Ethiopian Airlines inaugurated yesterday a five star hotel located in Addis Ababa.
With its 373 ultramodern luxurious rooms, Ethiopian Skylight hotel is intended to provide ease to Ethiopian Airlines passengers who are either transiting through Ethiopia or visiting the country. Of course, it is open to provide service to the public as well.
In terms of facilities, the hotel has a banquet Hall that could accommodate 2000 guests at a time. It is also equipped with meeting room, Western and Eastern restaurants, traditional Ethiopian restaurant, coffee shop,jazz club, lobby bar and swimming pool.
Ethiopian Airlines dubbed the hotel as “The new face of Ethiopia’s hospitality Industry.”
US $65 million is spent for the project.
The Airlines has also inaugurated yesterday expanded terminal project which reportedly costed $US 36 million. It has a capacity to serve over 25 million people in a year.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Chairperson of The African Union, Dr.Moussa Faki,were launched the inauguration ceremony at Bole International Airport.
While Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed all employees of Ethiopian Airlines for the success it has achieved, he told the management that a much bigger terminal is needed accommodate the growing number of Ethiopian Airlines passengers.
Last year, the airlines served about 22 million passengers. Currently, it has over one hundred destinations across the work and over hundred planes in the air.
Meskel Festival attracting millions of people in the capital Addis Ababa. Tourists, diplomats and high ranking government officials attend the celebration.
Meskel Celebration in Addis Ababa. (EBC)
borkena September 27, 2019
Meskel in one of the biggest yearly open air religious festivals for the followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ( also known as Ethiopian Church). It is also celebrated in Eritrea among orthodox Tewahdo church followers.
The religious holiday commemorates Empress Helena’s success in discovering the true cross in Jerusalem in the fourth Century A.D.
Meskel Means in the Ethiopian language “cross.” The festival is also referred to as Demera. specifically, the use of this word seem to be related to Bonfire which is lit before the end of the day. In Ethiopian calendar, the day starts in the morning with the sun rise, not in the middle of the night as in the case of the Gregorian calendar.
The day is equally divided into two – twelve hours each. From sunrise to sunset is day time and from sunset to sunrise is night time in the calendar.
The holiday is celebrated on September 27 only when it is a leap year. Otherwise, it is celebrated on September 26. The timing is just two weeks after the Ethiopian New Year which falls on September 11 except in the Leap Year during which the New Year falls on September 12.
The time marks the end of Ethiopia’s two month long rainy season. Landscape is green and flowers blossom during the Ethiopian New Year. It really feels like a new year.
Meskel celebration is more colorful in the capital Addis Ababa as it draws millions of people. However, is is also colorfully celebrated in towns, cities and even rural villages across the country.
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church deacons, priests, choir and worshipers from different churches and diocese make an elaborate procession to the Demera place singing about the power of the cross and its findings.
An aspect of Meskel Celebration at Meskel square in Addis Ababa. (EBC)
Once they reached the place where the Demera is organized, rituals in the tradition of the Ethiopian Church will take place. Among the most captivating aspects of it is Woreb , which is a very unique song of praise by the priests and deacons- truly a colorful ceremony.
Then the Bishops and/or the Patriarch will give benediction before he lit the bonfire Demera.
Meskel celebration now attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists to Ethiopia and it has become one of the major boosts to the country’s tourism industry. And the Ethiopian government seem to be paying attention to the celebration.
Claire A Davies @dispatchesfrom1 November 18, 2019
On first impression Lalibela seems an unlikely place for the place Ethiopian’s call the Eighth Wonder of the world. The road from the airport snakes through a patchwork of yellow and brown fields crisscrossed by dry rivulets, sandwiched between the huge escarpments of the Lasta Mountains. This is the province of Wollo, 2500 metres above sea level and 650 kilometres north of Addis Ababa in the heart of the Ethiopian highlands. The existence of any settlement here seems like a miracle in itself in such a remote part of the world. People thresh straw by hand in the fields before the road finally turns to reveal the town: a series of houses clinging to the hillside, capped by tin roofs that sparkle in the intensity of the highland sun.
This biblical landscape is home of the famous complex of eleven monolithic churches carved directly from the rock, as well as a major pilgrimage site for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. Visiting here twenty years ago, my accommodation was not much more luxurious than a stable. Nowadays visitors are spoiled for choice of modern hotels catering to all tastes and standards of comfort. I check into a room with a big comfy double bed and a panoramic terrace view of the mountains to die for, before engaging a guide (essential), Asnak, to visit the church compound.
Bete Ghiorghis, Lalibela. Photo credit : Claire A Davies
We entered the complex right in the centre of town, with herds of goats scuffling at our heels. After paying the $50 entrance fee, I remove my shoes (obligatory) and then hand them over to an ancient, crumpled looking man who has appointed himself as my shoe bearer for the afternoon. Lalibela is a UNESCO World Heritage Site but a place of religion foremost and so it is rightly expected for visitors to be respectful of Orthodox traditions.
The complex unfolds itself as a series of eleven churches, linked by tunnels, channels and alleyways, all carved directly from the rocky mountainside. Asnake leads me through, as I try to hold onto the rocky walls in the uneven channels. Pilgrims scurry through the passages, heads wrapped in white muslin shawls. Each passage twists and turns to finally reveal a church rising out of the rock. At the churches, people kneel in supplication or mutter prayers while kissing the walls and making the sign of the cross.
Asnake reminds me to give alms to the poor that reach out their hands but these are noticeably less in number than my last visit thanks to the rise of the country’s economy and the income that tourism brings.
The churches themselves have been fashioned by tunnelling vertically downwards to create square blocks of stone, hollowed out within to create the church itself. Inside, priests with serious expressions whisk back red velvet curtains to reveal glinting silver crosses and scripture books in the ancient language of Ge’ez used by the clergy. Ceremonial umbrellas threaded with gold are unfurled for my inspection and approval. Asnak illuminates the gloom with his torch, pointing out faces of angels and religious scenes painted hundreds of years ago.
Outside, the sunlight of the small courtyards is blinding after the inner gloom. Despite the preponderance of new hotels, there are still more pilgrims than tourists and the atmosphere is still fervently religious rather than being overwhelmed by tour groups and cameras.
We visit each church in turn, crossing back and forth over the waterway known as the River Jordan that trickles through the site. Asnake explains to me that the churches were built in the 13th Century under King Lalibela. So the legend goes that when Lalibela was born, he was surrounded by a swarm of bees and thus his mother gave him his name which means ‘the bees recognise his sovereignty.’
Pilgrims to Lalibela. Photo credit : Claire A Davies
Lalibela, as king, wished to create a new Jerusalem in Ethiopia after Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem were halted by Muslim conquests. According to legend, the churches were completed in just 24 years although according to Asnak, one of the churches, the Beat Abba Libanos, was built within 24 hours by angels.
Lalibela’s most iconic church lies separate to the main group of churches. Beta Giorgis – the church of St George – is set in the earth, its roof carved from red volcanic tuff into a perfectly symmetrical cross and flush with the ground. The patch of land around is dotted with tukuls – tall cylindrical mud huts topped with thatched roofs. Beyond, there is a row of scrubby trees and then the hills fall away to the bowl of the valley before rising to the misty shape of an escarpment beyond.
We climb down a set of steep stairs to a narrow entrance tunnel pitted with holes (“the hoof prints of St George,’ said Asnake). A hole in the wall is filled with the rubble of the human bones of a saint. Outside we enter a shaft of sunlight and then up the uneven steps into the gloom of the church. Inside, it smelled of incense and dust, of something incredibly old.
Asnak points out a box, saying it contained the bones of King Lalibela himself. “Now you have seen everything,” he whispered. “You will enter the Kingdom of God.” In a place like Lalibela, it is easy to believe him.
