Five reasons to visit Ethiopia (according to Bradt Guides- which are the most reliable published guides for travel in Africa)
1. Enjoy stunning scenery
“Every bus trip in the Ethiopian Highlands is a visual treat, whether you are snaking into the 1km-deep Blue Nile Gorge, bouncing over the grassy moorland and planted fields of the central highlands, wending your way through the thick forests of the west and south, or pelting across the Rift Valley floor, its acacia scrub dotted by extinct volcanoes, crumbling lava flows and beautiful lakes”
2. Look out for endemic species and a wealth of birdlife
“Mammals such as the Ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala, Walia ibex and gelada monkey are found nowhere but the highlands, and the same is true of 30 of the 900-plus species of birds which have been recorded in the country. National parks like Bale and Simien are a veritable paradise for natural history enthusiasts, as well as for the hikers and mule trekkers who visit them for their scenery.”
3. Visit the former capital of the ancient Axumite Empire
“According to legend, it was home to both the Queen of Sheba and the Ark of the Covenant. Today it is best known for the engraved obelisks (stelae) that tower over its horizon, but there’s plenty else to see here, including ruined palaces, trilingual tablets recounting events that took place 2,000 years ago, and some of the oldest churches in Ethiopia.”
4. Marvel at the geological wonders of the Danakil Depression
“It is one of the lowest-lying places anywhere in the planet, dropping to 116m below sea level, while temperatures on its shadeless plains often soar above 50°C, and are exacerbated by a fierce gale. This is a challenging travel destination but, for all that, the Danakil is an area of singular geological fascination: a strange and at times beguilingly beautiful desert landscape punctuated by austere volcanic calderas, explosive cauldrons of bubbling red lava, malodorous sulphur-caked hot springs, recently solidified black lava flows, and vast, blinding salt flats that stretch for up to a kilometre below the surface.”
5. Discover Africa’s richest diversity of cultures
“The people of the highlands have assimilated a variety of African, Judaic and even Egyptian influences to form one of the most unusual and self-contained cultures on this planet in the region of South Omo, including the Mursi, Hamer and Kara – whose colourful adornments evoke pre-20th-century Africa.”
Book a trip to Ethiopia today to see all or some of these must see’s.
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