For Addis residents, who are not willing to undertake the 4 hour drive to the lodges on Lake Langano, the choice for a weekend getaway has always been limited. If you are among the majority that cannot afford Kuriftu-Deberezeit or one who feels that a day trip to Hora does not cut it anymore, there might just be an alternative that can help you beat the Monday morning blues without losing most of your wallet in the process.
In Wolisso, Oromia region, a mere one and half hours west of Addis Ababa, there is a place completely deserving of the label “hidden gem” and may be an answer to the lure of travel. First built in the 1930s as a holiday home, Negash Lodge was called Ghion Hotel in the 1940s and Ethiopian Hotel in 1950s, before its complete privatization in 2005. Covering approximately 90,000 sq., Negash Lodge is endowed with many different varieties of trees (tagged with scientific names if you are a plant wiz), quite a number of bird species and some wildlife, making it by far the best weekend getaway spot in close proximity to Addis Ababa that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.
While escaping to any lodge is not a secret vacation idea, the natural and traditional elegance of Negash Lodge will undoubtedly have you set for a “Time Out” that you have probably never experienced before. For most, the main attraction of Negash Lodge are the various tukuls (lodge houses) each built after one of the many traditional hut styles of Ethiopia. , You can choose to stay in an Afar house or a Sidama tukul or even a Wolayita home. But your choices are not limited to these; Addis Ababa (modern rooms), Amhara, Anuak, Dorze, Gurage, Keficho, Konso, Oromo, Robe and Tigray homes are also in the offering.
One of the lodge’s recreational options is the tranquil bar located up on a tree, hence its name - The Tree Bar. Yes, it is in fact built on a tree, and it is a wonderful experience to be sitting under the gigantic branches of the big tree, sipping a cold beer and enjoying the great view of the lodge’s amazing forestry, which might also give you the opportunity to spot some of the birds and wildlife in the compound. But if the night breeze is too much for the day, you can always head to the indoor bar to relax on the comfortable sofas watching the day’s news on a big TV. But note that the Tree Bar closes at 10 PM and the indoor bar at 12 PM. After all Negash lodge is a place to retreat from city life.
For dining, Negash Lodge offers you the Maru and Kundurus restaurants. Staffed with the most hospitable personnel I have ever experienced in Ethiopia, the luscious European, Mediterranean and oriental dishes of Maru are made to perfection. Whatever you go for, ask for one of their salads; their freshness and excellent taste are a treat. Kundurus, on the other hand, is situated under large indigenous trees. Specializing in Ethiopian cuisine, light snacks and pizza, the restaurant is the perfect place to have lunch under a shade with a nice breeze. You might take a crack at the pool table while you are there, unless, of course the natural beauty and an excess of dining lulls you to sleep.
But if you are not ready to look clean and presentable in the dining rooms or bars, the swimming pool area might be your choice of relaxation. Filled with natural hot spring water, it provides a nice swim that relaxes the body. The poolside bar also hosts refreshments and snacks to quench your thirst after a good swim.
And if you have the time,
Negash lodge serves as a convenient base to visit the exotic crater
lake of Wonchi, which is a mere 35 Km away (We covered Wonchi in our
Real May/June 2008 ) issue, but if you lack the printed copy, please
visit the Travel Section at www.horizonethiopia.com.) Negash Lodge
can prepare your lunch for the drive,so that’s less planning for you
and more time to abandon yourself to the charms of Wonchi.
Although their website (www.negashlodge.com) can use a professional
touch to match the elegance of the place, it hosts useful information
that includes a road map to the lodge and an online booking system that
actually works. You can also make your reservations at their office in
Addis which is in the Tsehai Building not far from the traffic lights
at Bambis Supermarket.
