- Geriatric Pirate
- Apr 25, 2008
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by Nyc_Tattoo
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How was the visa process? That's always held me back, though it doesn't seem as impossible as other countries I've managed. Will you be allowed to travel outside of Asmara?
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Jul 20, 2017 10:04
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Apr 29, 2024 01:54
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- Geriatric Pirate
- Apr 25, 2008
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by Nyc_Tattoo
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Cool, shouldn't let that deter me from going then!
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Jul 28, 2017 21:02
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- Geriatric Pirate
- Apr 25, 2008
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by Nyc_Tattoo
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So apologies for not responding here sooner... we got back the beginning of August, but I was super busy for the next few weeks and this kind of slipped my mind. But that being said, here's some of my feedback for those who are interested in going:
First off, I had an amazing time. The food and especially the coffee were phenomenal. We had to stop at cafes to get coffee and patries and ice cream two or three times a day. The beer and especially the gin was pretty good, too. And the architecture was fantastic... really. The city was just an incredible visual feast, and completely walkable and safe, too. We never felt at risk, even when walking around at night.
However, some things to keep in mind - we used the Lonely Planet guide to Ethiopia and Eritrea from 2009, as it seems like later Lonely Planet editions don't cover Eritrea (though they still cover Somaliland... go figure). A lot has changed since 2009, mainly thanks to the economy. There are a lot more beggars on the streets now, though they don't tend to be too aggressive - the kids on the main few streets in Asmara will sometimes follow you for a while. But more pressing, a lot of the food options are reduced. Not that we had any trouble finding food, but a lot of the fast food places are just juice bars now, and a few of the better known restaurants (the Pizza and Spaghetti House and the Italian Social Club, for example) are closed. The government money exchanges also operate on a reduced schedule, which can be frustrating since most flights into Asmara seem to be very late (ours definitely was). So bring some 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills to get you through before the exchanges open.
(One good thing, however - despite the economic downturn, the Fiat Tagliero building is actually under renovation.)
For getting a pass to leave Asmara, it was completely easy. However, they require you to bring photocopies of your passport and visa, however, so save time and make copies at home before you go so you can be prepared. It also costs fifty nakfa per transit request (so for example, my girlfriend and I each applied to go to Massawa and Nefasit, so that was 200 nakfa total). The train also sadly was not functioning while we were there.
One word of warning when leaving - if you're flying through Cairo, as we did, keep in mind that if you get something duty-free in the Asmara airport, you will need to bring it through Cairo security again, and they will not accept liquids in the Asmara duty-free bag. I bought a bottle of Asmara Gin there, and it was confiscated going through Cairo because it wasn't in the Egyptian duty-free bag. Which sucks... the gin was really good. (Though on the flip side, when we passed through Cairo to get to Asmara, it was very easy to arrange a tour of the pyramids.)
That's pretty much the basics - if anyone has specific questions about the city or the trip, I'd be more than happy to go into more details!
Thanks, very useful.
Did you change money at gov't exchanges or privately?
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Sep 26, 2017 20:20
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- Geriatric Pirate
- Apr 25, 2008
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by Nyc_Tattoo
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I went to the government-run Himbol exchange on Harnet Avenue twice, and our hotel (which I guess is private but allowed by the government) exchange money for us once.
One thing about the money exchanges is that they all follow daily standard rates set by the government, so wherever you go in the country, you'll get the same exchange rate.
Edit: I should add that the Himbol times were one of the things from the 2009 edition of Lonely Planet got wrong. According to it, the Himbol in the airport will be open whatever time flights arrive and leave (which was not true for either of our flights), and the Harnet Ave Himbol would be open 7 days a week (it was only open in the morning on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays).
Isn't the official exchange rate wayyy off the unofficial one now? Did they count your money at the airport? (I've had that happen in Uzbekistan lol)
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Sep 29, 2017 16:01
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Jul 20, 2017 10:04
