ERITREA
The Real Elsewhere: Whispers of History and Hidden Wonders
Welcome to Eritrea, a land that embodies the essence of the real elsewhere and invites you to experience its authentic charm and the richness of its culture. Nestled in the Horn of Africa, it stands as one of the most isolated places on Earth, and perhaps it’s this very isolation that grants it an unparalleled authenticity. Here, the rhythm of life unfolds without the distractions of the digital world, inviting you to immerse yourself in its rich culture and breathtaking landscapes.
At the heart of this experience lies Asmara, the capital, where time seems to have paused in the vibrant embrace of the Italian 1960s. Stroll through its streets lined with stunning Liberty and Art Decò architecture, where centenary cinemas stand as proud sentinels of history.
Sunday mornings are alive with the aroma of freshly brewed macchiato, the beloved local beverage that brings together groups of men in suit and tie in lively cafés. Here, you can sip your coffee while observing the daily rituals of the locals - engaging in spirited conversations, laughter echoing through the air, and life unfolding at a leisurely pace. It’s an invitation to pause and be amazed.
Join us as we embark and prepare to be captivated by the stories, the landscapes, and the people who call this place home.
Day 1 - Asmara, a living and breathing outdoor museum of Italian colonial history
You’ll probably arrive in Asmara on a plane where you’ve been the only non-local person - this feeling is very likely to accompany you throughout your whole journey. This is per se something that makes a visit absolutely unique. Eritrea hosts only around 2000 tourists per year, and therefore it’s easy to understand that you’ll pretty much be an exception. Despite this, Asmara and the whole Country are super safe places where you’ll be free to walk around and discover their beauty - local people are warm and welcoming and will be happy to see you visiting their country, which they will want to tell you everything about.
Check-in at the Albergo Italia - probably the nicest hotel in Asmara - and deep dive immediately into the local incredible vibe and way of living. The building is a late ‘800s Italian-style hotel with all its charm. The owner is an Italian-Eritrean man, mister Primo, who you’ll certainly hear a lot about during your stay in Eritrea. If you can, pick the suite verde, which features a beautiful corner balcony.
Leave the room and start to explore this beautiful city. You won’t have an internet connection to guide you through the streets of Asmara, and this will end up being a good thing, allowing you to get lost in its streets, finding yourself in random neighborhoods, with their cafés, markets, churches and stores.
Besides the unmissable places that we’ll mention underneath, enjoying Asmara is mostly abandoning yourself to its beauty and energy, concentrating less on where you are or where you’re going, and more on the feelings that the whole atmosphere will convey to you. We still recommend you download offline maps before you leave, so that you can check them once in a while, if you need to.
Before we begin - we don’t usually travel with guides, unless it’s absolutely necessary, like in Eritrea. The good news is that we were lucky enough to find the best tour guide you could possibly imagine - Philemon from Eritrea Visit. Philemon is not only incredibly knowledgeable about every detail of Eritrean history, but also eager to show you everything you’re interested in. He always goes above and beyond to make your stay absolutely unforgettable, and is willing to change the itinerary at any moment to match your passions. We couldn’t recommend him and Eritrea Visit enough. Reach out to them through their Whatsapp number and mention you got their address from the Elsewhere Club - you’ll get a 10% discount. Take into account that Philemon and team work with an unreliable internet connection (like everybody else in Eritrea), so be patient. They’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
Start walking towards the iconic FIAT Tagliero, a brutalist ex gas station and a staple of the city - ask your guide to arrange you the visit and climb on top of it. On the way, stop for a visit at the majestic Cinema Roma, built in 1933, and a macchiato - the local official coffee - at Bar Zilli. Ask your guide to organize a visit to the former FIAT factory, now a fascinating car garage.
Proceed to visit the Alfa Romeo neighborhood, which developed around the Italian factory built in the 1930s. Around the production site, a series of small houses were constructed for the factory employees, creating a true little town within the urban landscape of that time.
End your day with dinner at Ghibabo Restaurant, where you can enjoy either local dishes or Italian ones. No matter the day of the week, you’ll probably find it packed with local people and families having a great time. If you feel like taking a stroll after dinner, it’s completely safe for you to walk around.
Day 2 - Keep enjoying Asmara’s hidden gems
Start your day with a macchiato and a pastry at Bar Pasticceria Vittoria, one of the most famous cafés in Asmara, where locals love to meet up and sit for a chat. Take a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful show that you’ll witness - once again, you’ll feel like being out of this world.
You’ll quickly notice that Asmara is famous for its Cinemas - there are nine in the city! They are now public spaces used not only to project movies, but also sports matches and other kinds of shows.
Walk to Cinema Asmara and Cinema Impero and stop by the Cathedral - a Lombard Romanesque building constructed in 1923 and designed by a Milanese architect. Once in front of it, it will seem like you’ve taken a flight to Italy without even noticing - and even more fascinating, if you happen there while during mass on Sunday morning, you’ll hear the priest giving his sermon in a perfect, sophisticated Italian.
