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General information
on Ethiopia
Formerly known as
Abyssinia, this landlocked republic in northeast Africa is bounded to
the northeast by Eritrea and Djibouti, on the south by Kenya. A safari
combination of the two countries is the autimost safari experience.
Ethiopia is the
tenth largest country in Africa, and for comparison it is five times
larger than the United Kingdom. Its capital, Addis Ababa, which lies in
the middle of the country in the Central Highlands at an altitude of
over 2300 meters. There are only two other capital cities located at a
higher altitude in the world. Ethiopia is the third most popular country
of Africa with over 72 million people. 3, 5 million of which live in the
capital Addis Ababa.
The central
plateau dominates the landscape. It was formed by volcanic activity, and
has on three sides’ areas of low lying desert. This central plateau or
Ethiopian Highlands average over 2000 meters high and there are over 20
peaks higher than 4000 meters. Ethiopia is bisected by the Great Rift
Valley, which runs from the Red Sea through the Danakil Depression the
lowest point on Earth, through southern Ethiopia and onto southern
Africa. South of Addis Ababa in the Rift Valley where there are a string
of eight great lakes. The two most extensive mountain ranges are in the
Highlands called The Simiens.
This is north of
Gondar and the second at Bale which is in the southern highlands east of
The Great Rift Valley. The highest mountain is Mount Ras Deshen in the
Simien Mountains and at 4620 meters is the fourth highest Peak in
Africa. The mountains are also the source of many rivers, the most
famous being The Blue Nile which starts at Lake Tana and supplies most
of the water for the Nile. There are nine national parks in Ethiopia
which contain a wide variety of animals but not to be compared with the
high volumes of Kenya and Tanzania. There are many endemic species, the
most famous being the Simien Wolf. The breath-taking scenery is a
paradise for hikers and non- hikers alike.
Climate
Ethiopia has a
cooler than average tropical climate due to its altitude. There is a
distinct rainy season from April to September. The average rainfall in
the capital Addis Ababa is 40 inches and a temperature of between 21 and
25 degrees.
Money
The Ethiopian Birr
is the national currency. Visitors may bring in as much foreign currency
as they wish. Credit Cards are not widely accepted outside the major
establishments in the cities.
Visa
These are required
by all tourists and can be obtained at all Ethiopian Consulates.
Health
All visitors must
be in possession of valid vaccination certificates covering Yellow
Fever. Also recommended are vaccinations against hepatitis and cholera.
If visiting the lowlands Malaria precautions should be taken.
Language
The official
language of Ethiopia is Amharic. In the country there are some 80 local
languages. English is the second official language and is understood in
most hotels and major towns. French and Italian are also widely
understood.
Clothing
This depends on
the season and part of the country to be visited. In the warm lowlands
light cotton clothing and a hat are suggested while in the highlands
light or medium weight clothing is appropriate. During the rainy season
a light raincoat and umbrella are essential and a sweater is best for
chilly evenings. The sun can be very strong so a sunscreen is important.
How to get
there
All International
flight to Ethiopia land in the capital of Addis Ababa. The airport is
just 8km from the city. Ethiopian Airlines Has an extensive network
covering Europe, America, Africa and the Far East. The domestic network
is extensive and efficient. Addis Ababa is also served by other airlines
such as British
Ethiopia safaris
Attraction in
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
town
Situated at 2300
meters over sea level this is the third highest capital of the world. It
has over five million people. This sprawling capital is an ideal place
to start learning about Ethiopia’s rich ethnic diversity. There is a
wealth of sightseeing in this city and here just a few tips: Africa Hall
is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Africa. It was designed as a monument to African independence. Its hugh
richly coloured stained-glass windows, by the Ethiopian artist Afewerk
Tekle, portray the history and diversity of Africa’s people.
More of Tekles
work can be seen in the Giorgis Cathedral built in 1896 to mark the
victory of Ethiopia over the invading Italians. The Ethnographic Museum
is well worth a visit with its two main sections covering local crafts
and on regions and people. Here you can learn about Ethiopia”s rich
ethnic diversity. The museum holds an impressive display of Religious
crosses, triptychs and murals. Haile Selassies’s bedroom and bathrooms
are also on display. One of the most important museums is the smaller
National Museum holding the fossil’s of “Lucy”. These 3.5 million year
old remains are perhaps from our earliest ancestor. Mercato is the
largest market in East Africa. Here you can buy everything from potatoes
Aksum
According to the
Orthodox Church Axum is the holiest city of Ethiopia. The Original Ark
of the Covenent is said to be in the area. It is also the place where
Christianity was declared the national religion in the fourth century.
The Ark is supposed to be somewhere in the grounds of the church St.
Mary of Zion which was built in the 17th century. The museum at the
church has a fine small collection of bibles, crosses and crowns. Close
to the church is Axum's ancient stelae field the only remains of the
city's past glory. Stelae are huge, carved pillars made from single
blocks of granite. The highest of those still standing is 24 meters.
You can look at
King Kaleb's Tomb if you take the short walk from the town. If you
continue up the hill you come to Pentalewon Monastery which offers
magnificent views. Women are not allowed into the monastery. Outside of
the city are the ruins of Queen of Sheba's Palace
Bahar Dar
Situated some 300
kms. baba the town of Bahar Dar can be reached by plane from Addis or by
bus. The bus trip goes through the spectacular Blue Nile Gorge. Bahar
Dar itself sits on the southern shore of the 3600 sq. km Lake Tana.
