Sammy was born on October 24th, 1976, in the small village of Sona, situated inside the Simien Mountains National Park. He attended elementary school there and finished high school some years later in Debark where the park headquarters is located. With training in Tourism management, Tour and Trekking arrangement and Guide techniques from the tourist board, he has planned and undertaken various trips since passing his examinations in 2009. With over seven years experience as a tour guide, he is able to organize any tour suitable for all abilities. If you would like to organise a tour, please see the contact page.
We did a two day, one night trekking in Simien Mountains National Park. We left early in the morning from Gondar en drove via Debark to the entrance of the park where we started the hike to the Jinjabar Camp Site where we slept in a pre-pitched tent. The next day we drove to Chenek where we entered a completely different world. The views and flora and fauna are amazing! After a walk around we drove back to Gondar, What made this trip even better was the very professional and friendly guide we had. His name is Samuel Kasaw and he arranged the transportation, tent and meal perfectly and joined us on the hike. He is truly a good and knowledgeable guide who understands what Western travellers find important (like punctiualty, good food and good material). Greetings, Mart, Daan and Johan
I am an American living in Europe and recently visited Ethiopia to participate in a fun run, and see the amazing scenery and cultures. I was amazed at the experiences I had and the friendliness of everyone. The best part of my trip was without a doubt the 4 day hike in the Simien mountains, led by Sammy Kassaw. Not only is he knowledgeable and highly competent as a guide, including considering safety and well being of the people around him, but he is fun to be around and a really nice person. It’s important to have a guide in the Simien mountains. I usually hike alone in North America or Europe but knew I needed a guide in Ethiopia and I knew that a great guide can make an experience great, and vice versa. Sammy was incredibly professional but also easy going and genuine, and made the experience great; I did not feel like I was just a tourist but that I was hiking along with a local and made a good friend. I highly recommend Sammy Kassaw, and I recommend spending at least a few nights out in the Simien Mountains, it’s an experience you won’t regret. Alex
I am hoping to go to Ethiopia in March /April 2016 and am planning to do some hiking in the Simien Mountains. Your tours look very interesting. Can you let me know what the prices are, or can I join an existing group as I will be travelling by myself