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Back to Sodere

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Voykit pocket guide · Ethiopia

Sodere

Half a day or one night: soak in the thermal pools, get a massage, then head back to Adama or Addis. Not a base.

Sodere is a small spa town 25 km south of Adama, known for its natural hot-spring pools and weekend getaways from Addis Ababa. The resort campus has two pools filled with mineral water, masseuses, and campfire events twice a week. Accommodation is overpriced for the standard; most travellers visit as a day trip or stay one night.

AdamaAdigratAdwaAgaroArba MinchAxumBahir DarBishoftuDire DawaGambelaGondarHararHawassaHawzienSodere200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Ethiopia
Best months
Oct–May
Avoid
Jun–Sep (rainy season, pools may be less pleasant)
Stay
0–1 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
ETB
Money
Currency is the Ethiopian birr (ETB); the rate was floated in July 2024 and has moved a lot since — check the current rate before you land.
Daily spend
Budget ETB 1,500–2,500 excl. bed · Mid ETB 2,500–4,000 excl. bed · High ETB 4,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Ethio Telecom and Safaricom Ethiopia both sell SIMs at Bole arrivals and shops with passport registration; a few GB costs a few dollars.
Emergency
Police 991 · Ambulance 907 · Fire 939
Plugs
Types C, E, F, L · 220 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin European plugs fit most sockets; power cuts happen — carry a power bank.
Tipping
Local restaurant: Round up.; Tourist restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge.; Guide day: US$10–20 per group.; Driver day: US$5–10 per group.; Park scout: US$5 a day.
Water
Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many lodges refill bottles.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets or none at all on the road. Carry paper and hand gel.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Minibus Adama–SodereETB 100–150
Pool entryETB 200–400
Massage (1 hour)ETB 400–800
Coffee at the resortETB 30–60
Local meal (injera with wat)ETB 150–300

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

ADD · Addis Ababa Bole International
About 2 h by car via Adama

Typical fares

Adama → Sodere, minibus
about ETB 100–150, about 30 min (check)
Addis Ababa → Sodere, car
about 2 h, fuel cost varies
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

Horse-drawn carts cover the small town. Walking is fine between the resort and the pools.

See and do

Known for

  • Natural hot-spring pools
  • Mineral-water swimming
  • Massages
  • Campfire events

Day trips

WhereHowTime
AdamaBlue-and-white minibus, about 30 minAbout 40 min
Melka AwashCar via Adama, about 1 hAbout 1.5 h
BishoftuCar via Adama and the main road, about 1.5 hAbout 2 h

Sleep

Sodere Resort area
The only accommodation in town; overpriced. Consider driving back to Adama (25 km (16 mi)) for better value.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Helloሰላምselam
Thank youአመሰግናለሁameseginalehu
How much?ስንት ነው?sint new?
Where is the pool?ገንዳው የት ነው?genedaw yet new?

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake with a shoulder bump among men; bow slightly to elders; avoid: Rushing past greetings
  • Eating: Right hand only, from your side of the injera; avoid: Left-hand eating or licking fingers loudly
  • Churches: Shoes off, head covered (women), quiet voice; avoid: Entering during services without being invited
  • Coffee: Stay for three rounds if you can; avoid: Refusing flatly
  • Photos: Ask, and agree a fee in the Omo; avoid: Photographing soldiers, police or checkpoints
  • Talk: Ask about coffee, running, food and faith; avoid: Ethnic politics and the wars

Scams and watch-outs

  • The large Olympic-size pool is open only on weekends; the medium pool is open midweek.
  • Accommodation is overpriced for the standard — check reviews before booking.
  • Minibuses from Adama stop running by late afternoon; plan your return.

Sodere is a quiet resort town; petty crime is low. The main risks are the drive from Adama (livestock on the road) and the large pool's lack of a shallow end — watch non-swimmers.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Sodere yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Natural hot-spring pools
  • Mineral-water swimming
  • Massages
  • Campfire events

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Sodere

እባክዎ ወደዚህ አድራሻ

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Most embassies are in Addis Ababa; the US Embassy is there. Check your country's consular services before travelling.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/sodere). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.