Located in the tumultuous Afar region on the Eritrean border, the Danakil Depression is strewn with volcanoes and salt lakes and is one of the hottest places on the planet.
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]here are some really great places to go on vacation. Europe is a popular vacation destination, as are Australia and Mexico. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might consider Tanzania or Morocco in Africa, but there are likely other countries on the African continent that you assume you should avoid. Ethiopia is likely one of those countries.
It’s true that Ethiopia isn’t a traditional vacation destination, but it is growing in popularity. This beautiful country is turning into quite the vacation spot because it has plenty of things to offer travelers that they won’t find anywhere else.
The highlands of northern Ethiopia are renowned for its magnificent early Christian churches carved out of volcanic rock, such as the Tomb of Adam, in Lalibela. | James Whitlow Delano
Tourism Has Become a Focus of the Government
Vacationing in Ethiopia used to be a huge challenge. That’s because the government was focusing on health, education, and communication prior to 2013. That should come as no surprise as the country was struggling with drought, famine, and revolution during that time.
Things have calmed down and the government has been able to turn their focus to tourism. A tourism transformation council was established to provide direction to the industry and make it easier and better for vacationers who are visiting.
For example, they make it easy for travelers to obtain a tourist visa for Ethiopia. It only takes a few minutes to complete the application, and the visa is sent via email, making it one of the easiest visas to obtain.
Ethiopia’s highest mountain range, the Simiens, nurture an incredible array of native flora and fauna including animals like the gelada baboon, Ethiopian wolf and walia ibex. Scheduled to open in early 2017, a new luxury tented camp will complement basic facilities already available in the national park. | Ethiopia Tourism Organization
Endless Beautiful History
Because Ethiopia hasn’t been a popular vacation destination, many people don’t realize just how many wonderful, beautiful sights there are to visit in this country. There are many gorgeous natural wonders to behold, like the Gheralta Mountains and the Blue Nile, but this country is also home to a whopping nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites. They include:
Aksum: This location marks the heart of ancient Ethiopia dating back to the first century A.D.
Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region: This fortress was the residence of emperor Fasilides and others in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town: As a sacred Muslim city, it is said to be the fourth holiest city of Islam.
Konso Cultural Landscape: These stone-walled terraces demonstrate a cultural tradition that dates back more than 400 years.
Lower Valley of the Awash: The oldest human remains at this location date back at least four million years.
Lower Valley of the Omo: Homo gracilis was famously discovered, as well as other important fossils, at this world-renowned site.
Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela: This marks the spot of the New Jerusalem of the 13th century.
Tiya: This site includes 36 important archeological monuments that belong to an ancient, unknown Ethiopian culture.
Located in the tumultuous Afar region on the Eritrean border, the Danakil Depression is strewn with volcanoes and salt lakes and is one of the hottest places on the planet. | www.germanbackpacker.com
Expanded Infrastructure
Visiting all those historic sites makes for a great vacation experience, but only if you can get there easily, and you have a comfortable place to go when you’re done exploring.
Ethiopia has invested in expanded infrastructure within the last few years that makes traveling a lot easier. Not only is the airport expanding to accommodate more travelers, comfortable and luxurious hotels are popping up all over the place.
Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park
Food That You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
For foodies, there really is no better place to put on your bucket list than Ethiopia. The food in this country is unlike anything you will experience anywhere else.
Popular Ethiopian dishes include tips, which involves some form of lamb, garlic, and onion, and kitfo, which is similar to a French steak tartare. If you’re a brave culinary adventurer, be sure to try the tere siga, which is raw meat that is dipped in a sauce called mitmita.
An aerial view of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia
Go-With-The-Flow Attitude
There’s a lot to do and see in Ethiopia, but you won’t feel the need to rush around. Even if you wanted to rush from place to place, you may find it impossible!
Don’t be surprised to discover that you can’t do much between noon and two. Everywhere closes for lunch. You might as well slow down, take a nap, and rest during this time too.
