| Town: | Arba Minch |
| Location: | Africa > Ethiopia |
What’s Plugged?
Reviews & Amenities
Top Descriptions
| Arba Minch is a great example of how different groups of tourists can see the same place in two very different ways. While some travellers might speak highly of the town and its surroundings, especially those staying exclusively at the Paradise Lodge, the childless backpacker crowd might find Arba Minch to be tougher work than expected, and not so rewarding either. If you’re the type who eats somewhere different every night and who walks the streets just to explore and soak up the ambience, you might find Arba Minch rather lacking (you might also find yourself being harassed by all manner of young beggars and dishevelled hawkers!). The Nech Sar National Park might just be one of the main reasons you’ve come this far south, and if you’re not on a prearranged tour you can be certain to find yourself dealing with the See Us Tour Guide Association – who are pretty much the only outfit in town. If you do have the option to safari elsewhere in East Africa, you might want to save your coin and focus on a visit to the interesting Dorze Village instead. You could even get some perspective on the town by trying out the Arba Minch Walk 1; the hassle-free views of lakes Abaya and Chamo from up there almost make the journey this far south worthwhile. |
| If you’ve written a description for Arba Minch you’d like to share with the community, send it to [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory. |
Top Tips
| Arba Minch is split into the two towns of Sikela and Shecha. Minibuses run the 4km between the two for about ETB5. |
| While Shecha has a higher concentration of tourist amenities, Sikela is cheaper and is where you’ll find the bus station (as well as other town amenities) and the entrance to Nech Sar National Park. |
| Don’t expect access to too many facilities or amenities in Arba Minch. It feels more like a rural town here than a city. |
| If you have a tip about Arba Minch and would like to share that information with the community, contact [email protected] and we’ll post it right here in the directory. |
The Town
What should we know?
| Name in local script: | አርባ ምንጭ |
| Also known as: | Ganto Garo, Forty Springs |
| Tour operator(s): | See Us Tour Guide Association |
| Rental operator(s): | Add Data |
| Port(s): | N/A |
| Station(s): | Arba Minch Bus Station |
| Terminal(s): | N/A |
| Environment type: | forest, lake, mountain, scrub |
| Location type: | town, rural |
| Religion type: | Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity |
What can we see or do there?
| Events: | Add Data |
| Services: | Add Data |
| Shops: | Fruit Supermarket |
| Animals: | olive baboons |
| Birds: | marabou storks |
How much will it cost us?
| Currency: | Ethiopian Birr (ETB) |
| Average daily budget: | ETB860 |
When should we go there, and for how long?
| Average time taken: | 5 nights |
| High season: | September to January |
| Low season: | July, August |
How can we get in contact?
| Language(s): | Amharic, Dorze, English |
| Timezone: | UTC+03:00 |
| Country calling code: | 251 |
What are the numbers and averages?
| Number of attractions visited: | 5 |
| Travel time to attractions: | 1 hour |
| Travel time to next location: | 6 hours |
| Size: | Add Data |
| Altitude: | 1,285m |
What else would be good to know?
| Wikipedia: | Arba Minch |
| Wikitravel: | Arba Minch |
| Tripadvisor: | Add Data |
| Local tourism: | Add Data |
| Emergency service(s): | Add Data |
| Travel advisories: | UK Govenment |
| Healthcare: | Add Data |
| Weather: | AccuWeather |
| News: | Add Data |
| Public holidays: | Time and Date |
Local Availability
| Item | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Beer (multinational) | 500ml | |
| Beer (national) | 500ml | ETB12 |
| Fizzy drink | 1 litre | ETB35 |
| Fruit juice | 1 litre | ETB60 |
| Gin (multinational) | 1 litre | ETB750 |
| Gin (national) | 1 litre | |
| Milk | 1 litre | |
| Oil | 1 litre | ETB70 |
| Rum (multinational) | 1 litre | ETB630 |
| Rum (national) | 1 litre | |
| Vodka (multinational) | 1 litre | ETB450 |
| Vodka (national) | 1 litre | |
| Water | 1 litre | ETB8 |
| Whisky (multinational) | 1 litre | ETB690 |
| Whisky (national) | 1 litre | |
| Wine | 1 bottle | ETB170 |
| Item | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Almonds | 100g | |
| Apples | 1kg | |
