#1: [28-Dec-03]

28-Dec-2024 -- I visited this confluence during a one-week trip through Eritrea. My wife and I had planned to make the visit on the second day after leaving the capital city Asmara and spent the first night in the nearby town of Decemhare. However, on our travel permit was defined that we spent the night in Mendefera. So we squeezed in the visit of Decemhare and of this confluence on the first day. It was already 3 PM when we parked on the road between Decemhare and Mendefera in 8 km distance of the confluence point. We tried to drive closer to the confluence on a sandy track, but progress was slow and the track potentially harmful to the car. So we decided that I quickly run to the confluence while Elionora stays by the car.

We could have gotten by car much closer to the confluence, if we had approached it from the village Mai Edaga in the south-east. There is actually a drivable road withing 100 m to the confluence point. However, we decided to do less driving and more hiking by approaching it from the north. It took me less than 2 hours to reach the confluence and return to the car. The quick run & hike was diverse: I ran for a while along tracks, followed by cross-country or footpaths, mountain paths with some climbing and traversing dry rivers. I didn’t meet anyone or didn’t see any building during the hike. However, the confluence itself was just 30 m from a house, and even more astonishing was, that someone was standing on the roof! I got a little nervous, because this situation reminded me on my arrest 20 years ago when visiting the confluence 14°N 39°E one degree to the south in the Ethiopian province Tigray. I hasty took the pictures and immediately returned back. The confluence is on a plain with short grass, which is dried up in winter.

After the visit, I returned the same way back to our car and continued our trip to the town Mendefera, which we reached at nightfall.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to a road: 100 m
• Distance to a track: 100 m
• Distance of car parking: 8 km
• Time to reach the CP from the car: 100 min
• Time at the CP: 4:02 PM
• Measured height: 1864 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 3 m
• Position accuracy: 5 m
• Topography: flat
• Vegetation: dry grass, scattered bushes.
• Weather: sunny, 25° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: The Roof Standing Confluence

The whole story of our trip though Eritrea can be read in the following: Can you travel freely in Eritrea?

Yes, that’s the short answer. However, there are some unexpected restrictions and hurdles which I’ll discuss in detail later.

Me and my wife traveled privately and without a tour group or guide for a week during the New Year’s holiday (2024/2025). In hindsight, we can wholeheartedly say that this trip was rewarding in every way. We’ve never taken so many interesting photos in a single day while traveling as we did in Eritrea. Unlike neighboring countries, the people in Eritrea are not opposed to photos and are incredibly friendly without being intrusive. In other African countries, we often had safety concerns that weighed on the trip, but in Eritrea, we felt safe even at night in the cities. The climate, especially in the highlands, is very pleasant in winter – around 24°C during the day and cool enough at night (so a light sweater or jacket is necessary). Asmara, at nearly 2400 meters above sea level, has notably fresh air, and you immediately notice the thinner air while climbing stairs. The landscapes are diverse – from flat highlands and jagged mountains to the hot, flat areas along the Red Sea. Equally diverse is the population: Eritrea is home to nine ethnic groups, each with its own language and cultural traditions. About half of the population are Orthodox or Catholic Christians, the other half are Muslims. What stands out, though, is that women in Eritrea are dressed in different ways – ranging from wearing the chador to miniskirts. This diversity seemed to be well integrated and practically applied.

Eritrea is often compared to North Korea, but the comparison doesn’t fully hold. While certain restrictions exist, free travel is still possible to some extent in Eritrea, unlike in North Korea, which is why we haven’t ventured there yet. We prefer self-organized trips over guided tours, as they allow for deeper, more personal impressions. Guided tours often feel less memorable because they don’t require as much personal exploration. That’s why we chose to travel through Eritrea completely without a guide, relying solely on our own arrangements.

However, during our research, we noticed there was unusually little information available about Eritrea. What we did find was outdated and often contradictory. In hindsight, we should have been more thorough in our preparations. Despite these challenges, luck was on our side, and we managed to navigate a private trip successfully. I hope the following details will help future travelers prepare better.

Visa Process

Securing a visa was one of the trickiest parts of our trip. The contradictions surrounding the visa process are striking. A year earlier, we tried in vain to contact the Eritrean consulates in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Geneva – neither emails nor phone calls were answered, and sending sensitive documents like passports by mail felt too risky. Therefore, we put the matter on hold for a while. The following year, we attempted to use an online visa service. After submitting our documents and paying the fees, we received notice two weeks later that the company couldn’t process visas for Eritrea. Fortunately, the fees were refunded.