Not only is the language different, which means you’ll automatically have to slow down, the time is different too. Ethiopians use the Julian calendar, which is very different than the international calendar.
The Ethiopian clock is also six hours apart from ours. That means additional math is needed, even if your clock adjusts for the correct time zone.
Although you may have shied away from Ethiopia as a vacation destination in the past, today, this vibrant and beautiful country is a safe and fun place for travelers to explore.
Ethiopia’s highest mountain range, the Simiens, nurture an incredible array of native flora and fauna including animals like the gelada baboon, Ethiopian wolf and walia ibex. Scheduled to open in early 2017, a new luxury tented camp will complement basic facilities already available in the national park. | Ethiopia Tourism Organization
Coffee farmer in Ethiopia | Emily Garthwaite
The highlands of northern Ethiopia are renowned for its magnificent early Christian churches carved out of volcanic rock, such as the Tomb of Adam, in Lalibela. | James Whitlow Delano
Located in the tumultuous Afar region on the Eritrean border, the Danakil Depression is strewn with volcanoes and salt lakes and is one of the hottest places on the planet.
Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park
Located in the tumultuous Afar region on the Eritrean border, the Danakil Depression is strewn with volcanoes and salt lakes and is one of the hottest places on the planet. | Carl Court/Getty Images
An aerial view of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia
An aerial view of Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia
Located in the tumultuous Afar region on the Eritrean border, the Danakil Depression is strewn with volcanoes and salt lakes and is one of the hottest places on the planet. | www.germanbackpacker.com
One of the best collections in Africa, the Addis Ababa museum safeguards an impressive array of tribal artifacts, royal paraphernalia and monastic murals. Housed inside the former royal palace, one of the highlights is a visit to Haile Selassie’s private quarters. | Joe Yogerst/CNN
Founded by King Lalibela in the late 12th century, this highland city is world-renowned for its 11 stone churches. Chiseled from red volcanic scoria, the sanctuaries were the king’s attempt to build the “New Jerusalem” of the Ethiopian Orthodox faith. Visiting the churches is especially evocative during daily rites. | Joe Yogerst/CNN
Like its counterpart in neighboring Kenya, Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley was a cradle of mankind (the famous australopithecine “Lucy” was discovered there in 1974) and a scenic wonderland. South of Addis Ababa, the valley is spangled with water bodies like Lake Chamo in Nechisar National Park. |
Joe Yogerst/CNN
Haile Gebrselassie and Tirunesh Dibaba are just two of the many world record-holding athletes and Olympic gold medalists that have come out of Ethiopia. And unsurprisingly, participating in events like the annual Great Ethiopian Run in Addis Ababa and EthioTrail Run in Abijatta-Shala National Park has become popular with tourists. | Ethiopia Tourism Organization
One of the architectural wonders of Africa, the Fasil Ghebbi (Royal Citadel) of Gondar is a sprawling complex of palaces, churches, plazas, barracks, stables and meeting halls surrounded by sturdy walls. Founded in the 17th century by Emperor Fasilides, the citadel was badly damaged by British bombing during World War Two, but much has been restored. |
Joe Yogerst/CNN
Native to Ethiopia, coffee is a national obsession and the coffee ceremony one of the most accessible traditions. Engulfed in a cloud of frankincense, coffee stations can be found in hotel lobbies, airport lounges and restaurants. Watch as the beans are roasted over a small charcoal fire, ground and added to boiling water to produce thick, rich espresso-like buna coffee. | Joe Yogerst/CNN
A spectacular red-rock landscape reminiscent of the American Southwest provides a refuge for dozens of tiny rock-hewn monasteries scattered through the mountains. Trekking is the main activity, but the region also boasts some of Ethiopia’s best wilderness lodges. |
Joe Yogerst/CNN
Deep in the Danakil Desert, Erta Ale (Smoking Mountain) is a continuously active volcano and one of only six on the planet with a permanent lava lake. A 10-kilometer trail leads across a volcanic wasteland to the crater rim, where hikers can eyeball nature’s own sound and light show before camping overnight. | Ethiopia Tourism Organization