Claire A Davies writes about Ethiopia in the following website : www.dispatchesfromethiopia.com
Claire A Davies Follow the writer on twitter : @dispatchesfrom1 borkena November 26, 2019
First impressions of Gondar give a sentinel moment: a vision of a town poured into the bowl of a valley crowned by the ridges and escarpments of the Simien Mountains. It was easy to see why Emperor Fasilidas had decided to settle his nomadic army here back in the 16th Century.
This remote highland town reigned as Ethiopia’s capital for almost three hundred years under the thousand year dynasty of Emperors descended from King Solomon. Gondar signified a highly strategic location. Contained by mountains on three sides, it has far-reaching views towards Lake Tana and was close to trading routes to Port Sudan and Massawa. There was also access to water tumbling down from the Simien mountains into the Angereb river. Successive generations of rulers expanded the original castle until the 19th Century when Gondar fell into decline as a centre of rule.
While many royal buildings remain, elements of history still run through the atmosphere of the town. People walk upright, a certain pride running through their blood. Modernisation has meant an influx of new buildings, in contrast to people who still cling to traditional ways of life, driving sheep across the road or pedalling ancient sewing machines in shop doorways.
The town’s lively streets mean that the place has a certain reputation amongst other Ethiopians as being somewhat wild or remote. This translates to a place of curious, friendly and somewhat cheeky people with a profound sense of identity.
Find someone to take you under their wing (there is no shortage of offers) to show you the main tourist sites but also to explore beneath the surface. Many people just pass through for a night on their way to trek the Simien Mountains but Gondar is well worth three days to explore, in fact it needs time to allow the atmosphere to sink in and appreciate the place.
What to see
Piassamarks the centre of town. This three-road intersection is crowned with a statue of Emperor Fasil himself, only a stones’ throw away from his palace.
The Piassa itself is interesting both for its Italianate architecture, and for observing the bustle of daily life from shoe shiners, hawkers and the distinctive blue bajaj (tuk-tuks) circling around. Gondar was occupied, briefly, by the Italians in the years 1936 until 1941, who even made it their own capital, before the rebellious Gondaray drove them out.
Mussolini had grand visions for Gondar, desiring to make it “a civilisation worth of Rome”. Thus, the town still contains many buildings in the fascist style, built to reflect the absolute authority and order which Mussolini wished to imposed. The huge, flat fronted façade of the post office, still dominates,however the overall effect of these buildings is softened by an ochre wash creating a sense of warmth.
The Royal Enclosure is just a few minutes away from Piassa. Surrounded by jacaranda trees, the large walled grassy compound contains seven different castles, each built by successive kings and each with a variation of styles according to the external influences of the times. Moorish, Portuguese and Indian influences are visible amongst the domed towers, arched windows and crenellated walls.
The compound itself contains twelve gates to signify the twelve apostles as well as churches and banqueting halls.
A visit to the whole castle compound can take a half or full day depending on your level of interest.
Photo credit : Claire A Davies
Debre Birhan is one of Ethiopia’s most famous churches. According to legend, Gondar was once raided by dervishes from Sudan. Destroying all the churches in their path, the dervishes were repelled by the power radiating from Debre Birhan, thus the church is reputed to have special religious power.
The church grounds are extremely peaceful to visit, the silence only broken by the sound of turtle doves and people uttering prayers in the shade of juniper and olive trees.
Inside, the inner chamber, guarded by watchful priests, holds the famous ceiling painted with Ethiopian angels, looking down on the faithful. It is said that each angel is looking in a different direction so that they might see all over the world.
Fasilidas’ Baths is a short bajaj ride away from the centre of town. A large pool lies empty most of the year but it’s still a pleasant spot to wander around and scramble over giant tree roots. Once a year, the baths are filled with water for the festival of Timkat or Ephiphany, when the whole city fills with pilgrims dressed in white (as well as tourists).
Qusquam’s Palace is in the countryside just outside of town, reached by a cobbled road. Built as the home and church of the influential Queen Mentewab, the palace was partially destroyed by Sudanese invaders in the 1800s but rebuilt by Emperor Haile Selassie.
An ancient gatekeeper will hand write your entrance ticket like a scribe.You can still see the queen’s huge bed made with leather straps and a glass topped coffin containing her bones.
The newly-opened castle of Ras Ghimb also now hosts a small museum in the centre of town, although it has a gruesome more recently history as being one of the torture chambers of the Derg regime.
Getting there
Gondar is just one hour by air from Addis (flights at least daily with Ethiopian airlines) or else 1 day by road via private air-con buses. If you have time, hire a driver and stop to appreciate the 2500 metre gorge spanning the Blue Nile en route.
Addis Abeba is a city of contradictions. The construction boom has bought luxury hotels but some of the atmospheric villas left after the Italian occupation are being razed in the name of progress. In many ways, there’s an urgency to visit now, when you can take advantage of the new and easier lifestyle while still appreciating the old city which definitely has a soul.
Addis Abeba itself means ‘New Flower’, christened when Empress Taitu settled here in 1886, taking advantage of the eucalyptus trees for wood and the hot springs as well as the churches on Mount Entoto to pray.
Rapid growth now means a population thought to be around 4 million. At times, flowers, seem in short supply but the surrounding mountains make a fine view as they glow purple at twilight. Recently, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced plans for several landscaped parks with completion planned within 3 years.
With a little local knowledge, you can easily fill a week with things to do.
Street life
Cafe life is integral to the way of life, with an abundance of coffee and pastry shops. Choose a window or outdoor spot to watch the to-and-fro of city life. Daring shepherds boldly herd flocks of sheep across busy roads, women balance loads on their heads and busboys shout out the destinations of the distinctive blue minibuses as they compete for passengers.
The ancient blue and white Lada taxis are due to be phased out but for now, these and the Volkswagen Beetles, give the streets a vintage air.
Street style ranges from the traditional long white muslin shawls known as nutellas or impossibly tight jeans and platform heels with mobile phones glued to ears.
Yejebena Buna (pot coffee)Arat Killo area in Addis Ababa. Photo : Dimetros Birku @dimetros
Eat
Ethiopia’s cuisine is a huge part of the national identity. The giant grey discs of fermented injera bread may need a process of acclimatisation but once the addiction hits, you somehow can’t stop eating.
Injera is served on large communal plates with bubbling stews of meat or pulses turned dark red with spices.
Some of the best cooking is often at more humble dwellings but if you want to cut your teeth somewhere comfortable then the upmarket Kategna has a vast manu. For something cheaper and more traditional, ask someone to take you to The Addis Ababa, where you can enjoy the honeymead tej with a somewhat raucous crowd.
If you need a break from injera then there are plenty of international restaurants including French, Chinese and Lebanese. The Italian occupation has left Ethiopians highly proficient in pasta and pizza which can be found on every corner.
Finish with three tiny cups of traditional coffee, hand roasted and ground in front of you or an espresso shot from the coffee bars. Coffee is just as good from the small-scale brewers who simply pitch a stool and charcoal stove at street level.
Unity Park
Emperor Menelik’s former palace and gardens are newly opened to the public following a $1.8 million dollar renovation project. Visitors can see a myriad of historical buildings built by successive kings, as well as 40 hectares of gardens.
The site also features a sculpture garden representing the different federal states of Ethiopia and there are reported plans for a zoo.
National Museums
North of the city centre, the National Museum of Ethiopia contains items of symbolic national importance including the black and gold ceremonial robes of the former royal families and ‘Lucy’, the 3.2 million-year-old bones of the oldest human found to date in the Afar region of the country. The original bones are kept in a safe but a replica is on display.
Nearby, the Ethnological Museum gives a taste of the breadth and depth of Ethiopia’s ethnic diversity and is hosted in a former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Go running
Ethiopia holds the baton when it comes to creating world-class long-distance runners. Four times a world champion, national hero Haile Gebre Selassie now organises The Great Ethiopian Run 10K run which takes place every November.
If that sounds too strenuous, rise at dawn to join people on the steps of Meskel Square limbering up before their early morning jobg. Buy one of the red, yellow and green national tracksuits if you want to look good.