Finally, we booked an appointment at the Eritrean consulate in Geneva, where visa consultations are available (mainly for Eritreans renewing passports). My wife made a 4-hour trip to Geneva, waited another 2 hours, and filled out all the forms again. After paying the fees and completing an interview, she was advised not to book flights until visa approval. However, no confirmation came within the promised four days. Two weeks later, after numerous phone calls to the consulate, we were relieved to learn that our visas had been issued. They arrived by post the next day. Interestingly, we met another traveler who had obtained a visa on arrival in Asmara but had prearranged this through a travel agency.

Flights to Asmara can be easily booked through Turkish Airlines, with a stopover in Istanbul. For Central Europe, there are no better alternatives.

Getting Around: Travel Permits and Restrictions

The Ministry of Tourism website states that only Asmara can be visited without a travel permit. Four other cities within 100 km of Asmara – Dekemhare and Mendefera in the south, the second largest city Keren in the northwest and the coastal town of Massaua in the east including the Dahlak Archipelago – can be visited with a permit. These destinations provide a good overview of the country’s diversity. In addition, some archaeological sites are also accessible, but only with a guide. The rest of the country is closed off to tourists.

Permits cannot be arranged online and must be obtained in person at the Ministry of Tourism in Asmara. To obtain travel permits, we went to the Ministry of Tourism immediately upon arrival in Asmara. The process is straightforward, costs 200 Nakfa (about $13 USD), and permits are usually ready within a day. We had planned to explore these four cities on foot and sometimes also use public transport.

However, transportation posed unexpected challenges. Any public transport and also walking between towns are prohibited for tourists. I asked if our trip would be possible by bicycle, because in Eritrea cycling is the national sport and most of the daily journeys are made by bicycle. We were told that the only means to travel overland is by car. Almost all tourists therefore take an organized tour or a taxi with a driver, who then also serves as a guide and companion. However, it is also possible to take a rental car and drive yourself! Fortunately, I had brought my driver's license with me. I hadn't expected that I wound need it on this trip. However, foreign driving licenses and international driving licenses are not valid. To drive a car in Eritrea, an Eritrean driving license is required. A temporary Eritrean driving license can be issued for 6 months validity at the Eritrean Ministry of Transport. The application for a travel permit can only be submitted once the driver's license and the license plate of the rental car are presented. This major administrative effort now lay ahead of us. Additionally, it was Friday and the authorities would be closed for the weekend and the following New Year's holidays. None of this deterred us, so we immediately started dealing with the authorities. We consider such challenges as an interesting part of the journey.

We walked 3 km to the southernmost part of the city, where the Ministry of Transport was located. When we arrived at the right counter, we were told that driving licenses could no longer be issued today (Friday, December 27th, 2024). We were supposed to come back on January 2nd (a week from then). The ministry would now have New Year's holidays. But we didn't allow ourselves to be fobbed off so easily and demanded to be able to speak to the head of the ministry. After a short wait of half an hour, he came and repeated that an exception before the New Year was impossible. We explained our situation and he in turn explained to us that the employee in question could not issue the driver's license today and that we should come back after the New Year. However, we made it clear that we would be leaving the country already on January 2nd, so it would be pointless for us to wait that long. Just as we were about to give up, we noticed that he was starting to soften. We should wait. Suddenly it worked, we paid 500 Nakfa ($33 US). I handed in my passport photo, which I was fortunate enough to have with me, and after half an hour we had the desired temporary Eritrean driver's license. However, a receipt could not be issued. The advantage of a country like this is that everything is somehow negotiable.

Rental Cars in Eritrea

Now we thought that the biggest hurdle had already been overcome. All we had to do now was to find a car rental company to rent a small car. However, the first car rental company didn't have a car for self-driving available and neither did the second one. They didn't even ask how long we wanted to borrow the car for. It seemed like they had no interest at all. Instead, they only provided off-road vehicles with a driver, which were significantly more expensive – more than twice the cost of a normal rental. At 2200 Nakfa per day, this would be more than twice as expensive and, from our point of view, would be equivalent to a guided trip. Furthermore, we wouldn't have been able to pay the 2,200 Nakfa per day, because we hadn’t enough cash with us.

