Dena nachu – hello, how are you?

My name is Yalew Tafete. I was born in Debark, Northern Ethiopia, in 1981 – just three years after the Simien Mountains National Park nearby had been proclaimed. I grew up in my home town, and initially trained and worked as an elementary school teacher.

I started guiding tourists in 2003, on a freelance basis, and soon felt that this is my calling. However, in order to improve the quality of my services, I completed a diploma certificate course in English, and in 2005 consequently enrolled as a student of Tourism Management at Gondar University, the only university in Ethiopia to offer this course. I successfully obtained my Bachelor degree in Tourism Management in July 2010. It will enable me to contribute to an even larger extent to the development of tourism in our country. Please click here to see a list of my recent work and education experience.

I am married, and live with my wife Martha and our little daughter Nahomi (born 2015), in Debark.

I am lucky that I can combine my love for my country with my love of meeting new people, in my job as a licensed guide. Ethiopians are proud of the natural and cultural wonders of our country, but it is my privilege to share these wonders with people with other backgrounds – be it in the astonishing beauty of the cragged Simien Mountains, or in the fantastic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.

Come and let me show you these wonders!