Listen to Jazz
Ethiopia has a rich heritage of distinctive musical genres, one of which is Ethio Jazz: a fusion of modern jazz with the traditional, pentatonic tunes.
Stars such as Mulatu Astatke perform all over the world but you can catch him in person at more intimate venues such as the African Jazz Village at the Ghion Hotel.
Other venues include Mama’s Kitchen in Bole or Fendika Cultural Centre in Kasanchis which also shows traditional Azmari’s with their cheeky poems set to the music of the one-stringed masinko.
Art
Art ranges from traditional to the more contemporary and experimental. Enthusiasts can t buy excellent paintings at relatively cheap prices.
Makush is popular with tourists and has a restaurant attached.
For more individual works, ask someone to take you to Lela Gallery (phone owner Lily for directions) or Guramayne north of Piassa, just off a side road from the Ras Mekonnen Bridge. There is a working artists’ studio beneath the gallery.
For serious antique shopping, St George’s Gallery just down from the Sheraton is full of rare and beautiful objects.
Places to stay
Ethiopian Airlines have recently opened the luxurious Skylight Hotel right opposite the airport to compete with The Sheraton in the luxury category.
Middle end places include Harmony in Bole (which has a popular indoor swimming pool). Ababa’s Villa is somewhat out of the centre but is in an old royal palace full of antiques and objects d’art collected by the owner.
Mr Martin’s Cosy Place in Bole Sub City is popular with backpackers.
The staple bread injera is at the very heart of Ethiopian culture. It’s a bread like no other, more of a pancake, the size and shape of a small bicycle wheel. Usually served flat on a round plate with sauces on top, it can also be folded into triangles for transportation, cut and made into rolls or torn into pieces and mixed with strips of meat in a lunchbox.
Injera has a sour, fermented taste similar to hops. Its texture is spongy, all the better to soak up the spiced sauces and to be torn up into pieces and used as an eating implement.
Ethiopians cannot be without it and do not feel sufficiently full without injera at a meal. Pasta is popular since the Italian occupation but is often served on top of a plate of injera. Ethiopians sometimes scoop up a mouthful of food and feed it to someone else as an expression of love, the mouthful being known as a gorsha.
Separate Ethiopians from their injera and they mourn. Quite simply, injera is emotional.
Injera inspires a range of contradictory emotions to visitors. Tourists approach their first meal curiously and cautiously, eventually conceding a tolerance to the grey, flannel-like discs, a process that can eventually turn to love. Persistence is worthwhile. It’s like acclimatising to Ethiopia’s altitude: it feels strange at first but after a while, it feels good.
Injera comes from teff, probably the world’s smallest grain at just a millimetre in size. A recent attempt by a Dutch company to establish a patent on teff lead to a vigorous and successful campaign from Ethiopians to block this act of appropriation. One of the earliest plants to be farmed by man,teff is thought by scholars to have originated in Ethiopia somewhere between 1000 and 4000 BC although its exact origins remain unclear.
Grains come in white and dark (red) forms, thus there are pale (“white”) and dark forms of injera. Different grains are also mixed leading to shades in between known as sergenga. After harvesting, the grains are ground into flour and then fermented, a process which takes several days.The mixture is then poured into a large circular pan known as a mitad. Traditionally this is done over a fire although electric injera cookers are now in widespread use.
The real marvel of injera comes from its health benefits. Dark injera is felt to have the higher nutrient content although it is the paler form favoured by the rich. Teff is now sought after globally as a superfood thanks to its low glycaemic index, calcium and zinc content. It is also high in iron, a precious commodity in Ethiopia that can help alleviate the anaemia left by malarial attack. The grain is also gluten free, a global trend that Ethiopians have cottoned onto by advertising this to newcomers on billboards in the arrivals hall in Addis.
No wonder now that teff flour retails at £8 a kilo in the UK (about 10 US dollars), a price that shocks most Ethiopians. Luckily for the diaspora, Ethiopian Airlines has a generous 40 kg luggage allowance and so people simply full a suitcase with teff flour in Addis before flying back home.
While the health food world is making teff into muffins, porridge or waffles, the real benefits of teff come from eating it in Ethiopia. Teff does not ferment well abroad. Thus pure teff injera is rare outside of Ethiopia. Fermentation problems, time and expense, mean that other substances such as rice flour, wheat or sorghum are often added. Sometimes an injera eaten abroad may only contain a little teff (and perhaps even a little brown food colouring to make it appear authentic).
For the full benefit, injera needs to be enjoyed in country. As a fermented food, a daily regular dose of injera also assists maintaining a healthy balance of gut flora to ward troublesome bacteria away. Ethiopians will eat injera for breakfast, lunch and dinner but one serving a day should suffice for a visitor.
Claire A Davies blogs at www.dispatchesfromethiopia.com Follow her on Twitter : @dispatchesfrom1
Claire A Davies Twitter : @dispatchesfrom1 December 18, 2019
Ethiopia’s capital coffers plenty of entertainment but a day trip out of the city is an easy way to appreciate the diversity of the country’s terrain.
Most hotels can make the arrangements for a car and driver(it is virtually impossible to hire a vehicle for self-drive).
The more adventurous can brave the pre-dawn buses in the central Merkato (not a place for the faint-hearted in the hours of darkness). Once safely on board, people will be somewhat amused by the presence of a ferenji (foreigner, precisely Caucasian )but will be friendly and Ethiopian buses follow the rule of one seat per passenger.
Here are a few ideas for those needing light relief from city life:
Entoto
Strictly still part of Addis,this mountain just north of the city gives a glimpse into life in the highlands.The road snakes up through eucalyptus forests while people drive mules and women walk bent double from enormous loads of wood.The air here is cool.Concrete houses peter out to become dwellings of wood frames plastered with mud.
Entoto Mariam Church is a traditional Ethiopian Orthodox octagonal church where Emperor Menelik was crowned in 1882.
Opening times of the interior are limited to after morning services but there is a small museum dedicated to the Emperor and his wife Empress Taitu.It’s worth visiting just to wander around appreciate the peace and view the city in the valley bowl below.
On the way back,stop at Shiromeda,the main textile market for the city.
Entoto Beth Artisans
In another direction from the mountain, this social enterprise employs local women affected by HIV/AIDS. Previously most worked carrying wood for a dollar a day,they are now engaged in making jewellery from melted bullets and artillery casing.
It’s possible to tour the workshops(photos of the women not permitted) before visiting the shop which also sells woven baskets and leather goods.
Next door,the upmarket Muya sells high-end homewares such as bedspreads,pottery and cushions in an atmospheric old villa with polished wooden floors that once belonged to royalty.
Crater Lakes
Just 45 minutes drive south,the highlands end and turn into a cluster of lakes set in old volcanic craters. The town of Bishoftu (also still known by its old name of Debre Zeit) is unremarkable in itself but has a choice of lakeside hotels ranging from budget to luxury with pools and spas.
Boat trips and kayaking are possible as well as lakeside walks.Ethiopia has a staggering 857 species of birds and the lakes are good places to spot herons, grebes and hawks.
If birds don’t interest you,then the Kuriftu hotel chain has recently opened a water park complete with wave pool and boomerang slide.
Debre Libanos
Heading north again, the church at Debre Libanos is about 2 hours by car and set in an attractive steep wooded valley.The church is built on the bones of Tekle Haimanot, one of the most important Orthodox saints and is an ideal spot to appreciate the intensity of religious fervour that permeates Ethiopian culture.
Tekle Haimanot reportedly fasted for seven years while standing on one leg,sustained by a single seed a year fed to him by a bird.
While the church exterior is unremarkable(the original was destroyed by the Italians during occupation),the site is filled with the murmuring voices of pilgrims and those who come to drink the holy waters,thought to have healing powers. The interior of the church is particularly atmospheric, with sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows.
A priest will point out the sign at the entrance forbidding entry to menstruating women and those who have had sexual intercourse within the last 48 hours.
Nearby, you can visit Takle Haimanot’s cave (there are still monks and nuns living in the cliff caves).There is also a Portuguese Bridge with fine views over the gorge.
