Eritrea: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Eritrea feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 30 written places.
Courteous and unhurried; Asmara's cafe culture runs on espresso, conversation and the evening stroll.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept an invitation to a coffee ceremony - it is the highest form of hospitality here
- Stay for all three rounds if you can - the final cup, baraka, carries the blessing
- Join the evening stroll on Asmara's Harnet Avenue - the Italian-style passeggiata is the social hour
- Eat injera with your right hand only
✗ Better avoided
- Rush a coffee ceremony - roasting, brewing and three rounds take a couple of hours by design
- Photograph people without asking first
- Expect to pay by card - the economy runs entirely on cash
- Count on fast internet - connections are rare and slow, so download what you need beforehand
Worth knowing
- Bring your money as cash in dollars or euros and exchange at official Himbol branches - ATMs do not take foreign cards
- Trips beyond Asmara need a travel permit from the tourism office on Harnet Avenue - it is cheap and usually ready in a day
- Asmara's cafes pour excellent macchiato - the Italian espresso tradition never left
- Declare foreign currency on arrival and keep exchange receipts - you account for it on departure
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.