Menagesha

As the oldest park in Africa, Menagesha is just a stone’s throw from Addis Abeba. The park dates back to the reign of Emperor Zera Ya’eqob, from 1434 to 1468, when he originally designated it a crown forest. Its name was changed a few years ago from Menagesha-Suba Forest Development Centre to the Finfine Forest […]

Entoto Mountains

There are at least nine sights that can be seen on foot in the Entoto Mountains: views of Addis Abeba, the natural environment of Entoto Natural Park itself, Entoto Mariam Church, the historical museum, Menelik’s Palace, two Kedus Raguel and Kedus Elias Churches from different eras, the Washa Mikael Church ruins, and runners training on the […]

Around Addis Abeba

The mountains around Addis Abeba do make for some great mountain biking terrain. The most accessible are the Entoto Mountains at over 3,000m, many of which are within Entoto Natural Park. This park on the northern edge of Addis Abeba provides foot paths and back roads that are frequently used by long-distance runners for training. They […]

Road Cycling

There are few adventure tourism activities that provide as much up-close and personal experience over as wide an area as long-distance road cycling. When traveling by air, only big towns are witnessed; by car everything is a blur; but by bicycle, all the sights, sounds, and smells can be experienced, and there are many more […]

Motor Biking

Motor biking combines intimacy with the landscape with the speed and excitement of motor transport. There is nothing like feeling the wind, the two-wheel maneuverability, and the acceleration of a motorbike. The sights, sounds, and smells are much more accessible than when traveling by car, and there is the advantage of better gas mileage. Motor […]

Boating

No matter what one’s personal threshold for adventure is, boating on one of Ethiopia’s many lakes is a rewarding experience. Escaping the bustling city or village life out on a lake in the morning when the water is calm and serene is refreshing, to say the least, and surveilling the complex birdlife is an experience […]

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 […]

Great Ethiopian Run

November 2014 was the Great Ethiopian Run 10km race’s 14th edition. The race’s first edition took place on Sunday 25th November 2001, as an experiment in mass-participation running in Ethiopia by the great runner of all times Athlete Haile Gebresilassie. Today, as well as being Africa’s biggest for 40,000 participants, it has become a yearly […]