Blue Nile Falls (World Heritage Site)
One of the most captivating attractions of Bahir Dar is the Abay River which passes through the city from its source, Lake Tana towards the nearby Blue Nile Falls (Tis Abay), which are simply breathtaking. The falls are also the site for the Great Millennium Dam and Power Plant, currently under construction, which promises to […]
Royal Enclosure (Fasil Ghebbi)
In the center of Gondar city, the Royal Enclosure containing several medieval castles and churches lies surrounded by tall stone walls. This 70000 square meter compound contains a complex of buildings which includes Fasiladas’ castle, Iyasu’s palace, Dawit’s Hall, a banqueting hall, stables, Empress Mentewab’s castle, a chancery, library and three churches. The original castle, […]
Alatish National Park
Established in 2006, the general topography of the park is flat to undulating plains, with a general slope or inclination from the south to the north, interrupted by valleys, streams, scattered hills, and seasonal wetlands. Elevation ranges from 520m to 920m above sea level. You can see elephants and greater and lesser kudus. It is […]
Simien Mountains National Park
Simien Mountains National Park is located 130 Km north of Gondar close to the town of Debark which is only 32 Km away from the boundary of the park. Covering an area of more than 400 square Km, Simien Mountains National Park is one of the major parks in Ethiopia. The park, situated at an […]
Lalibela and its Rock Hewn Churches (World Heritage Site)
Situated at an altitude of about 2500 meters above sea level, the town of Lalibela is 700 Km north of Addis Abeba and 300 Km from Bahir Dar. The quiet town is one of the most historic towns in Ethiopia. Set amidst the Lasta Mountains, Lalibela was actually called by its ancient name of Roha […]
Bati and Kemissie
Bati and Senbete Markets Bati is an Oromo town in northern Ethiopia, located 415km north of Addis Abeba and 40 km east of Kombolcha. Where the highlands and the lowlands meet, people from different ethnic groups are brought together. The Oromo, Amhara, Guraghe, Argoba, and Afar, with their camels and distinctive knives, converge to buy, […]
Tigrai
Recognized as the cradle of ancient Ethiopian civilization, Tigrai is a vast region in the northernmost part of the country which shares common borders with Eritrea in the north, the State of Afar in the east, the State of Amhara in the south, and the Republic of the Sudan in the west. The region covers […]
Wukro and Its Surroundings
Abraha we Atsbeha Rock-Hewn Church The small town of Wukro, a 47km drive north of Mekelle is close to Abreha we Atsbeha church, one of the best and largest of the rock-hewn churches of Tigrai. It is supposed to have been built in the 4th century by the two royal Axumite brothers, Abreha and Atsbeha […]
Negash Mosque
Negash is a small village located 60 km east of Mekele, the capital of Tigrai region and 10km north of Wukro. You can visit Negash as a day trip from Wukro. It lies on a plateau commanding a view of the spectacular mountains of Gheralta. It serves as enduring reminder of the warm welcome extended […]
Gheralta and its Surrounding
Gheralta , northwest of Mekele, capital of Tigrai Regional State, is the home of a quarter of the rock -hewn churches of Tigrai. Some are famous for their stone workmanship, ancient paintings, and old manuscripts, and others for their magnificent views and difficult ascents. Such great churches as Abune Yemata (Guh), Mariam Korkor, DebreTsion (Abune […]
The Monastery of Debre Damo
Perched 11km north of the Axum- Adigrat zigzagging road, Debre Damo (admission for men only) is thought to date back to the 6th century reign of King Gebre Mesqel. Within its premises is found what’s likely to be the oldest standing church in the country (10th or 11th century AD), which is also a great […]
The Temple of Yeha
The magnificent Temple of the Moon at Yeha is located just 27km past the historic town of Adwa, the site of a decisive Ethiopian victory over invading Italian forces in 1896 that changed the course of history by affirming that Africans were indeed capable of defeating the superiorly armed European colonialists. Yeha’s huge and remarkable […]
Axum and Surrounding
The ancient Axumite civilization, whose capital was the town of Axum, the oldest town in Ethiopia and a world heritage site, was one of the greatest empires in existence during the height of its power, its lands reaching all the way from the Ethiopian highlands across the Red Sea to present day Yemen in Southern […]
Church of Tsion Mariam
The present church, built in the mid-17th Century under the Emperor Fasilidas, is located south of the original five-aisled church built at the time of the Axumite Empire. The outline of the 4th century building, considered to be the oldest church in Africa south of the Sahara, can be traced in the 3.4m high podium […]
Eastern Ethiopia
The eastern part of Ethiopia to the east of the capital starts with the town of Debre Zeit (Bishoftu) to a 100 km larger town of Adama (Nazareth), which can be visited as a day trip. These parts including the Sodere Resort are covered on the Day Trips from Addis Abeba section of this book. […]
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