While Bahar Dar has not a lot to offer, the surrounding area is quite
spectacular. The Blue Nile Falls known locally as Tis Isat are about one
hour by bus from Bahar Dar. The falls are some 400 meters wide and a
spectacular 45 meters deep. Lake Tana is scattered with many islands.
Many of these are home to monasteries. Most were built before the 16th
century and some date back to the eleventh century.
The most popular
of the monasteries are Ura Kidene Meret, Kebran Gabriel and Debre Maryam.
The former two are not open to women.
Rift Valley
Lakes
The seven lakes of
the Rift Valley are situated in a wide fertile valley running from Addis
Ababa to the Kenyan border. Of the seven, the most popular are Lagano,
Abiata and Shala. One lake is blue, while one is silver and the other
brown. This area is an absolute paradise for bird watchers. Lake Abiata
is a shallow lake and has the most birds. Lake Shala is at the bottom of
a 250 meter crater. The only safe lake for bathing is Lagano, where
there is also accommodation. In the hot springs south of these three
lakes at Wondo Genet swimming is also possible. Closer to the Kenyan
border at Lake Abaya and Chamo it is thronging with wildlife and lots of
crocodiles
Gondar
Gondar is situated
some 750 Kms. north of Addis Ababa from which there are regular flights.
There are buses from Addis which stop overnight on the way. It is one of
the most impressive of Ethiopias old capitals. It was founded by Emperor
Fasiladas in 1635 and remained the capital for some 250 years. The
walled Royal Enclosure, which lies at the towns centre contains several
well preserved castles and other buildings which give many hours of
exploring. Also of interest are Fasil's Bathing Pool and the elaborately
decorated Debre Birhan Selasie Church. The Italian influence from
1936-1941 still influences the town center.
Lalibela
This strange,
isolated town in the mountains of Lasta is famed for its rock-hewn
churches. The name is derived from its most famous ruler of the Zagwe
Dynasty King Lalibela of the 12 th-century. Lalibela is a strikingly
singular town. The setting alone is glorious. Perched at an altitude of
2630 meters, amongst wild craggy mountains and vast rocky escarpments.
The design of houses in Lalibela is unique in Ethiopia, two storey
circular stone constructions that huddle over the steep slopes on which
the town is built. Even if you have seen other rock-hewn churches in
Ethiopia nothing will prepare you for Gondar's.
The churches are
big with many of them exceeding heights of ten meters. Because they are
carved below ground level they are ringed by trenches and courtyards,
the sides of which are cut into with stony graves, hermit cells and
connected to each other by a tangled maze of tunnels and passages. In
size and scope, the church complex feels like a subterranean village.
Yet, each individual church is unique and minutely decorated. Only one
word describes Lalibela - awesome. The churches of Lalibela are
concentrated into two main clusters separated by the Jordan River. The
western sector contains 5 churches while the eastern sector has 7 in
total. There were two main methods of construction. The churches in the
eastern cluster have been built be being excavated mostly from below the
ground and are surrounded by courtyards and trenches so that they mimic
normal buildings. This is a style unique to Ethiopia. In the western
sector they are mostly excavated from the vertical rock face by
exploiting caves and cracks in the rock. In the eastern cluster is Bet
Medhane Alem which is the largest monolithic rock hewn church in the
world. It measures 11.5 meters in height and covers an area of 800
sq.meters. There are many other churches in and around Lalibela all
dating back hundreds of centuries.
Bale Mountains
National Park
This 2200 sq km.
national park protects the higher reaches of the Bale Range. The second
highest peak of Ethiopia Mount Tullo Deemtu stands out at 4377 meters.
There are many mammals and birds unique to Ethiopia in this park. The
base for exploring the park is Dinsho and nearby are the headquarters of
the Park authorities. Around the Parks headquarters there is a walking
trail which takes a few hours but offers Bales' mountain nyala which is
abundant in the area. One can normally see warthog, bohor reedbuck and
guereza monkeys. From here you can, with the help of the authorities,
arrange pony/horse trekking trips for one to five days. As one ventures
further the wildlife becomes more varied. The Simien wolf hardly seen in
the Simiens is seen more in the Bale area.
Golden jackal,
klipspringer, molerat as well as guereza and velvet monkeys and olive
baboon. Large predators such as lion, wild dog and leopard are rarely
seen. It is also an area popular with bird watchers. There are fifteen
endemic species here and one would hope to see some of them including
perhaps the Blue winged geese, thick billed ravens, spot throated
plovers and black headed siskins which are all quite well seen.
Simian
Mountains National Park
The Simien
Mountain Range lies north of Gondar and to the east of the main road to
Axum. It is one of the largest mountain ranges in Africa, with many
peaks over 4000 meters. The highest is Mount Ras Dashen which at 4620
meters is the fourth highest peak in Africa. The main attraction of the
Simiens is its trekking. Most trekking routes take you through small
villages and terraced fields in the lower valleys, before reaching a
series of dramatic cliffs and escarpments. Beyond the escarpments lie
the beautiful alpine meadows and the rugged wilderness of the high peak
areas. The base for hiking and trekking holidays is Debark a small town
some 90 kms. North of Gondar.
Guides and rangers
are readily available to hire at very cheap rates. In addition mules can
be organized for a few Euros per day. Overnights are normally near the
old park camps and distances vary but reckon on four to eight hours a
day of trekking. As most of this is on paths and tracks conditions
underfoot are not too bad. Three of Ethiopia's endemic large mammals
live in this area and are the gelada baboon, who live in troops of up to
400. The walia ibex, although endangered will probably be seen, but the
Simien fox is becoming very rare.
Ethiopia safaris
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