It was already Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. when we had already given up hope of finding a rental car. However, we were told that there was another car rental company called Globe Rent Car, where we found what we were looking for. After paying 5000 Nakfa for five days, we were given the number of the vehicle. With this number, I quickly ran to the Ministry of Tourism and was able to submit the travel permit application before the office closed at 6 p.m.

We were able to pick up the car on Saturday. It was a private car. The rental car company does nothing other than broker private cars. And finally, we picked up the travel permit. We had these personal travel permits copied five times each because we had heard that the route controls were keeping them.

24 hours after our arrival in Eritrea we had everything together to start our private trip through the country.

Money Transactions in Eritrea

Eritrea is a cash only economy. There are no ATMs and no option to withdraw additional cash elsewhere or pay by a card. We asked the main bank in Asmara whether it was possible to send additional money to us via instructions. However, this would only be possible with a special app that would have to be downloaded from the Internet in advance. And now we come to the third big limitation that surprised us.

Internet in Eritrea

We knew that the internet was restricted in Eritrea. However, we didn't expect that there would be virtually no internet at all. The people on site already have the opportunity to communicate with each other via the network. However, contact with the outside world remains closed. International websites cannot be accessed. In addition, the network is artificially extremely slow, so slow that it amounts to complete censorship. Nevertheless, we went to an internet café and tried to go online. Curiously, I managed to do a Google search. Google search is the only website that is approved. However, I was unable to access the following links to websites. There are no other contact options abroad, either by telephone, WhatsApp or other social media. I also couldn't send or receive emails. Interestingly, however, a single email account for my wife was able to send and receive, so we could at least let the family know that everything was fine with us. Nowadays, good friends start to worry when the communication strangely stops for a few days. We really didn't expect this severe restriction. We felt like we had been transported back to the time before the internet. All errands were now only possible in person. Luckily, we had previously downloaded Google Maps and the OpenStreetMap map of Eritrea on our mobile phones. Obtaining information was now a difficult task. Yet, it might be possible to gain access abroad via VPN. However, we didn't succeed and we hadn't heard of anyone who had successfully used this option.

Driving and Exploring Eritrea

I have never driven a car as relaxed as I did in Eritrea. This is simply because people are not impatient. Pedestrians always have priority and even stroll calmly across large roundabouts. The few cars drive through the towns almost at walking speed. Driving is unusually slow even on country roads. In any case, driving fast is not advisable because of potholes that suddenly appear as deep as you want. In addition, drivers share the road with many cyclists, pedestrians, trailers, broken down trucks, sheep, goats and camels. If you allow about three hours of travel time for 100 km, plus an hour for the unexpected, you will have a stress-free cross-country journey.

The checkpoints are actually everywhere in the country. On our total 550 km we passed around 15 checkpoints. Such a post consists of a simple hut and a stretched string. The cord was immediately lowered at 14 of those checkpoints and we were waved through without being controlled. We only handed in a copy of our travel permits at the checkpoint in Keren. Some hotels also required these travel permits.

The few public buses were completely overcrowded and there was obviously a need for more transport, because there were many people on the streets who wanted us to give them a ride. Since we had the back-seat empty, we started to pick up hitchhikers. They were all very grateful and we increasingly enjoyed helping people a little. Of course, we refused the usual payment. At one point there were even five people sitting in the back seat! However, we didn't pick up a hitchhiker with a billy goat on a leash.

The mountain roads have many curves and serpentines. In contrast to Switzerland, however, the external guardrails are usually missing. There was a major accident in front of us on such a road (the road between Asmara and Massaua, which climbs 2400 meters in altitude) with a total loss of a truck. The road was blocked for 2 hours. However, we didn't have any delay at all because we were just about to go on a short hike with a spectacular view.

Hiking in Eritrea

We are actually passionate hikers and found it a shame not to be able to follow our original plan of hiking Eritrea on foot. However, we were able to stop anywhere by car and take long hikes. I was also able to successfully reach a Confluence point that was 8 km off the road. There are small footpaths everywhere, which are also included in the OpenStreetMap data set. In some areas with sparse vegetation it is also easy to walk cross-country. Near Keren, birds of prey swooped on my head twice, approaching unnoticed from behind. Luckily, I had a cap on because they hit me really hard from above. Inside a slam on the outskirts of Keren, the children were so enthusiastic about me that they even threw small stones at me. And once on the beach north of Massaua, a soldier armed with a submachine gun suddenly appeared in front of us and couldn't really explain from which direction we had come. The man, who didn't seem particularly educated, didn't seem to know the concept of tourism. He was apparently tasked with guarding an object that looked like a villa. And since we had passed him, he was somehow suspicious of the matter. We stayed quiet. We were his prisoners for about 5 minutes. He called for reinforcements, but with a little more life experience the reinforcement troops were able to explain that we had to be harmless tourists and were then released. Not even five minutes later we were on the large beach of Gurgusum, where thousands of Eritreans were frolicking in the warm waters of the Red Sea on New Year's Day.

