Why Ethiopia should be your next holiday destination?

Today we are writing about a country dubbed “the land of promise”, where it is proved to be the source of humankind and where you see thirteen months of sunshine – Ethiopia. Formerly called Abyssinia, Ethiopia has a lot of natural attractions with the highest point (Ras Dashen) and the lowest point (Afar Depression) at the same time! Home to Walia Ibex and the uncolonized African country. So, without further ado, let’s get down to exploring this beautiful and amazing place.

If you are planning to make Ethiopia as your holiday destination then you should be aware of some things. Starting from fainting with joy to being cautious of skilled pick-pockets! Arguably Ethiopia is one of the safest places in Africa, one fact being that most Ethiopians take their moral and religious laws seriously. But while in Addis Ababa especially around transportation terminals you should be careful though. Never trust taxi drivers they will overcharge you so it is better if you take someone with you or just ask the other passengers. If you happen to be a coffee-fanatic, love to visit beautiful places of mother nature, and crave delicious food then we will point out the right places to visit in Ethiopia.

Top 5 things you can do in Ethiopia while on holiday

1. Visit amazing places in Ethiopia.

One of the best things you can do while in Ethiopia is just visit historical places. They will give you joy you have never imagined in your life. Mark my words! So, you may ask where should I go to then? Here are some recommendations. 

Lalibela

Lalibela is one of the famous and historical towns in Ethiopia. Built in the 12th Century by King Lalibela, it is dubbed as “The New Jerusalem” by tourists and registered as one of the spectacular buildings in the world by UNESCO, it has 11 rock-cut churches within called The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela. It is found in the Northern part of the country.

Axum

At one time in history being home to Queen of Sheba and a site of the Ark of the Covenant, Axum is found in the northern part of Ethiopia. It is listed as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.  

Harar

If by any means your hobby is feeding hyenas without being harmed then head to Jegol, Harar! I mean seriously, you will be amazed at how everyone there will befriend you in just a matter of seconds besides the hyenas.

Tana

If you are in the mood to be on an island with centuries-old monasteries, the largest lake of Tana is definitely your place to be.

Bale

This mountainous national park is home to Ethiopia’s endemic animals such as the Mountain Nyala, Semien Fox, Giant mole-rats and Menelik’s bushbuck.​

Semien Mountains National Park

Do you want to be on top of the world? Head over to this place which is as high as 1,500 meters!  Home to the endemic Ethiopian Wolf, the Walia Ibex, and the Gelada Baboon, 3 endemic plant species and 5 indigenous bird species, and the endangered Lammergeyer, a vulture with a wing of 2 meters.​​​

Gondar

Ever thought of having a royal like feeling or treatment, so then Gondar is your thing with so many amazing palaces, castles, and churches. It was founded by King Fasiledes in the 17th century and has been the capital of Ethiopia at some point in time. The Semien Mountains National Park and Lake Tana are very near from here.

2. Why not sip coffee where it originated?

Ethiopia is said to have been the origin of coffee! Yes, you read that right. A region called Kaffa in Ethiopia is the birthplace of the coffee that makes us enjoy our lives every day. You can find coffee in cafes, on street corners and almost everywhere in the centre of Addis Ababa.

3. Come on, let’s grab some delicious food

Unlike any other African countries, Ethiopia has a unique way of preparing food and it has Injera as a cornerstone. Injera is kind of a flatbread made from fermented tef. Tef is a gluten-free grain that is indigenous to Ethiopia. After laying out the Injera on a plate then you put on some wot (local for stew). One thing to beware of is that there is berbere in almost every wot that is a hot spicy kind of chilies, so better hold your ground. Delicious as it is, you can also sip a local drink called Tej, do not worry it won’t make you boozy unless taken to large amount.

To read a detailed article on Ethiopian food – Click here

4. Let’s shake a bit!

The traditional music in Ethiopia is exhilarating while the dance, locally known as Eskista will definitely make you forget your problems. There are a bunch of traditional nightclubs with their own dancers and singers in Addis Ababa and other cities. Really, once you start to see these friendly dancers then you have no choice but to join in!

5. How about some pieces of art

While walking around in the city of Addis, you will find studios, galleries of many well-renowned artists, museums (National Museum is around 5 kilometres away where you can visit the skeletons Lucy the first human being), cultural institutes such as the German(Goethe Institute), French(Alliance Ethio-Francaise) and Italian (Istituto Italiano di Cultura).

To plan your trip to Ethiopia:

For flights – Click here

For hotels – Click here or visit www.hotels.com

Use Viator to book Ethiopia tours – Click here