Eritrea Encounters

For too long, Eritrea has been missed off of the bucket list of most travellers,. But this proud East African nation, which offers a real 'off the beaten path' travel experience is eagerly waiting to be explored! Starting in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea and a UNESCO World Heritage site, we'll explore the early 20th century architecture, much of which dates back to the Italian period, so why not grab an Italian coffee in one of the local coffee shops. We'll also visit the Santa Maria Cathedral, Coptic Museum and of course, the Medeber Market. As we leave the capital, our first stop is Keren, known as a crossroads between the High and Low Land regions and very well known for its silver filigree work. The city of Keren itself, is home to the Bilen people, attracts visitors from the local area for the regular cattle market, which makes for an interesting photo opportunity. Whilst exploring the city, we'll make stops at the Italian and British war cemeteries, the mosque and a number of local churches before spending time in the vibrant covered food market. Heading east, we move on to Massawa, located on the shores of the Red Sea. From here we'll begin our 3 day camping excursion to the beautiful Dahlak Islands. We'll board a motorboat in Massawa, which will take us to some of the most interesting and richest coral reefs in the area. We'll set up a base camp on one of the local islands, where our accommodation will be in igloo tents. As we disembark from the boat in Massawa, we may have time to partake in a city tour before returning to Asmara where our trip comes to an end. For those looking to spend a little longer in Eritrea, we do offer a 2-night Asmara extension, which includes tours to visit Kohaito and Adi Quala. Our tour of Eritrea connects well with a number of our other tours in the region, such as those in Egypt and Jordan. If you'd like some advice on how to link these trips together, please speak with our sales team who will be happy to help.