers some of the best diving in the world but some of the most limited diving and tourist facilities, all of which are based in the port city of Massawa and are extremely expensive. The Beaches in and immediately surrounding the port city of Massawa as well as to the north are of modest to poor quality due to pollution as well as flooding and erosion from the nearby highlands. Parts of the northern coast also consists of large mangrove swamps, great for fishing and birdwatching but not for beachlife. The beaches on the Dahlak islands on the other hand are clean, white and pristine, with lagoons of clear turquoise water. The only way to get to the Dahlak islands is to charter a boat from a licensed company in Massawa. The biggest island Dahlak Kebir which features one modest resort-hotel is only 90 Kms away and so are some other smaller uninhabited islands like Dissei, which can make for affordable day-trips from Massawa but the archipelago extends much farther than that and offers much greater attractions. With Eritrea's limited facilities, the possibility of going on longer cruises and exploring more of the attractions is very expensive and narrowed down to a few European run companies based in Massawa. With the country's heightened sense of security, doing so independently on ones own boat or a chartered one is impossible. The best place to explore the northern coast and archipelago is obviously the port city of Massawa.

The southern coast is perhaps Eritrea's most dramatic yet most inhospitable landscape because of its volcanoes, quicksand, bubbling mudpools, salt lakes, coastal cliffs, the inland desert and depressions. The elevation ranges between peaks of over 2000 meters above sea level and depressions of more than 100 meters below sea level with fields of salt pans and strangely shaped rocks where temperatures reach the highest possible on our planet. The southern coast has the highest recorded temperatures in Eritrea which regularly reach 55 degrees celsius. Humidity maintains the temperatures high all throughout the day and seasonal variations are the same as in the northern coast. The northern inland areas of the southern coast offer a dramatic landscape of contrast between the backdrop of the towering mountains of the highlands to the west and the vast expanses of coastal desert to the east. It is the only area of considerable vegetation in the whole region, thanks to the highland rainfall and runoff. The area also hosts an interesting wildlife of mountain goats and ostriches. The region is situated between the port city's of Massawa and Assab which are about 500 Kms apart so is ideally accessed on a journey between the two cities. But can also consist of excursions from Massawa and/or Assab individually. Especially for trips geared towards viewing the inland landscapes. Any journeys without guides to this region is off-limits due to the high dangers associated with the climate as well as political volatility surrounding the Ethiopian border areas. The only public transportation in the area consist of buses from Massawa to Assab and back which run a few times weekly. Assab is also served by Eritrean Airlines from Asmara a few times weekly as well.

[edit] Understand

Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.

[edit] Climate

Hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in coastal desert.

[edit] Landscape

At the head of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains. Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon declaring independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

[edit] Get in

Only nationals of Uganda and Kenya and foreign citizens of Eritrean descent (holders of Eritrean ID cards) can enter Eritrea without a visa. All others must apply for a visa in advance before entering the country. When you apply for a visa to Eritrea, you must do it at an Eritrean Embassy in - or ackredited to the country where you are a citizen and nowhere else. There are Eritrean Embassies in Europe: London, Paris, The Hague, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm and Moscow. America: Washington DC and Ottawa. Africa: Pretoria, Abuja, Nairobi, Kampala, Djibouti, Khartoum, Cairo and Tripoli. Asia and Oceania: Beijing and Canberra. Middle East: Riyadh, Sanaa, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Doha, Tel Aviv (Ramat Gan) and Damascus. If you live in or close to these cities and are a citizen there, you can walk in, submit an application, pay the fees and receive a tourist visa within the next day or three working days.

There are also consulates and missions in many other places ex. New York*, Oakland, Geneva, Athens, Milan, Frankfurt, Dubai, Jeddah and Kassala. But these will be only receiving applications and payments while communicating them on to the main embassy, the handling time may therefor be a few days longer than the walk-in service at an actual embassy. *The New York office will not receive any applications at all as they are a mission to the United Nations with no consular function.

