Some Things to See and Do in Ethiopia |
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Activities and Things To Do
Bird Watching
With its spectacular bird life, Ethiopia has plenty to keep even the most
discerning birdwatcher busy. The Rift Valley lakes are among the best spots for
bird watching.
Trekking and Walking
There aren't many places to get away from it all in this populous country, but
Entoto National Park, near Addis Ababa, has some lovely walks. There's also
trekking and mule-treks in Bale Mountains National Park and Simien Mountains
National Park. If you're visiting Bahar Dar, on Lake Tana, hire a bike in town
and take a ride around the water's edge.
Here are a few dates and events you may
want to plan for in your visit.
Ethiopian Christians celebrate Christ's baptism at the festival of Timkat on
January 19. During the festival, which runs for three days, priests remove the
symbolic Ark of the Covenant from every church and parade it to a nearby
consecrated pool. Giant Masses are held, accompanied by late night picnics.
The Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash is celebrated on 11 September, which is also the feast of John the Baptist. Enkutatash is a spring festival, with kiddies dancing in the streets, handing out flowers and miniature paintings, bonfires and plenty of singing and dancing.
On 27 September another Christian festival, Maskal, commemorates the finding of the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. Town squares are filled with huge piles of maskal, or 'cross', daisies, which later become giant bonfires.
Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January.
Addis
Ababa
Of the over 3 million people who live here, 1 million
have arrived since the 1991 revolution. The city was only founded in 1887. The
city was almost abandoned at one time due to lack of fuel wood, but the
introduction of eucalypts to the area kept the city going. It's a huge,
sprawling city with very few street signs making it rather difficult to get
about, although the main shopping strip, Churchill Ave, does have signage.
A visit should be make to the Ethnographic Museum. Its two main sections on local crafts and on regions and peoples make it a great place to begin learning about Ethiopia's rich ethnic diversity. There is also an impressive array of religious crosses, triptychs and murals, as well as Haile Selassies's bedroom and bathroom, and many other exhibits. Although much smaller, you may want to visit The National Museum which has the fossils of 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', perhaps our earliest ancestor.
Africa Hall is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic commission for Africa. It was designed as a monument to African independence with richly colored stained-glass windows, by Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle, that portray the history and diversity of Africa's peoples. More of his work may be found at the Giorgis Cathedral, built in 1896 to commemorate Ethiopia's victory over the invading Italians. Addis Ababa's Mercato is one of the largest markets in Africa and makes for an interesting day. It's a sprawling mess of open-air stalls, where you can buy everything from vegetables to gold jewelry. However, gentlemen should keep their wallets in their front pockets and ladies should be sure to carry a purse with a strap and still, keep an eye out for pickpockets.
Many cheap hotels in Addis Ababa are a combination of noisy street bar, brothel and a few double rooms, though some are surprisingly well kept. Better stay in one that has a good recommendation. You can expect to pay two to four times the local rate. Most of the hotels are around the Piazza, where you'll also find a bunch of cheap cafes and bars.
Aksum
Aksum is the holiest city in
Ethiopia and, according to the Orthodox Church, the original Ark of the Covenant,
which holds the ten commandments, is located somewhere in or around Aksum.
The Ark is supposed to live somewhere in the grounds of the 17th-century St
Mary of Zion church, but of course no one is allowed to look at it. The
church's museum has a small but impressive collection of bibles, crosses and
crowns and just past the museum is Aksum's ancient stele field, all that
remains of the city's past glory. Steles are huge, carved pillars made from
single blocks of granite - the highest of those remaining at Aksum is about 75
feet
tall. Aksum is also the place where Christianity was declared the
national religion in the 4th century.
If you take a walk outside the town, you can see the ruins of King Kaleb's Palace. I would also suggest you walk a little further (up the hill) where you will find Pentaleon Monastery. Women aren't allowed inside, but they can still enjoy the wonderful views from the top of the hillside. The ruins of the Palace of Sheba are also outside the town, although archaeological investigation suggests they are 1300 rather than 2000 years old.
Aksum is about 310 miles north of Addis Ababa and is reachable by air from the capital. You can also travel there by bus from Gondar, Adwa, Adigrat or Mekele.
Bahar Dar
Bahar Dar is located on the southern shore of Lake Tana.