Proceed to the Orthodox Church where you can enjoy a totally different architecture and vibe. If you go on a Sunday morning and you’re lucky as we were, you’ll end up in a crowded church square full of locals gathered for a wedding - you’ll probably be invited to the wedding reception by the wife’s father. In this case, it’s obviously an experience you don’t want to miss.
Not far from here, there are two nice places if you feel like taking a break: either La Dolce Vita for a coffee and nice pastries, or Da Fortuna for the best ice cream in town.
Day 3, 4 - All the way to Keren and its out-of-this-world livestock market
Wake up early and have the driver take you to Keren - possibly on a Sunday. You’ll definitely want to be there on Monday early morning as it’s on this day that the livestock market happens and you don’t want to miss it.
On the way there, try to stop at some Villages - you’ll see how locals live, their houses and habits. They are very welcoming and will offer you to sit for a typical coffee with ginger in their home while they tell you their stories. The children will be shy but super interested in you at the same time - bring with you some pens, pencils, sharpies as a gift - they need them!
In the afternoons at Adi Tekelezan you’ll find children playing and singing during their after-school activities and you’ll be more than welcome to join them.
Make your way to Halib-Mentel and visit the main church and the school. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll have a chance to speak with the teacher and see the students performing their traditional dance. Goes without saying, while this might sound as a touristy thing, it really isn’t - once again, tourism is basically not a thing in Eritrea.
Let your guide arrange your stay for the night in Keren and the morning after go to Keren’s livestock market in the early morning - believe us, you want to be there as early as possible. You’ll find yourself in a massive sandy piece of land packed with all kinds of animals - from camels, to cows, sheep and goats. Their owners likely walked for hours the day before from every corner of the region in order to attend what is the most important market. Take your time to fully enjoy this unique experience and ask your guide to explain to you all its dynamics.
Proceed to the food market and try to make a stop at the bakery right before its entrance - the bread is simply amazing and the owner is incredibly sweet and welcoming.
Ask your guide to stop at the cemetery dedicated to Italian and Eritrean soldiers who died while fighting for Italy. It’s a deeply emotional place and we recommend you - if not Italian - to ask for a translation of the writing on the stone slab at its entrance.
Before leaving, if you have time, stop by the oldest Eritrean baobab, which is also a Virgin shrine - the Mariam Dearit. The silence and the peaceful atmosphere of this place make it a truly holy one. Enjoy a few minutes seated on the open-air church’s bench behind it and take a few minutes to reflect on the trip so far.
Once back in Asmara, visit the tank graveyard at sunset. It’s a huge plot of land filled with rusted tanks, trucks, and other wrecked vehicles piled in twisty rows through which you can wander. But the tank graveyard is more than just an assemblage of destroyed military machinery - it’s a bleak reminder of one of Africa’s longest wars in recent memory - the Eritrean War of Independence, fought between 1961 and 1991, that secured Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia. The site has turned into an open air museum, which travalers can visit. To Eritreans, the site serves as a proud symbol of national liberation, and a reminder of the countless lives lost fighting during the war.
Day 5 - Massawa and its decadent charm
After a nice breakfast at Ablergo Italia and a 2 hours drive, you’ll be in Massawa. No matter what you read and see about this place, nothing will prepare you for the astonishing view you’ll have in front of your eyes.
Depending on the season, in Massawa it can be hot to tremendously hot, whilst the humidity is always intense, making the grey-ish colors of sky and the buildings melt with one another. Plus, the historical center is a sequence of streets and buildings that have been bombed multiple times and never rebuilt. All of this conveys to this city a weird and unique allure of a place that is out of this world. This Eritrean gem has managed to preserve its unique charm while offering a glimpse into its fascinating past.
Since almost nobody lives in the old town anymore, it seems to be a kind of ghost-city where a unique blend of ancient ruins showcase a fascinating mix of styles, influenced by the various colonial cultures that have left their mark on the city - particularly the Egyptian, the Ottoman and the Italian.
Strolling through its narrow alleys, you can marvel at intricately designed balconies, ornate doorways, and beautifully preserved buildings that bear witness to Massawa's past as one of the most important ports in the Red Sea - a fundamental commercial hotspot.
Make sure to visit the Imperial Palace - a grand structure that once served as the residence of Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia.
If you want to deep dive even more in the history of this fascinating place, visit the archeological museum, where beautiful pictures and antiques’ pieces will guide you through its story, from its old grandeur to today’s decadence.
You’ll probably be sleeping at the Dahlak Hotel - a huge set of buildings that once were a vibrant location for locals as well for tourists, but which currently look quite abandoned, even if the few travelers that visit Massawa will almost certainly sleep here.
Go to Melil for dinner, a small place overlooking the bay - the food is awesome and the people are friendly.
Day 6, 7 - The astonishing Dahlak Archipelago
In addition to its historical and cultural allure, Massawa boasts stunning natural landscapes and pristine beaches along the Red Sea coast. You can’t miss the Dahlak Archipelago, a collection of picturesque desert islands that offers an idyllic setting for snorkeling, diving, and basking in the sun.
