City Rating: Gondar
Population: 200,000
Date of visit: October 2017
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: ?/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: 5/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Gondar is a city, which can be found on almost every Ethiopia itinerary. Either because travelers use it as a short stop before heading to the Simien Mountains National Park or because the simply enjoy this laidback little city for a few days. The city’s vibe, the beautiful landscapes and the sights make Gondar my favorite city in Ethiopia.
Where to stay:
Tourism isn’t very widespread in Ethiopia. That means you won’t find hundreds of hotels in the cities of the country (at least not in any other city than Addis Abeba). Booking.com lists only 6 hotels in Gondar and you will find 13 if you search on Google. Some of these hotels are outside of the city. A good option would be Lodge du Chateau, as it is located next to Gondar’s main sight Fasil Ghebbi. I stayed in the AG Hotel, which is in a lively street with restaurants and shops.
The Good:
Gondar is a quiet and laidback city in the mountains of Ethiopia, and time seems to pass slower than in Addis Abeba or even in Bahir Dar. Its elevation is 2,100 meters, which means that it can get chilly in the night.
Gondar is a green city and it’s surrounded by beautiful landscapes. You will notice that whether you arrive by plane or by bus. Many people have a dry country in mind, when they think about Ethiopia. That’s not the case though and Gondar is the perfect example.
Another asset of Gondar is obviously the proximity to the Simien Mountains, one of Ethiopia’s highlights. Some people visit the National Park on a day trip from Gondar, however, I wouldn’t recommend that. I would opt for the two days and one night tour if I had to choose again (I did the three days and two nights tour).
The Bad & The Ugly:
There is not a lot to criticize. Gondar is quiet and laid-back, which means that it can be a bit too quiet sometimes. I don’t know if the city has anything to offer at night but I doubt it. Anyway, people don’t come here for nightlife but for other reasons.
Another minus is the variety of restaurants. The city center of Gondar is more like a town and you won’t have many eating options. TripAdvisor lists only twelve restaurants in the city, which is a bit low for a city with 200,000 inhabitants.
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