Look out for baboons, woodpecker and the majestic bird of prey, the Lammergeyer.
Ethiopian Cross. Photo : Claire A Davies
Menagesha National Forest
Travelling east this time,this national park is reached via the turn off from Sebeta.
Wooded trails lead through forests of redwood and juniper trees.Hiking to the top of Mount Wuchacha, a 3380 meters extinct volcano is possible. Wildlife species include the black and white colobus monkeys in the treetops, bushbucks and yellow-fronted parrots.
An alternative is the slightly closer Gullele Botanical Garden, kust outside of the city, off the road north towards Bahir Dar. A joint venture between the university and the city administration,the garden has collected hundreds of species of indigenous plants and more of a wild area than a formal botanical garden in the western sense.
Some projects such as the aviary are a work in progress but there are great views of the city and mountains beyond.
Tis Isat Fall, Ethiopia. Photo credit : Amhara region Tourism
Gayle Aggiss borkena December 20, 2019
In 2018, Ethiopia’s Travel & Tourism economy grew by 48.6%, more than any other country in the world.More and more travelers are discovering the secrets of this stunning location, and if you want to be one of them then you need to act fast.
Visit Ethiopia now, before everyone else learns how much it has to offer. Ethiopia has stunning scenery, a long history that’s etched into the culture and landscape, and a unique way of life.It offers the perfect combination of history, culture, food, and adventure for travelers who want to get off the beaten path and experience the best the world has to offer.Here’s why you should put Ethiopia at the top of your travel bucket list.
1. A New E-Visa
The government of Ethiopia has recently made it even easier for people to visit.Their new E-visa is available to everyone and eliminates the need for a trip to a consulate or embassy.You can complete the application for the visa online in just a couple of minutes.
During the application process,you’ll need to answer a few basic questions. Usually, you’ll get approval within 24 hours,though it can take up to 3 days. And once you’re approved,you’ll receive your E-Visa through email.The E-Visa allows a single entry and you can choose whether you want a 30- or 90-day visa.
Once you land in Addis Ababa Bole International Airport,all you have to do is present your E-Visa and passport at customs.
2. Complimentary City Tours
One of the best ways to get to know a new city is to take a tour.And now, Ethiopian Airlines is offering a complimentary city tour of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.
The tour is available for anyone who transits through Addis Ababa and has 6-8 hours to spare.It showcases the best the city has to offer,from the amazing landmarks to the National Museum and Ethiopian coffee-tasting. Basically, it’s an awesome reason to get a long layover in Addis Ababa. And it’s a great introduction to this fascinating country.
3. The Delicious Ethiopian Food
Let’s face it, one of the best things about traveling is trying all the different food. And Ethiopian food is worth the effort.You’ll find everything from raw meat to vegetarian dishes when you travel to Ethiopia and eating is a delightfully communal experience.Food is served on a common platter for everyone to share and this creates a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.
Ethiopian food. Credit : Claire A Davies
One of the most common foods you’ll encounter when visiting Ethiopia is Injera, a type of flatbread that’s used to scoop up other foods.Just make sure you only scoop with your right hand or you may get some strange looks.
4. Amazing Hiking
Ethiopia is a land of contrasts.It boasts 70 percent of the mountains on the African continent and these contrast with lush green areas, endless plains, and enormous lakes.The land is incredibly beautiful and looks amazing in photographs. And the best way to see it is to explore on your own two feet.
One of the best places to hike in Ethiopia is the otherworldly Simien Mountains.This is where you’ll find primeval forests set against towering mountains and populated by strange creatures you won’t find anywhere else.You can take five- or ten-day treks through the mountains as well as shorter ones, and experience some of the most dramatic landscapes on earth.
Seminen Mountain. Photo credit: Amhara region Tourism
The Simien Mountains are in the far north of Ethiopia and must of them are protected as part of the Simien Mountains National Park.The dramatic landscape was created millions of years ago as a result of volcanic eruptions, and this has created a landscape that’s full of contrasts.
5. Ethiopia is the Birthplace of Coffee
If you enjoy your morning brew,then you must spend some time in Ethiopia.Legend has it that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia before being transported elsewhere.So, you probably owe your morning pick-me-up to this country.
To the Ethiopians, coffee is more than just a drink. It’s an excuse to be together,to have conversations and catch up with other people’s lives. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony reflects these goals and is an aromatic and welcoming ritual to take part in.
6. Amazing Wildlife
Ethiopia has some of the rarest and strangest creatures on earth.High in the mountains lives the Gelada Baboon, the world’s rarest ape.You could also catch sight of the endangered Ethiopian Wolf or Walia Ibex.
If you prefer the world’s feathered animals,then you’ll love going birdwatching in Ethiopia.There are 924 species of birds in Ethiopia, spread out amongst the wildlife preserves and natural areas.23 of these species are endemic to the country, so you won’t find them anywhere else outside of the zoo.So, while you’re in Ethiopia keep an eye out for Rouget’s Rail, the Blue-winged Goose, and the White-cheeked Turaco among others.
7. The Rich Religious History
Islam and Orthodox Christianity are the main religions in Ethiopia and have been practiced there for years.In fact,the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest churches in the world. But although this history is amazing,it’s the underground churches that really capture attention.And they’re just as astonishing and mind-boggling as all the stories about them claim.
Lalibela Church. Photo : Claire A Davis
Islam’s history goes back to the 6th century, to a time when the Muslims fled to Ethiopia to escape persecution.Both of these religions have a long history and great stories and monuments.And yet the most heart-warming and hopeful takeaway is the friendly relationship between the followers of these two religions in Ethiopia.
8. The Unique Ethiopian Culture
There are more than 80 ethnic groups and languages in Ethiopia.There are numerous tribes spread out all across the country, all of them with different customs and traditions.Many of these tribes still enjoy traditional lifestyles and can offer a rare chance for you to experience these different ways of life. And the more time you spend in Ethiopia the more you will appreciate all these differences.
You can learn more about these cultures by taking part in some of the amazing festivals in Ethiopia.They range from religious festivals like Meskel and Timket to the Adwa celebration, a national remembrance day where the whole country celebrates Ethiopia’s victory over an invading army in the late 1800s. Being a part of these festivals is a good way to get to know the local cultures and customs and start to understand what makes Ethiopia unique.
When you travel around Ethiopia,you will probably feel as if you’re moving through different countries,that’s how diverse the cultures are.And this melting pot of cultures will make your visit that much more rich and vivid.
9. A Very Long History
Ethiopia’s history goes back millions of years.It was in this country that Lucy was found, a skeleton of one of the earliest human ancestors.The fossil is around 3.2 million years old and is kept in Ethiopia’s National Museum. It’s just one piece of evidence that suggests that Ethiopia is the birthplace of mankind.And you’ll get to experience that history when you visit Ethiopia.
Another piece of evidence was found in the village of Hadar in Ethiopia. Called Selam,it’s a fossil that dates back around 3.3 million years.The fossil is the skeleton of a child of the human lineage and the mostly intact skull gave researchers important insights into this early version of mankind. There are also ongoing digs in the lower Awash and Omo valleys, where there are paleontological sites that are registered by UNESCO.
The Takeaway
It isn’t often that you get to experience the history of mankind or spend some time in the place where life began.And that’s just the start of what you’ll experience when you travel to Ethiopia.So, be part of the first wave of explorers to experience this amazing country and get there before the crowds do.
There is something special about Ethiopia’s lakeside resort city Bahir Dar. Travel blogger Claire A Davis shares her experience about it.
Bahir Dar Streets. Photo : Claire A Davies
Claire A Davies December 29, 2019
Bahir Dar has always had a holiday kind of feel: a place where people gravitate seeking walks on the shores of Lake Tana or to sip freshly squeezed mango juice overlooking the wide, palm fringed boulevards.The heat and humidity give a tropical feeling to the town,a welcome contrast to the cold nights of Addis Ababa and the highlands.
