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Heroes and Heroines 
Asmara
Referred to as "La Piccola Roma" - Africa's little Rome - by Mussolini, Asmara is still littered with 1930s-era Italian architecture, with…
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![Amy Waters snow biking]()
Our Team Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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Our Tour Experts We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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Heroes and Heroines The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Massawa
A historic port on Eritrea’s Red-Sea coast, Massawa dates back to the times of the Kingdom of Axum, when it was just a small fishing village. Now, it is a city of 50,000 people, spread across two islands and a portion of coastline.
Although badly damaged during Eritrea’s bloody war of independence, the city is still dotted with older buildings, both Ottoman and Italian, that survived the Ethiopian bombing. It is also perfectly located for accessing the remarkable Dahlak Archipelago, with its myriad islands.
Pioneering
Eritrea – Inside Africa’s Forgotten Kingdom
Explore this nascent and isolated country, only officially recognised as independent from Ethiopia in the 1990s. From the Art Deco Italian architecture and Coptic churches of Asmara to the Aksumite ruins and dramatic canyons of Adi Keyh, Eritrea is alive with culture, history and natural beauty.
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Illona Cross
Born in a small South African town, I have always followed my passion for nature and discovery. After studying Nature Conservation in Pretoria, I was one of the first women to complete a very tough cadetship in the Natal Parks Board. It was here where I cut my teeth in African wildlife management. My desire to see more led me to work as a guide for AndBeyond, first in South Africa, then in Tanzania as the company expanded. Here, I lived and worked in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro, guiding and running safari camps.
Talk with our experts
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Let’s chat
Speak to our experts
Our team is waiting to help you tailor a trip that will leave you with stories for a lifetime. Call us on
01285 601 784Why Choose Steppes?
These may be uncertain times but they are, without a doubt, still full of opportunity to discover the extraordinary safely. Through knowledge and expertise, we can connect you to those destinations embracing travellers with the added confidence of flexible booking and decades of insight.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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