Given the brevity of the break and the amount of work and socialising to be fitted in beforehand, you’d be forgiven for just slumping at home over Christmas. But adventure is possible. You can follow in the footsteps of Wilfred Thesiger in Ethiopia’s lion country with the help of Walks Worldwide.
Leaving Heathrow on December 27 (no need to miss the pud and the presents), its nine-day tour lands first in Addis Ababa. After seeing the city and the remains of “Lucy” in the national museum - at 3.5 million years she’s our oldest ancestor - travellers drive to Awash national park, home to 460 species of birds as well as gazelles, warthogs and baboons. There’s a chance to relax with a soak in the hot springs at Bilen, before the trek through Afar country, meeting hippos and crocs along the river while camels carry the luggage to Lake Ertale.
Daytime flights home land at Heathrow in the early evening of January 4, leaving a day or two to recover before it’s back to school. The cost of pound;1,195, based on two sharing, includes scheduled flights, transfers, tours, full-board accommodation, local guides and all meals while trekking. Details from Walks Worldwide: 01524 262 255; www.walksworldwide.com.
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