Original Booking Details

Debre Libanos is an important monastic center for Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, the monastery there was founded by the renowned 13th century mystic, Saint Teklehaimanot and there is a small cave near the church (which is of recent construction) where he is said to have stood for seven years on one leg, until the other wasted away and dropped off.
 
On this tour, visitors can combine history and culture with some good bird watching. As we pass through the Sululta Plain, we can see black-winged plovers, wattled ibis, blue-winged geese, common cranes, and wheatears. We will also see one of Ethiopia’s endemic mammals, the Gelada, or bleeding-heart baboon. (In the gorge, we will see a variety of vultures: Lammergeyer’s, Rappel's, and Lappet-faced vultures.) Leaving the gorge, we proceed to the church. After the church visit, we can make the climb to the cave of Teklehaimanot.

Near the cave, monks may show visitors the remains of some 300 monks slaughtered in 1936 by the Italian invaders. If you continue up the hill from the cave, there’s a great view of the surrounding countryside. We will have a picnic at the Gorge or at the Ethio-German Lodge or restaurant on the view. Walk to the Portuguese Bridge, a 16th-century bridge built during the war between Lowland Muslims and Highland Christians to connect Shewa and Gojam provinces, then retrace your steps to Addis.