Limalimo Lodge

a great base for geladas and mountain hiking trails

Limalimo Lodge is located in the Simien Mountains area in the north of Ethiopia.

Set on top of the main escarpment, the lodge has absolutely remarkable views over the dramatic landscapes to the north. The types of views people travel a long way to see.

It’s actually around 5 km north of the town of Debark, through which you have to pass each time you undertake the 45 minute drive to the national park gate (and which is only open 0600-1800 hrs).

The lodge itself is unusually modern and chic by the standards of Ethiopia, having been designed by architect Mario Balducci.

It was built using locally sensitive green technology wherever possible to minimise the environmental impact. The buildings are constructed using rammed earth, wood and thatch. Waste is minimised as much as possible and managed in a responsible manner. Electricity is provided through renewable sources and solar is used to supplement hot water heating.

The lodge is centred on a long single-storey main building, containing cosy lounge and dining areas, leading out to a terrace with a campfire, from where it is often possible to spot a variety of wildlife, especially the eagles and vultures that soar above the escarpment.

The food service includes a range of very high quality local and international dishes. All meals are included, usually with set menus.

Special diets can usually be catered, so long as we inform them at the time of booking.

Guest accommodation is in 14 rather pleasant detached rooms, which are ranged amongst the trees a little further down the slope, all with the same superb views.

There is, very deliberately, no WiFi or other internet connectivity offered at the lodge.

The lodge makes a donation of USD10 per person per night to the African Wildlife Foundation to assist with their important conservation work in and around the national park.

Ownership

Limalimo Lodge was established in 2016, the product of a collaboration between two local men, Shiferaw Asrat and Meles Yemata (both of whom are experienced mountain guides from the local area), in conjunction with the non-profit organisation African Wildlife Capital.

The lodge works closely with our two neighbouring communities, Limalimo and Afaf, to ensure that they benefit from the presence of the lodge and from your visit.

The lodge was almost entirely constructed by members of the community, the staff are almost all local and as much of the kitchen ingredients as possible are sourced locally.

The overarching ethos is that through sharing the benefits of tourism with the people who surround the national park, conservation efforts can be made a great deal more effective over the long term.

Activities

The main activity in this area is to drive into the national park (the gate is 45 minutes from the lodge), in order to explore various areas, hike up to a waterfall, meet the gelada ‘baboons’ and spot various other wildlife.

Closer to home and unique to Limalimo Lodge are some really good hikes and traditional villages to visit.

A visit to the Simien Mountains tends to feature in most of the more active and adventurous trips to the north of Ethiopia, almost always as part of more extensive exploration of the region.

Seasonality

The best time to visit the Simien Mountains is generally considered to be during the Oct-Mar dry season period.

The area has a subtropical highland climate, with an Apr-Sep rainy season, which reaches a peak during Jun-Aug.

Peak daytime temperatures are usually very comfortable, at around 24C/75F, but drop rapidly at higher altitudes, with the potential for frosts and even snow at higher altitudes.

Getting there

The north of Ethiopia is usually reached by means of regular daily flights from the capital Addis Ababa.

Some of the interconnecting journeys within the region are best done by air, others have to be done by road.

The Simien Mountains are usually reached by road from the airport at the historic town of Gondar, which lies about 2-3 hours to the southwest

drive up from the historic town of Gondar