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Often overlooked by visitors, understandably, drawn to Ethiopia by its history is to spend time exploring a more contemporary side to the country. But then you would miss out on the best place to eat Ethiopian food and the fascinating museums that offer you an insight into this ancient and utterly unique destination. Africa’s fourth-largest city and its diplomatic capital, one could skip this sprawling city altogether. Located in the highlands bordering the Great Rift Valley, Addis Ababa is the capital city and cultural hub of Ethiopia. This should be of little concern to those who have already expressed interest in visiting Ethiopia – it is for the history, the landscapes and, most of all, the people that brought you here in the first place. However, outside the main destinations, such as Lalibela, Simien Mountains and Bale, accommodation is of a basic standard.

Tourism has seen a steady increase both in terms of volume and standards. Regarding accommodation, while there are a handful of more luxurious offerings opening, Ethiopia is not a country for those seeking a chandelier safari. Venture to the longest cave system on the continent in the Sof Omar Caves.Ethiopia is the land for the true adventurers who are looking to immerse themselves in Africa’s most dramatic landscapes and fascinating cultures. A multi-day hike through the highlands of Tigray, using simple community-managed guesthouses and showcasing how simplicity truly does enable the greatest of connections to a location when travelling. For those happy to forgo the trappings of luxury, there exists a shining example of community-run tourism. The natural world of Ethiopia is as unique as its history. However, a number of endemic species call the land home– from Africa’s rarest canid, the Ethiopian wolf of the Bale Mountains, to the Gelada monkeys near the northern plateau, and the elephants at Babille. A visit to the traditional villages of the Lower Omo Valley will give you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to encounter some of Africa’s most fascinating ethnic groups.Įthiopia may be a less obvious wildlife destination than the more traditional safari destinations. As much a contemporary site as a historic one, little has changed here since the time of the churches’ creation.Įthiopia has a vast highland complex of mountains and dissected plateaus divided by the Great Rift Valley, and with a great diversity of terrain, one can expect variations in climate, wildlife, vegetation and most importantly, people. And if the discovery of humanity alone isn’t enough to impress you, a visit to the 12th century monolithic rock-hewn churches of Lalibela will add a layer of intrigue to your time exploring Ethiopia – a sacred site of Christianity and pilgrimage for thousands of worshippers. Several important hominid discoveries (Lucy being one of them) have propelled Ethiopia to the forefront of palaeoanthropology – the oldest dating back to nearly 4.2 million years ago.

By exploring the museum that Lucy calls home, privately guided by a local anthropologist, you have the perfect base from which to embark on your journey around the country. The history of this fascinating country will have you captivated, and it all begins with Lucy – the fossil who rewrote the story of humanity. The only African country to have escaped colonialism (albeit briefly occupied by Italy), Ethiopia has retained much of its ancient customs and cultural identity to this day. This growth has enabled the country to invest in roads, railways and dams, boosting electricity production and improving transportation in its capital city of Addis Ababa. However, the country has since recovered and is now Africa’s fastest growing economy (by GDP). Having experienced civil conflicts and communist purges during the 1970s through to the 1980s, Ethiopia’s economy suffered substantially in the years that followed. Gelada Monkeys in The Simien Mountains, remote 10th century churches carved into the mountainside, lake monasteries and a fiercely independent history combine to produce opportunities for specialist-led travel that are completely unique. Ethiopia is a destination simply unlike any other.