Washa Michael at Kebena
– The Washa Michael (cave of Michael) rock-hewn church is a historic church built in the late 3rd century AD in the reign of Emperor Abreha making it more than 1600 years old. To say that the church has seen better days would be an understatement.The roof has caved in due to Italian bombardment against […]
Debre Libanos
The road to Debre Libanos, one of Ethiopia’s most prominent monasteries, is the Gojam road which leads north past the Entoto hills. This is the beginning of the true gorge country for which the central highlands are known for. Breath-taking views over chasms with a depth of 2,000 ft. or more, the old monastery itself […]
Menagesha Forest
To the west of Addis Abeba once you pass the town of Sebeta, you would see the oldest park in Africa with plantation areas, forest rich with flowers, smaller trees, birds and animals. For more on Menagesha forest please refer back the Trekking and Camping section of Adventure Tourism part of this book
Ankober
The city of Ankober, located 42 Km east of Debre Birhan had played an important role in the country’s history as being a strategic site in the struggle between highland and lowland emperors as early as the 13th century. The fact that the city controlled most trade routes from the lowlands and from the Red […]
Adadi Mariam and Melka Konturé
These two sites, the former a rock hewn church and the latter a prehistoric archeological site, are to be found within about 15 Km of each other on the south western Jimma road out of Addis Abeba some 50 Km away. The Melka Konturé site was intermittently habituated from the Early Stone Age up to […]
Tiya Stelae fields
At 80 Km south of Addis Abeba and only 30 Km from Adadi Mariam, the Tiya Stelae fields are one of the most remarkable sites to see on a day trip from Addis Abeba. These mysterious field of obelisks which has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980 dates back to the […]
Mount Zuqualla
Towering at almost 3000 meters above sea level, this dormant volcano is crowned by a beautiful crater lake at its summit. There is a monastery by the lake, Zuqualla Mariam, which was reputedly founded in the 4th century by St. Gebre Menfes Kidus or Abo. Abo celebrations take place on the 15th of October and […]
Bishoftu (Debre Zeit)
Named Debre Zeit (Mount of Olives) by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1955, this scenic town reverted to its original Oromo name, Bishoftu, in 1990. The main attractions of Bishoftu, only a 40 Km drive from Addis, the small town of Debre Zeit is a great short drive away providing simple enjoyment. The town is built […]
Adama (Nazareth)
The busy city of Adama (known as Nazareth until the end of the 90’s) is the third largest in the country and serves as a popular getaway destination for multitudes who want an alternative weekend to Addis Abeba, which is a 100 Km east of Addis Abeba, at the edge of the rift valley. The […]
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. […]
The Afar
Erta-Ale Active Volcano Erta Ale is a continuously active basaltic shield volcano in the Afar. It is in the depression, a desert area spanning the border with Eritrea, and the volcano itself is surrounded completely by an area below sea level making it a relatively low-elevation volcano. Erta Ale means “Smoking Mountain” in the local […]
Awash National Park
The park is situated 227 km east of the capital in the dry acacia savanna of the Rift Valley in the Afar and Oromia regional states. It takes about four and half hours drive from Addis Abeba. The Park is bisected by the Dire Dawa road between Metehara and Awash Saba and takes its name […]
Dire Dawa
“The Queen of the Desert” is what many prefer to call the city. It is located 445Km east of Addis Abeba. Dire Dawa was founded in 1902, when the railroad from Djibouti reached the area. Its growth has resulted largely from trade brought by the railroad. The city is home to most of the ethnic […]
Cave Paintings in Dire Dawa
Lega Oda Cave The cave, which is found around 38km Southwest of Dire Dawa, features rock paintings and evidence of a stone tool industry. It has been the subject of interest of many researchers. The cave is situated in the side of a limestone hill and subdivided into two floors. The upper floor is about […]
The Walled City of Harar
Harar is located about 525km east of Addis Abeba, at an elevation of 1,885m. The city can be divided in to two parts: Jugol, the historic center, and the new town before reaching the Jugol. The wall surrounding this sacred Muslim city was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. It is a 3.5km long […]
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