Things to Do in Eritrea

About Eritrea

Eritrea greets you with frankincense drifting from tiny Orthodox churches and the metallic clang of copperware hammered on Harnet Avenue. Asmara's palm-lined boulevards feel like a 1930s Italian film set. Cinema Impero still screens matinees beneath its Futurist façade. Old men in white linen suits sip macchiatos at Bar Tre Stelle for 15 nakfa (exactly one US dollar).

Down in Massawa, heat wraps around you like wet silk as you wander coral-stone alleyways. Swahili, Arabic and Italian mix on weathered signs. The railway to Keren climbs through escarpments where baboons watch the train from dry stone walls. It ends in a market town where you can buy saffron for 200 nakfa ($13) and watch camels kneel beside battered Land Cruisers.

The catch? Power cuts hit Asmara nightly at 7 PM. Internet feels like 1998 dial-up. But when you're eating injera soaked in berbere-spiced tsebhi for 40 nakfa ($2.60) while listening to the Muslim call to prayer echo off Art-Deco balconies, you'll understand why travelers who make it here don't shut up about it.

Travel Tips

Transportation: Asmara's yellow Lada taxis charge 50-100 nakfa ($3-7) for cross-town rides. Negotiate before you get in. The railway to Massawa runs twice weekly, costs 51 nakfa ($3.30), and takes 7 bone-rattling hours through mountain passes you'll want to photograph. Shared minivans to Keren leave from the chaotic bus station near Medebar Market. Pay 40 nakra ($2.60) but expect three people per seat. Download offline maps. GPS rarely works.

Money: Bring crisp US dollars or euros. ATM cards from foreign banks simply won't work. Exchange cash at Himbol or the Commercial Bank on Harnet Avenue. Rates are fixed by government so no shopping around needed. Street money-changers offer slightly better rates but insist on counting bills twice in front of them. Credit cards work nowhere except Keren Hotel's restaurant, and even then expect a 5% surcharge. Keep small nakfa notes for coffee and bread. Nobody makes change for 1000 nakfa bills.

Cultural Respect: Dress modestly everywhere. Knees and shoulders covered, even in the Red Sea heat. Remove shoes before entering any church or mosque. Women need headscarves at the Grand Mosque in Massawa. When invited for coffee, accept three rounds. Refusing the third cup mildly offends. Photographing military personnel, buildings, or bridges earns immediate attention from plainclothes police. Tipping isn't customary except round up taxi fares. Guides expect 100-200 nakfa ($6-13) per day.

Food Safety: Eat at busy injera houses where locals queue. Empty restaurants mean yesterday's food. Drink only bottled water or fresh fruit juices blended in front of you. The sizzling injera at Tesfa Restaurant on Harat Avenue costs 60 nakfa ($4) and comes with three vegetable stews that change daily. Beware of raw tomato salads. They're washed in tap water. Fresh goat stew from street stalls near Asmara's market runs 40 nakfa ($2.60) and is safest when served steaming hot straight from the pot.

When to Visit

October through April brings the only bearable weather. Asmara stays 18-24°C (64-75°F) while Massawa hits 28-32°C (82-90°F) with cooling sea breezes. May to September becomes punishing. Massawa reaches 42°C (108°F) with humidity thick enough to chew. Most budget hotels lack air conditioning. Rain falls only in July and August. But when it comes, Asmara's cobblestones turn to rivers and roads to Keren wash out completely.

Hotel prices in Asmara drop 30% during summer heat but the savings aren't worth sweating through nights when power cuts kill fans. October brings Independence Day celebrations (24th) with parades down Harnet Avenue and free concerts at Cinema Impero. Book rooms two months ahead.

The Dahlak Islands are only accessible October through May when boat captains will risk the crossing. Expect to pay $150-200 per person for three-day trips including camping on empty beaches. Flights from Dubai and Istanbul are cheapest January through March when they drop 25% from peak rates.

Budget travelers should target November or February. Weather stays pleasant, prices haven't peaked, and you'll have empty beaches on the Dahlak Archipelago to yourself. Families might prefer March when temperatures moderate and the Festival of Mariam Dearit in Keren features traditional dancing and camel races. Solo travelers can handle December crowds for the Christmas celebrations that blend Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim traditions in Asmara's old Italian quarter.