Negash Lodge Wolliso

Our first road trip with the kids for an overnight stay was last month to Negash Lodge in Wolliso.  It's about an hour and a half south west of Addis Ababa.  It was a relatively easy drive (made even easier by NPR podcasts) and once we arrived I was more than pleasantly surprised at how nice the lodge was.  By all accounts, if Mom is still happy two hours into the trip; the place is a winner.  The accommodations are very family friendly and we'll definitely be back.

Highlights of the lodge:

The grounds are alive with all sorts of indigenous wild life.  Colobus monkeys and birds were my favorites.  The girls loved watching the monkeys.

Colobus monkey indigenous to Ethiopia

common wild monkey

There was a pool and a playground to entertain the children for the afternoon.

Ahlynn's after-swim machiato.  

Aunt Megan working the see saw

The lodge grounds were beautiful and green with lush foliage, trees and flowers.

The restaurant served the best pizza we've found in Ethiopia.  Even better than Antica in Addis Ababa which I just raved about!  The pizza was good by U.S. standards.  Sauce being the key.  Americans like a good amount of well spiced pizza sauce on our pizza and Negash Lodge is the first place I've had pizza with the right amount of sauce in Ethiopia.  Pizza makers in Addis Ababa take note!

The rooms are clean and well decorated.  There are large family style cottages peppered throughout the grounds and then smaller modern rooms surrounding a courtyard.  Next time we'll try the cottage but we found the modern rooms to be very comfortable.  The large Western style bathrooms were wonderful.

The courtyard next to the modern rooms was a nice place for the adults to sit, drink beer, read and talk once we'd put the children to sleep for the night.  Anyone with small children can understand my appreciation for a lodge with nice balconies, verandas or outdoor seating close to the rooms for this purpose.