Long a favourite place of many Ethiopians,the town has recently welcomed a new wave of lakeside resorts and spas making it even easier to relax.
The original lakeside hotel, the Ghion,with its huge gardens is now closed, but with a new Radisson Blu hotel planned,the town is firmly on the tourist map.
You can do nothing except relax and drink coffee at the ambient Wude Coffee or along the lakeshore but there are plenty of things to do.
Lakeside walks
Evenings are the best time for promenade along the shore of Lake Tana. The path is shaded by enormous Sycamore Figs with giant tree trunks to scramble over. There is a good spot to see pelicans.
At the eastern end the Desset Lodge is one of the best places to try local fish by the lake with its large open gardens extending down to the waters and shaded pagoda extending down to the waters.
Boat trips on Lake Tana
Most hotels will arrange an outing in a launch to see the lake’s wildlife.Early morning gives the best chance of spotting hippos as well as more pelicans, waders and majestic Fish Eagles.
The lake is a serene spot where fishermen still row back and forth in papyrus boats as if still in biblical scenes.Your boatman can show you the source of the Blue Nile a reedy backwater not impressive in itself but you can tick it off your bucket list.
Monastery painting Lake Tana. Photo : Claire A Davies
Monasteries on the lake
Lake Tana hosts a network of monasteries of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on its small islands.Originally created many centuries ago, the islands were chosen in order to hide away the religious treasures of the church. Nowadays, it’s easy to arrange boat trips to most of the island monasteries as well as those on the Zagwe Peninsula.
Note that some monasteries are not open to women.
The church also champions conservation on the islands which remain wooded peaceful spots.It’s possible to see monkeys in some places and there are nice walks even if churches aren’t your interest.
Some of the churches are like museums in their own right with ancient parchment and walls decorated with religious paintings.
One island is home to the mummified remains of several members ofEthiopia’s royal dynasty including Emperor Fasilidas, founder of Gondar.
Blue Nile Falls
The Blue Nile tumbles over cliffs in quadruple jets that throw off spray and creating shimmering rainbows in the mist. It’s the width of the falls at 400 metres that makes them impressive as well as the amount of spray thrown up in the air – locals call it Tis Isat or Tis Abay – meaning ‘The Water that Smokes.’
Unfortunately,the falls have been somewhat diminished in recent years by the diversion of water to hydroelectric plants.The current situation is now more of a trickle at times, however the water levels are still impressive during and after the rainy season and depending on whether the hydroelectric plants are ‘on.’
When in full tilt, it’s momentous sight to stand and listen to the roar of the water thundering into the pools and feel the spray on your face.
Where to stay
Spa hotels include the modern Unison Hotel or the Kuriftu Resort which has a pool and attractive lodges in a tropical garden setting.
B & B The Annex is a guesthouse with just 3 rooms individually decorated in traditional Ethiopian style.
Radisson Blu are opening a 125 room hotel in 2021.
Getting there and away
Bahir Dar is an hour from Addis by plane (now several flights daily).
Otherwise go by road (8 hours) and see the 1 km deep Blue Nile Gorge
Harar is the spiritual centre of Ethiopia’s Muslim community, the fourth most important Islamic city in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This walled city is reached via road from Dire Dawa, in the dry, eastern part of Ethiopia.The road climbs from the plains through low hills dotted with houses painted dusky pink or green.The land is lush, the fields yielding coffee, mangoes and maize.
Finally, Harar appears, with its old stone arched gates and thick city walls reminiscent of the medinas of Morocco.For centuries it flourished with Islamic scholars and traders, attracting some notable characters in its time: Evelyn Waugh and the French poet Arthur Rimbaud, as well as the 19th Century explorer Richard Burton who likened it to Timbuktu.
Harar today,still holds appeal for the romantic adventurer.The old city is a place of winding alleyways with walls in whitewash or dusky pink; a Muslim island blown inland far from the paths of the Arab Dhows of the Indian Ocean.
The old city is a powerful place for the senses, with its uneven alleyways leading the visitor past shrines, mosques and painted doors.Women wear layered skirts dyed in bright colours. with scarves of yellow or cerise twisted around their heads like warriors.
In the market, Somalis brush robes with people of the Amhara, Afar, and Oromo people.The air smells of the over-ripe mangoes that burst open on the ground.Coffee and cloth are on sale; possibly even bullets and Kalashnikovs in the dark back rooms.
The serious business is the trading of the mildly narcotic leaves of quat which is exported to Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen.
Things to see
Harar’s atmosphere is the main draw: appreciate this by rambling through alone –it’s small enough not to get completely lost.Taking a guide will allow you to see the important shrines and religious sites, all surrounded by the ancient walls and the gates that kept invading armies at bay. 99 minarets punctuate the sky – visible from some hotel rooftops.
Otherwise there are several points of interest that make it worth a few days here.
Arthur Rimbaud’s House
Formerly the house of an Indian merchant, this grand building is striking from both inside and out thanks to its wooden carvings and stained glass windows.It’s unlikely that Rimbaud ever actually lived here (details of his actual residence are unclear),however it’s a fitting dwelling for his memory which speaks of wealth, exoticism and a life of abandonment.
The photographic details portray some of Rimbaud’s life and chronical the history of Harar.Serious enthusiasts of Rimbaud should consider getting hold of a copy of Somebody Else by Charles Nicholl which gives details of his time in Africa.
Incidentally,Rimbaud apparently failed to write any poetry during his 10 years in the city.
Sherif Harari City Museum
Set in a double-storied mansion this excellent museum houses a superb private collection of antique Islamic manuscripts, textiles, coins, jewellery and weaponry from the Harari, Oromo, Amhara, Gurage, Somali and Argobba ethnic groups as well as music recordings.
Traditional Harari House
Entered via a traditional carved wooden door,the houses have a split-level interior and are regarded by UNESCO as one of the most important features of the city’s heritage.
The houses are centred on a living room with walls hung with household items,notably the circular flat polychrome basket.Floors are painted red to symbolise the blood split in protecting the city in the past.
A handful of these houses now offer visitors the chance to experience traditional Harari living as a homestay or guesthouse.
Hyenas
Hararis have a strange relationship with these dangerous predators.A nightly spectacle takes place at two locations outside the city gates when the hyena feeders pass food directly to the animals by hand and even invite them to take food from their mouths.
Feeding Hyena in Harar. Photo source: Social Media ( Ethiopians Helping Ethiopians group on Facebook. Tedla Gebyehu posted it)
The origins of this spectacle are blurred.Some books claim that the nightly feeding of the animals has existed for only about fifty years in response to the influx of tourists.The more exotic version dates the ritual back to the famines of the nineteenth century when the hyenas were given meat in order to deter them from carrying off Hararis weakened by hunger.
Source : SM
The city walls were built with a series of holes especially for the hyenas. At night, the hyenas crept in,to lick the city streets clean.
Whatever the legend,seeing these vicious animals in close proximity at night,is quite a sight.
Getting there and away
Ethiopian Airlines fly from Addis to Dire Dawa. By road from Addis,the journey is approximately 12 hours.
A new train line has replaced the old metre gauge line from Addis to Djibouti via Dire Dawa.See www.seat61.com/Ethiopia.htm for details.
Drawing from her lived and travel experiences in Ethiopia, Claire A Davies shares trekking and hiking stories.
Landscape outside of Lalibela. Photo : Claire A Davis
borkena By Claire A Davies January 13, 2020
The peaks of the Simien Mountains stretched endlessly before me as vertical eruptions from the earth.The ravine below the escarpment ran two kilometres deep.This massif was sculpted by 30 million years of erosion and volcanic eruptions into a wonderland of jagged pinnacles and sheer precipices.
The wind gathered all its strength here, causing me to wobble backwards on my feet.This other-worldly place is Africa’s biggest mountain range. From the bizarre shape of the mountains, the freshness of the wind,the sporadic barefooted herdsmen cloaked in green we had encountered on the way up: this could only be Ethiopia.
