River Rafting
Rafting on some of Ethiopia’s rivers is a world-class experience that can rival the experience on any other river, whether in Africa or any other continent. The people, wildlife, canyons, rapids, creek waterfalls, hot springs, and remoteness of it all are all simply unparalleled, especially on the Omo River, but also on the Abay (Blue […]
Wildlife Safaris
With so many other things to see and do in Ethiopia, wildlife safaris have been kind of neglected in the country, despite the Great Rift Valley running up through Tanzania and Kenya right into the center of Ethiopia. While many people come to Ethiopia to see the afroalpine fauna, there are also plenty of traditional […]
Babile Elephant Sanctuary
While there are as many as nine parks and sanctuaries with elephants in Ethiopia, it is difficult to find them in most cases. Babile Elephant Sanctuary in the eastern part of the country is different. This vast protected area stretches south from the historical city of Harrar and the little town of Babile. The main […]
Awash National Park
For the most convenient safaris, Awash National Park’s ravaged volcanic landscape, little more than 200km west of Addis Abeba, wins the crown. It is also only a bit more than 100km from Nazareth (Adama), the cultural capital of Oromia Regional State, and it is located on the busiest highway in the country. It is also […]
Nech’sar National Park
If visiting the tribes of the South Omo Valley, it may be more convenient to visit Nech’sar (Nech’sar) National Park than Awash National Park. This is because just about all routes to the South Omo Valley pass right by the park through Arba Minch’ and often include at least one night’s stay there. The park […]
Hunting
The thrill of hunting dates back to the human race’s days before civilization as huntergatherers. It’s about not only being immersed in nature but also playing a part in nature’s life or death struggle. Often those memories are brought home in the form of a trophy, which will last a lifetime. Since hunting usually ends […]
Birding
Birdlife is one of the main reasons that people come to Ethiopia. Many tour companies specialize in birding, with guides who know literally just which trees to look for a particular bird in, and itineraries that last several weeks. Birds in Ethiopia range from local birds and breeding birds to migrant birds and wintering birds. […]
Horse Riding
Ethiopia has the largest horse population in Africa and one of the largest in the world. As such, there are many places to hire horses for riding. In Addis Abeba, horses can be hired at the Balderas Stables as well as at the Jan Meda Stables. The British, French, German, and Italian embassies also have […]
Private Flight Tours
Seeing Ethiopia by road is a great way to see the county up close and personal, but it can also be a long, tiring, and dusty trip on Ethiopia’s sometimes bumpy and windy, though vastly improved, roads. On top of that, if travelling by hired Landcruiser rather than bus, it is a lot more expensive […]
Caving
Ethiopia is a land of diverse geological formations. In some parts of the country, volcanic rock dominates, but, in others, sedimentary rock dominates, including limestone. This is where caves can sometimes be found. There is much work to be done in identifying and publishing information on caves in Ethiopia, so local knowledge must be used […]
Hot springs
With the Great Rift Valley running right through the center of the country, Ethiopia is a land of much volcanism. As such, there are many hot springs and even a few small geysers. In fact, hot springs played an important role in the formation of Addis Abeba. If it wasn’t for Filwoha (Amharic for hot […]
Pilgrimages and Festivals
With Ethiopia’s combination of deep faith, religion, holy sites, and traditional culture, there are many large pilgrimages in the country, both for Christians and Muslims. The famous historical sites of Axum, Lalibela, and Gondar all have major pilgrimages on the various major Christian holidays. As the most important church in Ethiopia, Axum’s Kidist Mariam Tsion […]
New Year (Enkutatash)
Ethiopian New Year’s Day, falling on September 11 in the Gregorian calendar (or September 12 the year before Gregorian leap year), marks the perfect season, when yellow daisies (adey abeba) start to blossom in the midst of the green countryside, after the long rains end. The sun comes out shyly as the rains subside, as […]
Finding of the True Cross (Mesqel )
Mesqel, feels like a continuation of the celebration of Enkutatash, making September a month of festivities. Unlike Enkutatash, there is an outdoor celebration on a smallscale in everyone’s backyard as well as a grand damera celebration, which involves a Christmas tree-looking thing, made of dried sticks decorated by green adey abeba, by this time very […]
Christmas (Genna)
The Ethiopian Christmas celebration, falling on January 7 (or 8 during Gregorian leap year), is not as decorated as Mesqel or Timkat but still very significant. If in Lalibela around this time, the sight of priests, singing on the cliffs around Bet Giorgis is a one that will be embedded in any memory of Ethiopia. […]
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