| Bananas | 1kg | ETB20 |
| Bell pepper | 1kg | |
| Bread | 1 loaf | ETB0 |
| Carrots | 1kg | ETB0 |
| Chillies | 1kg | ETB0 |
| Chocolate (multinational) | 1 bar | ETB25 |
| Chocolate (national) | 1 bar | ETB10 |
| Coconut milk | 1 can | |
| Cucumber | 1kg | |
| Eggs | 1 dozen | ETB0 |
| Garlic | 1kg | ETB0 |
| Ginger | 1kg | |
| Honey | 1 jar | ETB38 |
| Ice cream | 1 unit | |
| Jam | 1 jar | ETB55 |
| Onions | 1kg | ETB30 |
| Oranges | 1kg | ETB20 |
| Pasta | 1kg | ETB70 |
| Peanut butter | 1 jar | ETB30 |
| Peanuts | 100g | |
| Potatoes | 1kg | ETB0 |
| Raisins | 100g | |
| Rice | 1kg | ETB55 |
| Sandwich | 1 unit | |
| Tomatoes | 1kg | ETB30 |
| Item | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Antifungal shampoo | 1 bottle | ETB100 |
| Conditioner | 1 bottle | ETB30 |
| Condoms | 1 pack | ETB3 |
| Deodorant | 1 can | ETB60 |
| Floss | 1 pack | |
| Hand sanitizer | 1 bottle | |
| Laundry soap | 1 bar | ETB10 |
| Razors | 1 pack | |
| Sanitary towels | 1 pack | ETB22 |
| Shampoo | 1 bottle | ETB55 |
| Soap | 1 bar | ETB12 |
| Tampons | 1 box | |
| Toilet roll | 1 unit | ETB11 |
| Toothpaste | 1 tube | ETB0 |
| Washing powder | 1 box | ETB10 |
| Item | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Antiseptic cream | 1 tube | |
| Bandages | 1 pack | ETB6 |
| Chapstick | 1 unit | ETB25 |
| Contact lens solution | 1 bottle | |
| Headache tablets | 1 pack | ETB3 |
| Ibuprofen | 1 pack | ETB5 |
| Mosquito repellent | 1 bottle | |
| Nail clippers | 1 set | |
| Plasters | 1 pack | ETB10 |
| Sun cream | 1 bottle | |
| Sunglasses | 1 pair | ETB0 |
| Item | Size | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Batteries | 4-pack | |
| Chilli powder | 100g | |
| Cigarettes (multinational) | 20-pack | |
| Cigarettes (national) | 20-pack | ETB0 |
| Coriander | 100g | |
| Cumin | 100g | |
| Fuel | 1 litre | ETB14.50 |
| Internet | 1 hour | ETB15 |
| Lighter | 1 unit | ETB0 |
| Matches | 1 pack | ETB0 |
| Paprika | 100g | |
| Travel multiadapter | 1 unit | |
| Travel plug | 1 unit | |
| Turmeric | 100g | |
| Stock | 1 pack |
Local Cuisine
| Dish | Average Cost | Restaurant Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Beyaynetu (fasting food) | ETB70 | |
| Breakfast (continental) | ETB59 | |
| Breakfast (cooked) | ETB149 | |
| Burger | ETB65 | |
| Cake (slice) | ETB26 | |
| Carbonara | ETB82 | |
| Cereal | ETB63 | |
| Crème Caramel | ETB43 | |
| Curry (generic – meat) | ETB105 | |
| Cutlet (beef/chicken) | ETB110 | |
| Cutlet (fish) | ETB90 | |
| Doro wat | ETB45 | |
| Eggs (how you like) | ETB51 | |
| French fries | ETB51 | |
| Fried (chicken) | ETB98 | |
| Fruit salad | ETB31 | |
| Full | ETB30 | |
| Goulash (beef) | ETB80 | |
| Grilled (fish) | ETB87 |
| Dish | Average Cost | Restaurant Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Ice cream (scoop) | ETB40 | |
| Ice cream (sundae) | ETB30 | |
| Injera firfir | ETB48 | |
| Key wat | ETB60 | |
| Kitfo | ETB98 | |
| Lasagna | ETB105 | |
| Mixed grill | ETB98 | |
| Pancake (simple) | ETB43 | |
| Pasta (meat) | ETB64 | |
| Pasta (vegetable) | ETB53 | |
| Pizza (loaded) | ETB98 | |
| Pizza (simple) | ETB98 | |
| Porridge | ETB45 | |
| Quanta firfir | ETB70 |
| Dish | Average Cost | Restaurant Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Rice (meat) | ETB59 | |
| Rice (vegetable) | ETB52 | |
| Roasted (chicken) | ETB102 | |
| Salad | ETB55 | |
| Salad (meat) | ETB68 | |
| Sandwich | ETB56 | |
| Shiro | ETB48 | |
| Shiro bozena | ETB68 | |
| Shiro tegamino | ETB53 | |
| Skewers (meat) | ETB70 | |
| Soup (meat) | ETB56 | |
| Soup (vegetarian) | ETB50 | |
| Spring roll | ETB48 | |
| Steak | ETB97 | |
| Stir fry (meat) | ETB116 | |
| Stroganoff (meat) | ETB140 | |
| Tibs | ETB79 | |
| Tiramisu | ETB40 | |
| Whole (fish) | ETB128 |
| Beverage | Average Cost | Restaurant Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Beer (national) | ETB18 | |
| Cappuccino | ETB10 | |
| Coffee | ETB9 | |
| Cognac (shot) | ETB60 | |
| Fruit juice (fresh) | ETB15 | |
| Gin (shot) | ETB42 | |
| Milk | ETB10 | |
| Milkshake | ETB18 | |
| Ouzo (shot) | ETB15 | |
| Red Bull | ETB60 | |
| Soft drink | ETB12 | |
| Tea | ETB8 | |
| Tequila (shot) | ETB42 | |
| Vodka (bottle) | ETB600 | |
| Vodka (shot) | ETB36 | |
| Water (2L) | ETB21 | |
| Whisky (bottle) | ETB1,300 | |
| Whisky (shot) | ETB39 | |
| Wine (bottle) | ETB130 | |
| Wine (glass) | ETB45 |
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