From the highland town of Gondar, we had taken a car to Debark where we had hired a park guide, Getanet.He carried his rifle slung over both shoulders like a yolk. Apparently, this was to protect us against bandits or shiftas and the prospect of attacks from baboons.The car dropped us a few miles up into the mountains, along the dirt track.The land grew only the thinnest grass and the tough leaves of alpine succulents.Here and there there were spikes of giant lobelia that looked more suited to growing on the moon.I grumbled that we had left it too late to hire a porter for my rucksack.Out of nowhere, a purple-cloaked man appeared.“Mesresha”, said the man smiling and gesturing at himself and then my bag.He gave my rucksack a pointed look,indicating his dim view of such an item, before hoisting it onto his shoulders.
The walk to the camp at Geech took the few remaining hours of daylight. Mesresha surged ahead up and down the steep slopes, striding out in his plastic sandals. Getanet followed, rifle slung behind his neck. Finally there was me, my boots tripping on the rocks and my mouth gasping at the thin air. By now, we were high on the Simien plateau, heading towards the edge of a massive escarpment.The landscape was a series of folds, hills that were low but steep and a succession of sharp-sided ravines.
The hut at Geech was more akin to a stable, with two rooms, one containing the ashes of many fires and the other with a stone shelf above the floor. I pitched my tent outside.It was around 5 pm and the daylight was already fading and so we headed upwards take in the view, Getanet springing ahead as if this was his first chance ever to see it, Jude, my boyfriend, in the middle and me, almost at crawling pace now.
The escarpment lip had looked near but turned out to be a forty five minute scramble uphill,broken at frequent intervals by my collapsing onto rocks. The land was dotted with boulders from the volcanic eruptions of the past.
Across the plateau came a sound, a single note – a high, distant sound that was nevertheless clear..I thought at first it was a bird, but then I saw the ground moving in the distance as a cattle herd crossed the land followed by a shepherd.There was another sound, then another, a collection of hollow, human voices that floated across the plateau like the note of a flute, a sound as pure as the mountain air.Other shepherds appeared with their herds, a synchronised calling of the time to return to a distant village.
Finally, we reached the edge.Below us, the sharp peaks rose up like broken teeth. The sun’s rays of the sun formed slats of silver-grey light through the clouds.The valleys beneath were already darkening.It was easy to imagine we were on the lip of a great mouth where we could be entirely swallowed by the earth.
A bird dropped off the cliff, making a vertical dive, before spreading its seven foot wings in the air,its size. It glided on the wind along the cliffs, unhurried and with ease.
‘Lammergeyer,’ said Getanet.
We watched in silence as the lammergeyer circled on the breeze.At that moment it seemed a metaphor for everything in Ethiopia: the perfection of the earth and the sky, the grace of this giant bird and us, always, the aliens in the landscape.
Practical details
The Simien Mountains are by far the most well known hiking spot in Ethiopia. While still the first choice for most visitors, parts of the trail are now busier in peak seasons.The advance of tourism and infrastructure has however, expanded the options as well as the choice of comfort level.Here are a few ideas for hiking below:
Tigray
Tigray province, at the very north of the country, while lower and drier than the Simiens, now offers the opportunity for hiking through organised treks via various companies.The landscape here is slightly drier than the Simiens, the red sandstone mountains lower but still spectacular.Highlights here are the vertiginous ascents to some of the rock churches, set at great heights supposedly so the Orthodox priests can be closer to God.Eritrea can be glimpsed from some points – simply more mysterious peaks in the distance.
A Priest Climbs into a rock church in Tigray, North Ethiopia. Photo : Claire
Lalibela
The Lasta Mountains of Wollo around Lalibela are another series of escarpments and peaks, again a slightly gentler but still stunning terrain. Treks are available lasting several days and including village stays to learn about the way of life.Several companies advertise themselves as promoting tourism that directly benefits sustainability and development of the local community.
The mountains also contain numerous medieval monasteries and rock churches including Yemrahana Kristos,notable for its striking construction of wood beams and plastered stone.
For a taster,the rock church at Asheton Maryam sits directly overlooking Lalibela town and can be reached by an ascent of approximately 3 to 4 hours.
Simien Mountains
Still the classic trek for visitors, the park contains Ethiopia’s highest peak, Ras Dashen, at 4550 metres.Treks can be arranged easily from nearby Gondar, lasting anything from one night to a minimum of 5 days to include Ras Dashen.Other highlights include the 3900m promontory at Imet Gogo and huge troops of gelada baboons. Accommodation is in simple huts at designated camps.
The luxury Limalamo Lodge is set right in the park with stunning views.
Bale Mountains
This southern mountain range contains Ethiopia’s second highest peak, Mount Tullo Deemtu, at 4377 m.The park contains 5 different types of habitat from grasslands,juniper woodlands, afro alpine meadows and the dense Harenna forest with its giant fig trees.
Wildlife here includes nyala, babbon, warthog, colobus monkey and bushbuck as well as teeming birdlife.The Hareena forest is home for an ancient community of beekeepers who uphold a traditional method of creating hives from the hollowed out trunks of dead trees.
Bale Mountain Lodge within the park is a boutique hotel and eco lodge. Generating its electricity from a micro hydro power plant,the lodge’s guest rooms each contain a wood burning stove.
Travel writer Claire A Davies picked the following as top five Ethiopian Festivals. This informative article came just in time before Timkat celebration which is happening on Sunday January 19, 2020.
Timkat celebration. Photo credit : Ethiopian Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage via ENA
borkena By Claire A Davies January 18, 2020
Ethiopia’s rich heritage of festivals are one of the best ways to appreciate the country’s strong sense of culture and identity. Ethiopians tend to be excitable when it comes to having a party, with streams of people in the white traditional white dress jostling in the streets as they run side by side to sing and chant.
While crowds may seem overwhelming initially, it’s best to join in and go with the flow. The joyful atmosphere is highly infectious,the pace fast,the rhythm relentless and liable to have you becoming one and part of the crowd.
Most celebrations centre around religious beliefs. Although there may be a festival air,the mood of Ethiopians is also highly reverential of the festivals of their Orthodox Church.These elements can stir the emotions of the most hardened atheist.At these times, it’s easy to become swept along in the belief of many Ethiopians that they were God’s Chosen People and that Christianity, and indeed, mankind itself, all began right here.
The metropolis of Addis Ababa may be the beating heart of Ethiopia but the best places for festivals are around the country.
Timkat
This three day celebration marks Epiphany and the baptism of Christ.The highlight of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for locals,it is also easily the most inspiring event for visitors.Priests and worshippers dance and chant in the streets carrying replicas of the tabot (Ark of Covenant)that sit on the altar of every church.
Ethiopians believe that the true Ark of Covenant rests in the town of Aksum in the far north,however Timkat is most memorable in Gondar,where the hilly streets overflow with crowds of worshippers swathed in the white muslin robes.
Splashes of colour come from priest’s ceremonial parasols as the processions from each of Gondar’s 44 churches converge on the city centre. The combination of singing, chanting, drums and sistrums all echoing off Gondar’s surrounding mountain escarpments, make for an ethereal experience.
Timkat concludes with an all-night candlelit vigil at the 17th centre stone complex,Fasilias Baths.In the morning priests baptise the tabots in the water of the baths,following which the crowds dive into the pools shouting, splashing and chanting with joy.
Timkat takes place in late January.
Genna
Falling in early January in the Western calendar (Ethiopia follows its own calendar, the Julian system),Genna is the Orthodox Christmas.Genna is strictly a religious experience- you won’t find people exchanging gifts or piles of wrapping paper in the shops.
The highland town of Lalibela is the highlight for Genna. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to a huge complex of churches carved directly into the mountain rock, hundreds of years old and reportedly built in a day by angels according to Orthodox believers.
Genna is marked by late-night services performed by priests singing centuries old hymns in the ancient language of Ge’ez use by the church. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather to watch the ceremony,all swathed in white.Set against the remote landscape of the Lasta mountains, the religious fervour felt by Ethiopians reverberates everywhere.
