How to Find Cheap Hotels in Ethiopia. Ethiopia, once home to one of the world's most advanced civilizations, has endured much political turmoil in recent decades. Traveling to Ethiopia will be more difficult than other typical tourist destinations, but its beauty and natural charm are well worth the effort.
Visit a local tourist office or a local bank to exchange your U.S. dollars for Ethiopian Birr. This is the official currency of Ethiopia and it has an exchange rate of about 1 U.S. dollar for every 8 or 9 Ethiopian Birr.
Take your pick of languages to use during your visit. There are three official languages in Ethiopia, they are Oromo, Tigrinya and Amharic. However, Arabic is also a common language to use.
Head to the Simian Mountains National Park to experience the grandeur of Ethiopia's wildlife and natural beauty.
Explore the roots of an ancient civilization at Aksum, once the center of the ancient Axumite kingdom.
Land in the best airport. Ethiopia has about 82 airports, however, most of these airports are bush landings. If you will be arriving on an international flight, your best option is to land at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
Decide how you want to get around. Ethiopia offers the same local transportation as most African countries: buses, bush taxis and rental cars.
Ride the train. Ethiopia offers rail links to towns and major cities in neighboring countries.
Find cheap accommodations in the capital city of Addis Ababa, your best bet for quality lodging. To book accommodations, contact Ethiopia Ministry of Culture and Tourism at 011 (+251) 11 551 23 10 or visit their Web site (see Resources, below).
Consider booking a tour of Ethiopia's national wildlife parks, which will typically include accommodations in the overall price. While some of these safari-style trips are very luxurious and pricey, there are also good companies catering to budget travelers.
Know how to spot cheap accommodations. Most accommodations in Ethiopia will seem inexpensive to American tourists, however, a really cheap room can be found for under $10 U.S.
Sleep under the stars. If you opt for a traditional safari-style camp, you can often find fairly cheap rates in Ethiopia's national parks.
