I had the pleasure of experiencing a guided tour with Maereg, owner/operator of Extraordinary Ethiopia Tours. The churches of Lalibela are extraordinary, with St. George being my favorite. The history associated with these churches is fascinating. The structures themselves, take you back in time, allowing you to experience the reverence of the culture, past and presence. Maereg's knowledge and respect for these churches are clearly apparent during his explanation of their importance. His humility and respect for his culture and religion allows you appreciate these churches through the lens of a practicing local. Thank you Maereg for sharing your story and bringing to life an experience.

If you're looking for an unforgettable adventure that will leave you feeling refreshed and inspired, then look no further than this tour company! From start to finish, everything ran smoothly thanks largely due in part by their experienced staff who really know what they are doing. I can't thank you enough. I'll DEFINITELY be referring to anyone visiting Ethiopia!! Take care.

Maereg was a great host and tour guide. He knows the history, the restaurants, where to shop and all the info you might need to get the most out of your Ethiopian experience.

My guide Maereg is very friendly and professional. He arranged my trip reasonably according to my schedule. And he explained very clearly to me about the history of the 10 rock churches. Just book it, and you won’t regret!

What a place! This is a must see place for any person interested in culture and beauty. The tour was very informative and very dynamic. Our guide, Maereg was the most professional and very accommodating. He met us at the airport and was very helpful throughout the day. First he contacted via whatsApp immediately after I booked the tour. All the questions and concern was addressed immediately. He always told us in advance what to expect. Maereq is very passionate about the town of Lalibela and churches. He delivers the information very clear and doesn't overwhelm with not necessary details. He showed us a restaurant with spectacular view. At the end we were so pleased with the tour that we asked if he can recommend someone for our tour in Addis Abeba. His recommendation was excellent too. It's a great team and we were very happy with everything

This was an incredible experience! Not only was our guide knowledgeable and helpful during our tour of the churches but he was also able to tailor it to meet the physical needs of everyone in our group. Additionally, he went above and beyond giving us great dinner recommendations and helping us when our luggage was lost and we had issues with a flight.

This really is a must see place. The African Petra minus the hordes of tourists turned on by the Hollywood stardust of an Indiana Jones movie. This is the real thing, a stunning feat of engineering, devotion and imagination. Easy to get around despite being 'working' churches and not just ornaments in a landscape. The result is stunning and more so when you have a guide like Maereg to show you round with his incredible knowledge, insight and pure passion for the place - he must do this hundreds of times yet it feels like you're the first person he's shown round, such is his own love of it. If only the Ethiopian tourist board could do more to promote it, the town of Lalibela has an economy that is 85 per cent dependent on tourism yet is suffering because this - one of the 'other' wonders of the world - is not known by enough people. For heaven's sake, go and look. And ask for Maereg!

Moareg is an excellent and trustworthy guide, he organized our entire trip from Addis, air, van, hotel, meals, entrance, and tours. He speaks very good english and is very knowledgeable about the history and story behind each church. He has a positive spirit about him and is a joy to spend time with. I highly recommend this company!!

The cultural tour was amazing. I was able to understand and appreciate the historical context of the churches and the community thanks to our amazing tour guide. He was well informed and came timely daily with his amazing assistants to ease our way around and inside the churches. Transportation was comfortable and even had internet service. We had a great driver who was also very friendly and answered any questions we had.

We had an amazing and great tour with Maereg! He provided great information and gave us front row service while explaining so much culture and on-site!! I highly recommend taking his services!! We would definitely take his tour again!

Misgan was an excellent guide always present and explaining everything patiently and with clear explanations. He is very informative in the history of the place and has great recommendations. He is also very flexible and arranges for the guided tour as per your requirements. He was present with us throughout and made sure we could make the most of our trip in Lalibela.