A light meal is taken at daybreak to mark the end of 40 days of fasting followed by a rich red spicy chicken stew known as doro wat– topped with an egg.A game similar to hockey– also known as genna is played in the afternoon.
Date: around 7th of January
Irrecha
The end of the rainy season heralds the celebration of Ireecha,the Oromo people’s gathering to mark the passing of dark to night and to give thanks to Waaqa or God.The biggest celebrations take place in Bishoftu just one hour’s drive from Addis where the crater lakes are seen as sacred.
More recently,Ireecha has been celebrated peacefully in Addis Ababa – despite security concerns following tension between ethnic groups in recent years.
Large crowds and processions form in the streets in traditional white clothing striped with bright colours.Oromo cultural dancing is also part of the scene as well as people sprinkling themselves with sacred water and holding tufts of green grass up to thank God.
Enkutatash
Ethiopian ‘new year’ takes place in the month of Meskerem, around September time,following the cessation of three months of heavy rain. Clear sunny days illuminate the fresh coat of green covering the highlands.
“Enkutatash” means ‘gift of jewels’. According to the Orthodox Bible,The Kebra Negast,Queen Sheba was an Ethiopian women. Travelling to King Solomon, she gave to him large amounts of gold and jewels.On return, her chiefs welcomed her with further jewels to replenish her treasury.
The holiday period lasts about a week, during which time people visit family, attend church and carry torches on the eve of Enkutatash itself. On the day, people slaughter sheep and hold feasts, usually within the family homes.
Meskel
The long rains finally cease around September time and the highlands bloom with the distinctive yellow meskel flower – rather like large daisies.
At this time, the Orthodox Church commemorates the discovery of the True Cross.Priests gather under glittering ceremonial parasols,surrounding replicas of the cross set on wood pyres which are then set on fire.
Depending on which way the cross falls,this traditionally heralds whether it will be a lucky year ahead.
Best place for Meskel: Meskel Square in Addis Ababa.
Tips
Timkat in Gondar is particularly popular so make sure you book your accommodation ahead of time.Lalibela hotels are also likely to fill up for Genna.
Follow Claire A Davies on Twitter : @dispatchesfrom1
Just returning from a trip to Ethiopia, Claire A Davies shares her views about Addis Ababa’s top five luxury hotels
Hilton Hotel Lunch Buffet . Photo : Claire Davis
borkena February 14, 2020
New investment and infrastructure has led to an influx of luxury hotels in Ethiopia. Many well-known top-end brands are now established in the capital.
Spas, pools and cocktail bars are now easy to find for visitors who want to feel at home after sightseeing and the bustle of the city.
While prices may be high, some research and booking ahead may find you a double room at The Hilton from around $160 USD per night.
Purists might argue that these hotels are not ‘the real Ethiopia’. While this might have been true in the past, the country’s growing middle and upper class are very much present themselves at this end of the market.
Here are five of the best:
The Sheraton
The longstanding jewel in the crown, The Sheraton was created by Ethiopian businessman Mohammed al-Amoudi as a way of promoting the country’s image, saying he was ‘investing with his heart.’
With 293 rooms, the hotel also features a number of private villas and has hosted celebrities such as Rhianna and Tony Blair in its time.
Sheraton Hotel lobby, Addis Ababa
Fountains in the marble foyer soothe the most weary head after the full-on personality of the city streets. The three-sided façade consists of balconied rooms facing a graceful central waterway where Ethiopian newlyweds pose for photographers.
Beyond this, the grounds extend to rose gardens, pavilions and a swimming pool with a shallow end for children. Waters are heated (some swimming pools in Ethiopia are cold).
If staying here is too much to contemplate, go for the Sunday buffet at Summerfield’s restaurant and watch wispy model types. Service from the Ethiopian staff is up there with the best of anywhere in the world in the five star category.
Key feature: an Ethiopian high tea in the fountain court
The Hilton
An architectural icon and second in place to The Sheraton, this twelve storey building was designed with a series of double notches that echo the windows of rock churches in Lalibela.
A panel of artwork by Ethio-Armenian artist Alexander Boghossian greets visitors as you enter the lobby. Beyond this, the reception area contains a coffee shop and cocktail bar – a popular meeting point for residents, politicians and business people.
Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa
The foyer design also features the famous Ethiopian cross.
Facilities include tennis and basketball courts, shopping arcade and children’s playground. The poolside restaurant holds a very popular barbeque for Sunday lunch.
Key feature: the cross-shaped spring water pool
The Hyatt Regency
Situated just by Meskel Square, this recently-opened branch of the international chain makes a statement with its gleaming white façade.
Set around a central courtyard, the building contains several restaurants, coffee shop, business centre, gym and a spa. At the time of writing, work was being completed on a central water feature.
The Hyatt Regency,
The lobby is one of the most modern in the city and another popular meeting area thanks to the coffee shop and exceptional pastries.
Key feature: the upper level contains an infinity pool.
Skylight Hotel
Ethiopian Airlines first venture into the hotel business is the latest arrival at the top end of the scene.
Skylight Hotel, Addis Ababa
Situated 5 minutes from Bole International Airport, the hotel’s 373 rooms claim to be soundproofed against passing planes. Rooms contain rain showers as well as the usual bathroom facilities expected at this end of the range.
Guests can make use of the rooftop bar, gym, swimming pool and a choice of 4 different restaurants. Taem Cultural Restaurant includes Ethiopian music and dancing.
Key feature: Taichi Chinese Restaurant claims to be the biggest Chinese restaurant in East Africa
The Marriot
Another international chain hotel, The Marriot is actually an apart hotel.
Dining options include Pepper and Spice Restaurant or eating around the swimming pool. There is also a gym and spa.
Rooms include work spaces and fully equipped modern kitchens.
The Marriot has a somewhat more functional feel than say, the grand entrances of The Hilton or The Sheraton and can feel a little claustrophobic after a while. Nevertheless, an excellent choice for those with young children who need the kitchen facilities.
Can’t afford any of these?
All hotels accept visitors for bars and dining. Most will sell day passes for the pools (although not cheap). A day pass for The Hilton Pool was 600 birr per person as of January 2020.
In Travel in Ethiopia with Kids, Claire A Davies shares her travel experience with her four years old son. From Jet lag to food, among others, could be a challenge but suggests ways to overcome it.
Credit : Claire Davis
Claire A Davies borkena February 24, 2020
Three weeks ago I was sitting on the balcony in a tropical garden in Ethiopia. The weather was gently sunny, parakeets were tweeting in the trees and troupes of monkeys were swinging back and forth providing entertainment. It should have been paradise but all three of us were miserable. I was ready to go into town to Ethiopian Airlines and book our flight home. Two spells of living in this country, and numerous short trips have meant that we had faced various obstacles: sickness, political instability, accidents, internet blockades, civil unrest but seriously, a persistently jet lagged and grumpy four-year-old was the thing that was going to break us.
Whose ridiculous idea was this anyway, you ask? Our boy was adopted from Ethiopia and we wanted him to have a positive view of his birth land and form connections with the people.
In our moment of misery in the tropical paradise, we had to seriously rethink how we were doing this holiday. We were on the kind of steep parenting learning curve equivalent to trying to walk up a ski slope. Nevertheless we managed to pull everything together, make a new plan and come back happy and with memories of a trip that ended up working for everyone.
Here a few of the discovery points (I suspect any parents reading knew these already but read on).
Jet lag
This caused huge problems of dysregulation, hunger cries immediately after breakfast and sleep issues even though the time difference was just three hours. We made a beginner’s mistake of taking the day flight from London to Addis. Apparently, all parents know that children do much better on night flights. We found that out the the day before.
After a night flight back home, our son was back in school 24 hours later, no problem.
Things to do
This turned out to be more like ‘things not to do’. Trying to do too much added to general grumpiness and fatigue. At the end of week one, our son announced he did not like moving hotels. He had had enough of going outside. Addis can be seriously full-on with pollution, traffic and hawkers circling the car. Spending more down time in the hotel was seriously helpful.