All you have to do is decide whether you’re up to sleeping in a small tent with nature as a toilet for one or a few days - your guide will think of the rest. Believe us, it’ll be one of the most incredible adventures you’ve ever lived! You’ll leave from Massawa on a small boat with 2 or 3 people with you depending if you’re planning to dive or not. They’ll have tents, water, food and all the equipment you’ll need - including a nice big tent to shield you from direct sunlight - and a table with chairs. The essential. Other than that, it’s just pure nature and you (and of course, a bonfire)!
There are many islands in the archipelago and all of them are worth the trip.
You can choose from bigger and hilly islands, to flat and white sandy ones. All of them are uninhabited except for Dissei, which hosts a small tribe of fishermen. If you meet them, you’ll see beautiful smiling women dressed in colorful typical dresses with their children, wanting to sell you hand-made shell necklaces, fabrics and small objects made of wood.
Make the most of these places - their immaculate beauty, their colors, their silence - that will allow you to reconnect with nature and with life and to regain your inner energy and peace.
Explore the underwater wonders teeming with vibrant marine life or simply unwind on the white sandy beaches, relishing the tranquility and beauty of the surroundings.
Day 8, 9 - The unmissable in Asmara
After a quick stop in Massawa to break the journey, you’ll return to Asmara. During the trip you’ll feel like changing country and season multiple times - from the hot and humid Massawa, to the green and lush hills that pass from being sunny and warm to being foggy and cold in a split second. Enjoy the ever-changing landscapes and relax while you take in all the beauty you’ve seen so far.
Return to Albergo Italia and enjoy a nice dinner at the Spaghetti House - even if the name doesn’t inspire you, the food is really good.
Ask your guide to plan in advance a visit to Casa degli Italiani - a historical center for the cultural, social and artistic life of the Italians and the Italo-Eritrean community of Asmara. Get lost in the books, the drawings and the newspapers you’ll see, as well as in the thousands of stories that the people who work there will tell you.
Unmissable before leaving is the Caravanserraglio - The Caravanserai, Medeber, is one of the most fascinating places in the beautiful city of Asmara. You enter the large enclosure through a characteristic gate, and find yourself in a chaotic space where everything is recycled and transformed.
Amongst the sharp scent of red chili, the sound of hammers, and the sparks flying along the paths where young and old welders work, and tire workers cut tires to turn them into sandals, you are left enchanted and bewildered, confused yet amazed. As you walk the paths of the Caravanserai, surrounded by clouds of red dust, you lose yourself in the midst of blacksmiths, artisans, tailors, sellers of old radios, bicycles, and spare parts that can only be found in this place. Muslim women in colorful dresses and veils, and Coptic women in long white garments, grind berbere inside mechanical mills.
Medeber is life - is extraordinary energy that can be felt with every step. A bed, a coffeepot, a beautifully crafted iron comb, a mirror, a tomb statue, many tin tools, a spare part for a vintage car - everything can be found here.
You’re not yet ready to leave until to play at least a match at the Asmara Bowling Alley - a near 70 year old relic of the 20th century first used by the US military during their use of the Kagnew station in Asmara. The Americans are long gone, but the alley remains and has never been touched up.
From the street it looks like a disused building, but once you open the door however, you’re hit with a grandiose beam of light, sound and smell. The stained glass upper windows create an ambient glow that glides across the alley to the back café. Here you’ll find retired men playing fedoras - an old version of billiards - or staring at a football match while drinking a coffee or a beer.
Now to the bowling. Included with every game is your very own personal scorekeeper and a manual pin handler - each line is staffed with a young kid who functions as the replacement pin mechanism. Try your best but know that there’s no big point in being competitive: the lines are uneven so if you strike it’s only a matter of luck!
With the heart full and the mind empty, you’re now ready to leave - at least for now - knowing that you’ll want to come back sooner than later to this incredible place that will always have a special place in your heart.
Our practical suggestions for you
How long: 7 days minimum, ideally 10 days
Season: All year round, but avoid the months between June and September if you’re planning to go to Massawa and the Dahlak Archipelago as it gets way too hot.
How to travel through the country: Get a guide and a driver.
Practical advice:
You will definitely need a guide who escorts you throughout the Country and helps you discover this amazing place as well as getting the government permits you will need to move across Eritrea. Reach out to us to have the contact of the most amazing guide you can wish for.
Pack lightly and possibly fit everything in a backpack: it will be easier to travel and you won’t need anything fancy during your stay.
Pack some light clothes for the day, but bring a light jumper and jacket for the evenings. Be sure to have comfortable and closed shoes when you visit the cities and the markets.
As the Internet is not an option and mobile reception is non-existent, bring with you a satellite phone for emergencies and/or some texts to your loved ones. This is a good option if you don’t want to invest too much in it.
Leave prepared: even in the nicest hotel of the capital, you won’t easily find hot water, Wi-Fi, and sometimes even electricity, but it’s part of the experience!
Bring with you old clothes and shoes - local people will be enthusiast if you give them what you don’t use anymore. If you want, bring some notebooks and pens/pencils - for us is nothing, for them is everything!
