Money and Duty Free

Exchange rates: Ethiopian Birr (Note: the exchange rate is not constant)

• €1 = Br33.32
• £1 = Br37.87
• US$1 = Br27.21

Currency & Money Currency information:
Ethiopian Birr (ETB; symbol Br) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of Br100, 50, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

Credit cards:
Diners Club and in the hotels MasterCard,Visa are accepted.

Travellers’ cheques:
To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler’s cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. They are difficult to exchange outside the capital.

Banking hours:

• Mon-Thurs 08:00-17:00;
• Fri 0800 -17:00
• Sat 08:00-17:00

Currency restriction:

The import of local currency is limited to Br100. The export of local currency up to Br100 is permitted, provided the traveler holds a re-entry permit. The import and export of foreign currency is unlimited, subject to declaration on arrival.

Ethiopia duty free

The following goods may be imported into Ethiopia by passengers aged 18 and over without incurring customs duty:

• 2 packets of cigarettes.
• 2 bottles of alcoholic drinks.
• 600 ml of perfume.

Banned imports:

Prohibited imports include narcotics, firearms, explosives, counterfeit currency, pornography and materials which infringe upon intellectual property rights.

Restricted imports requiring permits include hunting guns, air guns, swords, endangered plants and animals, live plants and animals, fruit and vegetables, seeds, ivory, medicines and satellite cameras.

Banned exports:

Prohibited or restricted exports include ivory (even if already processed into jewelry), precious metals, precious gems, religious artifacts, antiques and animal hides.

Communication

Ethio Telecom is the sole provider of phone, mobile and internet services. SIM cards are easy to obtain and are cheap. Roaming services using international mobile SIM cards will work with some carriers. Mobile phone networks are now available in most areas served my tourism. Guests using pre-paid mobile service within Ethiopia should know that international phone calls are expensive and users may run out of credit quickly. Fax services are available in Addis Ababa and various locations around the country.

Internet cafes are widespread throughout the country. Wifi internet access is not always available in hotels and, but is becoming more widespread. Guests should be aware that there are still many areas of the country (particularly in the south Omo Valley and in remote areas) where internet access is not available. 3G service is under installation in most of big cities. Connection speed and quality may vary.

Ethiopia’s postal service is reliable, though can be slow. Post offices are generally open Monday – Friday from 8:30am to 5 or 6pm, but desks may actually close at 4pm and during lunch time. They are usually open on Saturday mornings as well.

Electricity

Ethiopia runs on 220V, and uses 2 round prongs (such as those in Europe). However, this may vary from time to time (size of prongs and/or width between prongs). An adapter is advised, and are widely available throughout Ethiopia.

Food and Drink

Ethiopian food is like nothing you’ve ever tried before. Having evolved mostly in isolation from neighboring cultures, the cuisine is different to both the standard dishes found throughout sub-Saharan Africa and also to the Middle Eastern basics of Northern Africa.

Meals are based around injera (slightly sour, pancake-thin and crumpet-textured bread) which is made from an endemic grain called tef. Portions of food are then placed on the injera instead of on a plate and the injera is torn off from the edges and used instead of cutlery to eat the food. The most common form of dishes served up is a wat (spicy stews made from meat, chicken or vegetables). Spiciness of wats vary according to the amount of berbere (Ethiopia’s famed spice-mix) used by the cook.

Restaurants serving traditional Ethiopian food are called ‘national food restaurants’ and can be found everywhere. All towns of a decent size also have one or two restaurants with menus featuring Ethiopian versions of Italian pastas and pizza. In Addis Ababa there are plentiful restaurants offering menus of international cuisine – particularly Indian, Italian and Chinese.

Specialties:

• Asa wat (fish stew).
• Doro wat (chicken stew).
• Dulet (breakfast dish of pan-fried minced tripe, liver, beef, and chili).
• Enkulal tips (breakfast dish of scrambled eggs with peppers and tomatoes).
• Kai wat (very spicy beef, goat or lamb stew).
• Kitfo (raw or very rare ground beef marinated in a very hot chili powder).
• Messer (lentil curry).
• Shiro (chickpea puree)
• Tere sega (raw meat, considered a delicacy)
• Tibs (pan-fried lamb cooked with garlic, butter and vegetables)

Tipping

In most hotels and restaurants a 10% service charge is added to the bill. It is customary to tip a small amount.