Entertainment was the same as kids want anywhere: there are plenty of pools in Addis, the Kuriftu Resort pool in Bahir Dar and the Haile Resort in Gondar. The Haile Resort also had an excellent playground.
We spotted monkeys in the hotel and hippos on the lake in Bahir Dar. Aside from that, he enjoyed spotting different forms of transport (donkeys, horse and cart, tuk tuks), picking up extra large sticks, climbing on statues, riding in taxis, kicking footballs around with other kids, sitting on the motorbikes of a tour group and, err….watching the ipad.
Taking several flights with Ethiopian Airlines was a huge highlight and something he still talks about.
People
Ethiopians were universally warm and friendly towards our son. May I add that many were extremely gracious when he responded to their kind comments with ‘bum bum’ or something equally rude. The worst was when this would happen in the hotel lift – probably best to take the stairs and avoid embarrassment.
Playing with our Ethiopian friend’s children was fantastic – just throw them a ball and let them play football, the universal language.
Food
Local food can be very child friendly – if you can make yourself understood. Luckily our son likes a lot of Ethiopian food, however pasta with tomato sauce and pizza are very common.
The key is to ask for everything ‘alicha’ or non-spicy. You can’t place too much emphasis on this. Otherwise the chef will be like, ‘just a teaspoon or so of something to liven it up.’ Say ‘betam alicha’ and wave hands to emphasise.
At the end of the day, Ethiopians again stepped forward graciously when we had to send a few fiery dishes back to the kitchen.
Breakfast is usually toast, omelette or fruit. No-one minded when we bought our own Ugandan version of coco pops in the supermarket and brought it into the hotel restaurant.
Safety
Thirteen people die in road accidents every day in Ethiopia. Seatbelts have only recently become compulsory for front passengers, however finding rear seatbelts is a problem. Child car seats are almost unheard of.
We took the Bubble Bum inflatable child booster seat. This worked well – providing we could find a car with rear seat belts. Lots of taxis seemed to be without these or else they were wedged down between the back seats.
Best to find a car with the rear belts and stick to that one – or else hold them on your lap and live with a bad case of mom guilt.
Hotels
You do not have to fork out for a hotel with pool. Most will allow you to use the pool with a day pass. Some of these are expensive (800 birr per person at The Hyatt in Addis) but Harmony Hotel pool was only 250 birr and a good place to meet local kids. Zeist Lodge in the Bole Rwanda area of Addis has a nice outdoor area and was a great place just to sit and play games, have ‘quiet time’ and play with the lovely hotel staff.
Other activities
There were lots of things we didn’t have time to do. Kuriftu has a water park at Bishoftu just south of Addis. There’s a children’s playzone at Edna Mall centre in the Bole district of Addis. This includes a playground for small children and numerous other attractions such as mini racing cars.
Older children might be more interested in the historical sites. We did not visit the Unity Park but apparently there are numerous attractions of interest to small children including things to scramble over and some lions. Plans are underway for a small zoo.
The conclusion?
Ethiopia is do-able with children but let’s face it – it isn’t going to rival a beach in Spain. Still, despite our rocky start, everyone came home feeling happy and saying it was good. In a way, even more so because the beginning was hard.
The problems at the beginning just became a distant memory. When can we do this again?
Claire A Davies www.dispatchesfromethiopia.com @dispatchesfrom1
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Why is Aksum an important travel destination in Ethiopia? Claire A Davis visited it recently. She writes about its significance for travelers and historians.
Obelisk of Aksum. Photo credit : Tigray Region Tourism.
Claire A Davis March 12, 2020
My first impression of Aksum was of being in the wrong place. The bus dropped me at the side of a long straight, tree-shaded road. The streets were uncrowded, the few people around unhurried.
“Aksum”, said the bus driver, pointing at me.We had arrived in one of Ethiopia’s birthplace of Orthodox Christianity and the site of one of Africa’s most ancient civilisations.
I stood with my bag as the bus pulled away.For once, there was no swirl of people or guides, no interest in the foreigner or offers to carry my bag. Across the road, a camel sleepily blinked an eyelash.
Aksum is important for many reasons, yet it holds little of the drama. I walked alone through the streets unbothered by anyone. The main sites may not high on anyone’s bucket list, however they still make an essential visit for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians believe that the Ark of Covenant rests here. Aksum was also the site of Africa’s oldest civilization, the Aksumites, under King Ezana in the 4th Century BC. Ethiopians believe that the Queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian woman, wise and beautiful, whom, according to the Bible The Kebra Negast, made her home in Aksum. Numerous archeologicial sites are dotted around the countryside and main town. Some are interesting, others a scramble over rocks and an archaeologist’s dig in progress, however the gentle climate and a day with a personable guide can lead to a fascinating few day’s ramble.
The sites are too numerous to list here but here are the main ones.
King Ezana’s Park
Starting at the centre of town, this small fenced park seems an unlikely place for Ethiopia’s own version of the Rosetta Stone. Unceremoniously housed in a shed, this inscribed stelae tells the stories of the King’s victories in Sabeean, Greek and the ancient Ethiopian language of Ge’ez – proof of the far reach of this ancient empire.
Stelae Field
The Aksumites built many stelae – symbols of the power of their empire which stretched throughout the horn of Africa and across the Red Sea to Yemen. This remarkable field contains 75 stelae. The tallest, at 33 metres, has collapsed, however King Ezana’s stelae at 23 metres is still standing.
Many stelae were created as tombs. Although the contents of the tombs have long been raided, much of the field is yet to be excavated.
Stone was transported from a quarry around 8 kilometres away – thought to be achieved by a rolling system utilising slaves and domestic elephants.
The museum of Aksum stands adjacent to the field and contains bronze decorative objects, glass drinking goblets, jewellery and other remnants of the empire.
Queen of Sheba’s Pool
Close by, this stone reservoir was created as a bathing pool for the famous queen. Ethiopians believe that the Queen of Sheba was an Ethiopian woman who resided at Aksum.
Locals believe that bathing in the water has healing properties, especially for fertility.
Aksum Tsion Church. Photo : Claire A Davis
Church of St Mary of Zion
Reputed to be Ethiopia’s oldest church and founded by King Ezana, the original building was long destroyed by Islamic invaders. The main building is actually 20th century, its squat dome set amongst olive trees reminiscent of Jerusalem. Inside, the huge circular room contains high arched windows in yellow, blue and pink glass and religious paintings in fresh colours. A giant chandelier was donated by Queen Elizabeth II and jacaranda flowers are strewn about the red carpeted floor.
At the back, a priest will show you a 500 year old Bible (for a tip), with the words in Geez; red for the names of persons, black for the test. You are invited to touch the Bible and be blessed. Note before offering a large demoninator note that that priests often seem limited for change.
Outside, the small stone dwelling that contains the Ark of Covenant is fenced off and closely guarded by a specially appointed person. There are various legends as to the fate of those foolhardy enough to cast their eyes on the Ark – such as being struck by lightening.
Men can visit the monastery. Women are not allowed for various reasons, one being the local story that the marauding Queen Gudit came and destroyed the empire and laid waste to all the churches.
Tombs of King Kaleb and Gebre Meskel
A pleasant walk through rural life takes you to these tombs on a slight hilltop. Small children hover around the palace selling supposedly ancient coins surfaced from the fields and chunks of quartz. The palace no longer remains, however you can descend into the excellently preserved burial vaults including large stone sarcophagi. Local legend has it that behind the large stone slabs, there are tunnels leading to Yemen.
In more recent years, the tunnels were used as hideouts against the communist regime known as The Derg who frequently murdered their detractors before making relatives pay for the bullet.
Other things to do
Serious historians can spend a few days on the other sites dotted around the town or visit the regions churches set in caves perilously high up in the rocks, reachable only by ropes. Ethiopia’s oldest structure, the temple at Yeha and the adjacent more recent church of Abuna Aftse are also a good day trip from Aksum.