Food

Anyone who enjoyed eating Injera in Ethiopia will also get their money's worth in Eritrea. Various vegetarian dishes as well as those made from meat and fish are served on this soft flatbread made from the dwarf millet teff. In Muslim restaurants we had “Ful” (bean paste) and “Check-Check” (egg, potatoes, tomatoes, onions. The Asmara beer was always served cold despite some power outages.

Accommodation

You will have the most fun on your trip if you ignore the search for good value for money during your stay in Eritrea. Outside the city, accommodation is poorly maintained. Sometimes everything in the room is broken and your improvisation is required. It's definitely worth asking at the reception for a glimpse into several rooms so you can opt for the lesser evil. But this added to the adventurous charm of the country.

Asmara

Although the city is said to have over 600,000 inhabitants, we found everything within walking distance. However, we don't mind walking 5 km across the city. We found the old car and tank cemetery worthwhile a visit. A permit is also required to visit the wrecking yard, but the permit can be obtained instantly from the Ministry of Tourism without any further documents. In the National Museum, we were less attracted by its exhibits than by the antiquarian-run museum itself. Because there is little car traffic, the city is quiet and pleasant to explore on foot. 2 days were sufficient for us.

Dekemhare

This place is more like a large village with dirt roads and simple houses. We were lucky that it was market day there so we could watch the colorful hustle and bustle.

Mendefera

We visited this small town with an overnight stay during a weekend. The church service began deep in the night and a choir sounded almost eerily through the night-time city. As I climbed up to the church early on Sunday morning after sunrise, the believers came towards me from their church. There was also a bicycle race that took place on a 1 km long section of the main road. The stylishly dressed racing cyclists rode back and forth a few hundred times.

Keren

The 100 km long road from Asmara to the second largest city Keren had the most potholes, which prevented any boredom during the journey. We broke up the long drive by hiking through villages along the way. The traditional round houses made of clay and thatched roofs not only offer a pleasant coolness for the residents, but also a lovely photo backdrop. We were lucky enough to be in Keren on a Monday, because the big animal market takes place only on Mondays, when thousands of goats, sheep, cows and, above all, camels change hands. However, it is not entirely safe to walk around among the flailing bulls. The dealers are busy keeping their animals under control and negotiating with potential customers. Tourists taking photos don't bother the traders at all.

Massawa

The little town on the Red Sea, located 2400 m below Asmara, left a lasting impression on us. The old Ottoman town resembles a city of ruins. People actually still live in the dangerously run-down Turkish mansions. It seemed to us as if time was moving backwards there. Cooking is done on field kitchens in front of the buildings and water is fetched from holes in buckets. When we walked through the rubble on New Year's Day, we found the overnight parties still going on. You won't find a hotel with hot water in Massawa. But anyway, because of the hot climate, a cool shower should be sufficient for you.

Our Experience

Despite the logistical challenges, Eritrea offered us a unique and rewarding experience. From the bustling markets of Keren to the ruins of the old town in Massawa, every moment was memorable.

Eritrea is a wonderful country to travel to, simply because of the friendly, helpful people. At school, lessons are taught in English from sixth grade onwards, which is why most young people speak some English. We learned most of these facts from first hand from local people, without a travel guide.

Eritrea is a country that rewards adventurous travelers with its warm hospitality, breathtaking landscapes, and rich cultural diversity. For us, one week was enough to explore the accessible areas, but two weeks would allow a deeper dive, including the Dahlak Archipelago, which we skipped due to budget constraints.

A vital mistake we made was not taking enough cash with us. On the one hand, we hadn't expected the high hotel costs and, on the other hand, we hadn't expected the costs of a rental car. When we commenced our trip, we still hadn't realized that it was actually impossible to get additional money using a credit card inside the country.

In hindsight, the lack of internet and external distractions was a blessing, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the country. Eritrea is truly a one-of-a-kind destination for those willing to navigate its unique hurdles.