If you don't have an Eritrean Embassy OR Consulate in your country (see list above) ask your country's foreign office (state department, ministry of foreign affairs) which Eritrean Embassy applies to your country and contact them for an application. The Embassies in London, Stockholm and USA as well as the mission to the UN in New York have websites where an application can be downloaded, saving you some time. For a tourist visa, you need to submit specific information about when and at what border post you will arrive and depart, so it is wise to have allready made some plans (bought a ticket or so).

[edit] By plane

Eritrea's only international airport at present is in the capital Asmara. Lufthansa is the most reliable airline flying 3 times a week into Asmara from Frankfurt. Eritrean Airlines flies twice weekly to/from Frankfurt, Dubai and Djibouti and once weekly to/from Rome and Jeddah. Egyptair serves Asmara twice weekly from Cairo. Yemenia Air fly twice weekly from Sanaa. Saudi Arabian Airlines fly twice weekly from Jeddah/Riyadh. There is a 20eur, 20$us airport fee payable upon departure.

There is also Eritrean air lines which operates to Amsterdam, Rome, Jeddah, Nairobi at a reasonable air fare

[edit] By train

There is no international railway connection to Eritrea.

[edit] By car

You can enter Eritrea driving from Djibouti and Sudan (Kassala border crossing) provided you have a valid certificate of ownership of the vehicle you're driving (no rentals) and all your (including your passengers') passports and visas in order as well as a customs declaration (if necessary). The roads on the borders are very poor so you should be driving a 4WD. The first gas-station entering Eritrea from Djibouti is about 30 Km away from the border in Assab and about the same distance from the Sudanese border in Tessenei. Diesel is more easily available than petrol.

[edit] By bus

There are Sudanese pickup taxis running from Kassala in Sudan to the Eritrean border (a half hour away) and Eritrean taxis from the Eritrean border to Tessenei about an hour away (poor road). There are also Djiboutian taxis running from Obock in Djibouti to the border village of Moulhoule two hours away (very poor road) and this is where they're going even if they say 'Assab'. Eritrean taxis will take you from the Eritrean border to the port city of Assab, another hour away. You have to walk across the borders. No public transport crosses borders. The bureaucracy of the border crossings can take hours so start in the morning or early aftersoon from Kassala in Sudan or Obock in Djibouti as it is not possible to enter Eritrea after dusk (border post closes and there are no pickups there until the next morning and the nearest town is very far away).

[edit] By boat

Ports and harbors: Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa). Sadaka Shipping Lines and Eritrean Shipping Lines service the route Massawa - Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They serve mainly muslim pilgrims and it is quite difficult for non-pilgrims to enter or transit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

[edit] Get around

You will need a permit from the tourist bureau on liberation avenue if you are consider traveling outside Asmara's city limits. This permit needs to be applied for 10 days before travel. There are very few places other than Asmara, Keren and Massawa/Dahlak Islands that foreigners can travel to.

==Talk== Mentioning, Lufthansa is the only reliable air line that fly’s to Eritrea is not only intentional misrepresentation but also illegal!

[edit] Buy

[edit] Costs

[edit] Eat

[edit] Drink

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Learn

[edit] Work

Don't plan on it. There are no jobs for local and the government forbids anyone that is not Eritrean from working. Embassies and the International School is the only place you will find foreigners working.

[edit] Stay safe

Watch out for bicycle riders and pedestrians. People don’t look when crossing and bike riding accidents are common. It is a safe city though and you can walk about at night and anywhere in the city and not worry about crime. There are sometimes children that aggressively beg but usually leave you alone if you are stern with them.

[edit] Stay healthy

Do not drink the water and even check bottled water to make sure the cap is sealed. Be very careful what you eat. Many people get sick here. There is a Jordanian UN hospital that will treat foreigners. Local hospitals have inadequate facilities. Be healthy if you come here. Asmara is almost 8,000 feet above sea level, so altitude sickness is common.

[edit] Respect

The Eritrean people are wonderful and generous and strong.

[edit] Contact

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