I’ve taken many Viator/TripAdvisor tours over the last several years and I’ll say the hospitality and attention to detail shown made it one of the most memorable and fun adventures I’ve booked. The church’s were breathtaking. He explained all the details of the churches and different sites with history and context. The final spot on the tour is a can’t miss restaurant serving Ethiopian food overlooking the valleys and plains of lalibella. The tour was hassle and stress free from beginning to end and never felt uncomfortable. I would highly recommend this tour and of course Sora lodge for anyone lucky enough to visit this piece of the world.

Maereg is an excellent guide. His knowledge of Lalibela is incredible - even down to what time of day you should be at each church, to get the best photos - and he really breathed life into the story. He tailored his tour to my interests. Once he realised I loved photographing people and real life, he adapted the itinerary (which he kindly split over 2 days, because I arrived around lunchtime on day 1) and included more time at the Saturday market and some amazingly scenic spots, where I could photograph people walking. He also took me back to his house, to meet his lovely wife and baby. His wife did a coffee ceremony and made us traditional food. This was a fantastic experience - a definite highlight. Maereg also arranged airport transfers for me. He was so good that I'm thinking of returning next year and seeing more of the north with him. I cannit recommend him enough!

Marag was an amazing guide, incredibly prepared and extremely patient with our questions and our requests. He seems to be well respected in the community and among other guides and I would definitely recommend going on a tour with him. His historical knowledge is impeccable, and he is also a pious person that knows about the spiritual side of the churches. Thanks again to Marag for having us!

The Rock Churches of Lalibela are just incredible but it wouldn't have been the same without our tour guide Maereg. He knows very well the history and could answer all our questions. But the most we like about him was that he isn't that kind of guide that follows or tells you what to do. He gave us our space when we needed. Maereg knows his community very well and he helps them in every aspect of his life. I would highly recommend him. I am pretty sure you will have a lovely experience as we did.

I had the privilege to visit the beautiful places of Lalibela with my friend Maereg... He was extremely punctual... Very informative and talented when it comes to taking photos... He took his time and told me the story and the history behind every single church... This guy is your perfect guide when in lalibela

●Our English tour guide was Maereg Tefere, a humble person with immense knowledge of churches and its history. He’s very friendly and caring all the time. We were 5 people visiting the churches in Lalibela and he was just walking us and simply explaining the background, the differences between churches, the Orthodox practices, the activities there… Sometime we couldn’t completely understand probably because he’s telling story quite fast. But we were able to ask any question and we enjoyed his company. ●The churches stood there for almost one thousand years which were built (carved/dug) in well-scaled plan in a short period of time. When we actually saw them with our own eyes, it was just unbelievable! ●Afterwards Maereg helped us buying local piece of fabrics for covering our heads at Misa the next day and we discussed about the culture, economy and the current society, everything. That day was great. ●The churches tour is highly recommended. (If you’re not religious, you would still feel speechless as knowing story behind while seeing it!) Also thanks to Maereg.

Visiting the churches of Lalibela was a highlight of a long-awaited trip to Ethiopia. The churches are amazing-- the architecture and technique, their testimony to history, faith and culture. We credit our guide, Maereg, with helping us appreciate it all. Our hotel (Old Abyssinia) put us in touch with Maereg. We had requested a knowledgeable guide with a good command of English. Maereg was this and more! He shared a wealth of information about the engineering of the churches, their religious and cultural significance, and context from his own life and perspective on Lalibela and Ethiopia. Maereg was both personable and professional towards us. We saw him treat others with dignity. He seemed very familiar with the site, the town and the larger area. He was prompt for our appointments and used the time together well. We're glad we chose to see the churches with a guide, and feel very lucky to have found Maereg!

Thank you very much to our guide Maereg, who made the experience visit the stone churches to an extraordinary experience. He speaks very well english and this is very important, to understand the explanations. You did it very well - and the visit was just amazing and very interesting. We wish you all the best for your future. Best wishes Peter and Alice from Switzerland🇨🇭🇨🇭

Maereg est un guide sérieux et qui connaît très bien les attentes de ses clients . Il a en outre un savoir parfait sur les églises et l’Éthiopie en général . Toujours disponible et avec gentillesse, mérite de travailler. Pour moi, Maereg sera pour toujours L’Éthiopie..