Lake Tana covers over 1,400 square miles. Although apart from the interesting
Saturday market, there is not much to see in Bahar Dar,
but there's plenty to see in the surrounding countryside, as well as upon the
lake itself. Lake Tana is scattered with islands, many of which are home to
monasteries. Some of these monasteries were built as long ago as the 11th
century, and most were built before the 16th century. The most popular
monasteries are Kidene Mehret, Kebran Gabriel (where women are banned) and Debre
Maryam. I will warn you that you better have some cash available as traveling between the islands can be pretty expensive unless, you're in
a tour group.
The Blue Nile Falls are about 45 minutes by tour bus (which is the recommended, as well a pretty much the only way to get there) from Bahar Dar. It is known locally as Tis Isat. The falls are about 1,000 feet wide with a drop of over 160 feet. The falls are quite impressive any time of year, but are at their best from October to December.
Bahar Dar is about 185 miles north-west of Addis Ababa. You can get to Bahar by plane from Addis Ababa, or you can take the bus through the spectacular Blue Nile Gorge. There's also a bus from Gondar. There are a few pleasant hotels and eateries in town.
Gondar
About 500 miles north of Addis Ababa is the city of Gondar. This was the capital of Ethiopia from 1632 until 1886. The piazza
(which is actually quite a small square) is the heart of the town. Be sure to
check out the Royal Enclosure for a glimpse of the
castle built in 1640. Your ticket to the castle also admits you to the royal Bath of
Fasilldas, which are about a mile out of town on the Bahar Dar road.
Lalibela
About the most interesting thing to see in Lalibela
are the amazing 12th-century rock churches. These churches are cut right out of the bedrock. The city is named after the 12th-century King Lalibela, who established his capital there after God came to him in a dream and
told him to establish a city here. All of the rock churches (about a dozen) were built within a century, apparently,
or so the legend goes, with
the help of angels who worked during the night doing some "divine
stonemasonry." The churches have been kept over successive generations by priests who
guard the churches along with their treasures of ornamented crosses, illuminated bibles and illustrated
manuscripts. You can expect to hassled by potential guides throughout your
visit. To get away, take a walk up to the Asheton Maryam Monastery as it is
worth a visit. You will find quite a few hotels in Lalibela along with a lot of places to eat, though
most only have Amharic menus. You can fly to Lalibela from Addis Ababa or
Gondar, or take the bus from Addis Ababa.
Rift Valley Lakes
The seven lakes of the Rift Valley sit in a wide, fertile valley which runs
between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border. This is one of the best places in
Ethiopia for bird watching. Lakes Lagano, Abiyata and Shala are
perhaps the most popular of the seven -- one of the lakes is blue, one silver and one
brown. Abiyata and Shala are designated national parks, but this doesn't mean
much in practice. Lake Abiyata is shallow, with heaps of birds, while Lake Shala
sits at the bottom of a 820-feet deep crater. Lagano is the only lake in
Ethiopia which is bilharzia-free, so take a dip while you have the chance. It's
also the only one of the three lakes with accommodation. You can also swim at
the hot springs at Wondo Genet, south of the three lakes. Towards the
Kenyan border, Lakes Abaya and Chamo are thronging with wildlife,
especially crocodiles.
Simien Mountains National Park
This park is excellent for walking, hiking and trekking. You will find spectacular views
along with a large
variety of wildlife, including baboons, ibex, Simien fox and birds of prey such
as the rare lammergeyer, which is a huge vulture. The park is made up of a rocky massif
that is cut by streams and gorges and slopes down to gentle grasslands. Treks
run from three to ten days, and you can either do it on foot or rent a mule
and ride. The treks build up to an ascent of Africa's fourth
highest peak, Ras Dashen. Treks start at Debark, which is about 60 miles north of Gondar.
You can travel between the two by bus.
Kibran Tour and Travel Ethiopia is a private tour operator, founded in 1999, with head office in Addis Ababa. The managers and staff (Ethiopian and European) share an extensive knowledge of the culture and land of Ethiopia and the surrounding countries. They offer the following services: cultural/historical tours, nature tours, trekking, photographic safari, rafting, tours on the occasion of special events, renting of off-road vehicles with driver, renting of minibuses with driver, and hotel reservations. Itineraries may be modified to suit individual requests. They use their own vehicles with their off-road vehicles being Toyota Land Cruisers with air-conditioning, as well as minibuses and buses, all driven by drivers with proven experience. Their guides, who speak fluent English, Italian, German, French and Spanish are highly appreciated for their professionalism and warm nature, as well as for their skills in helping visitors to enter into the traditional and cultural atmosphere of their fascinating country. You can visit their website at www.kibrantour.com.
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