Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Welcome to Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a country worth your visit with beautiful landscapes of natural forests and grasslands housing a variety of birds and wildlife. The far-stretched caves will definitely leave you stunned. Various active volcanic sites with hot springs offer&

Featured Overland Adventures in Ethiopia

Country Quick Facts

Country

Ethiopia, situated in East Africa, is the most populous landlocked country in the world. Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, and Sudan are its bordering countries. A natural contrast exists in the country. The western part of the country is made of fertile lands. Forests and several rivers flow through the land of Ethiopia.  The 4550 metres high Ethiopian Highlands are the largest continuous mountain ranges in Africa, while the 15 kilometres long Sof Omar caves are the longest cave systems in Africa. It ranks second as far as the number of World Heritage Sites recognised by UNESCO is concerned in Africa. The country has developed to become the largest economy of east Africa. Addis Ababa is the capital and the largest city in Ethiopia. 

Area: 1,104,300 km2 
Population: 109,224,414 
Capital: Addis Ababa

Weather

Tropical monsoon is the dominant weather type observed in Ethiopia. Btu, topography induces large variations to it. For instance, the Ethiopian highlands covering most parts of the country have a colder climate than the rest of the region. All major cities are located at high elevations. Addis Ababa, at the foothills of mount Etoto, is also situated at 2400 metre elevation above mean sea level, experiencing a relatively uniform mild climate. The months between October to February observe dry season and monsoon from March to May. June to September experiences heavy rains. 

People & Language

Ethiopians take pride in their culture and give the utmost respect to the elders. These people are quite welcoming to tourists. The country shows great diversity in languages, as the residents speak over 90 languages with Afroasiatic languages quite common in Ethiopia. Oromo and Amharic form the primary language of the country spoken by most of the people. Oromo is the most used language, while Arhami is the language recognised officially for the working of the Federal Government. English, primarily foreign language, is used s a medium of instruction in secondary schools. The other languages widespread in the country include Somali, Tigrinya, Sidamo, Wolaytta, Gurage, Afar, Hadiyya, and other such languages. The Arabic language is also used in some areas. Some groups of people also converse in Italian.

Practicalities

Time: There is a single time zone active in the country. 
Addis Ababa - East Africa Time (EAT) is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. (UTC +03:00)

Electricity: Electricity in Ethiopia is supplied at 220 V and 50 Hz. Two types of plug systems are in use here: Type C with two round pins and Type F with two round pins and two earth clips on the side. If you are from the US, Canada, or South American countries, you will need a voltage converter, as the standard voltage of your appliances would be fit for the voltage range 100-127 V.

Weight & Measurement: Metric system is adopted in Ethiopia as the nation's legal system of weight and measurements for all commercial and technical activities.

Telecommunications: Ordinary rural people have to travel about 30 km to reach the nearest phone before the CDMA and WCDMA were introduced in some areas. Skype and Google Talk are now legal in the country. The harsh weather also plays a role in creating adversity while connecting the phone networks, which are already out of work or overloaded. 

Currency

The official currency of Ethiopia is the Birr, the former Ethiopian Dollar, with the currency code issued by ISO 4217 as ETB. Subunit santim is also in practice here. One hundred santims are equivalent to 1 birr. The coins are available in denominations 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 santims and 1 birr. 1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 birrs are the available denominations for the banknotes in Mozambique. ATMs are located throughout the country. Visa and MasterCard, or sometimes maestro or cirrus cards are widely accepted in the country.

Top Attractions

Food and Drink

Are you a fan of traveling? Do you love exploring the beaches and ioslands? In addition to this, are you an animal lover too? And are little confused about where to travel next? Then Indonesia is the perfect choice for you!

Culture & Lifestyle

Ethiopia has a rich heritage in music with great diversity whose lyrics are inspired by patriotism, romance, or friendship. Track and field is the primary sport of Ethiopia. Basketball is also played by the people here. The religion of Ethiopia has close ties with Abrahamic beliefs. Christianity was first accepted by the Ethiopians dated back to the 4th century.

Islamic, Catholicism, and Judaism are the other religions, followed by the people of Ethiopia. The traditional clothes of women are made from shemma, a  cotton cloth. Women cover their heads with shawls while going to church. Men mostly wear pants and knee-length shirt with a white collar and a sweater. These traditional clothes are still adorned by the rural people in daily life, while the urban populace has come to accept western dresses. 

Overlanding in Ethiopia

You can easily rent a car in Ethiopia. Just beware that driving is quite tricky in this accident-prone country. Self-driving gives you the freedom to visit the places you like to visit without an arranged schedule as in guided tour

packages. The roads of Ethiopia are poorly maintained. Road signs and markings are inadequate. Traffic lighting also poses a problem. Driving outside the main city should be avoided as it is too dangerous, especially during the night. 

Urban Adventure in Ethiopia

National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

This national museum is situated near the Addis Ababa University's graduate school. Many of Ethiopia's artistic treasures are displayed in the museum. Precious archaeological finds such as fossils remain of early hominids like Lucy, partial skeleton of some specimens, and Selam, archaeological fossil estimated to form about 3.3 million years ago. The museum conducts various activities like exhibitions of the excavated objects. At present, the museum comprises of the conservation department, documentation department, and exhibition and research department. The basement displays archaeological and paleoanthropological sections; the first floor displays objects from ancient and medieval periods, while the second floor shows the artwork in chronological order, from traditional to contemporary. A collection of secular art and crafts like traditional weapons, jewellery, utensils, clothing, and musical instruments is also displayed on the second floor. 

Simien National Park, Amhara

This park is located in northern Ethiopia and one of the first sites that were declared as world heritage sites by UNESCO. Form the peaks of the mountain, a breathtaking view is presented of the escarpments and fascinating gelada monkeys and other wildlife species. You can reach here by taking a bus from Gondar and Axum pass, which is the starting point of the national park. The road is paved, and the primary location is 3 hours drive away from this point. You can go trekking in the Simian Mountains. In the park, a route from Debark is connected to sone of the campsites. You can see one of the most significant and fascinating mountain ranges of Ethiopia – simian mountains, with Ras Dashen at its highest peak. You can find grass-eating geladas most frequently while you are on hiking. They come quite close to the tourists, so beware! The rare Walia ibex is also seen as you climb higher. Even Rare Ethiopian wolves live here, and if you are a lucky one, you may get to spot one! As you have reached here, you can also take a trip to Gondar and its royal castles to the south.

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa

Also known as Kidist Selassie in Amharic, this cathedral is the highest-ranking Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral in the country capital, Adis Ababa. This cathedral is the second most important place of worship, second only to the Church of our Lady Mary of Zion. This cathedral was built to commemorate Ethiopia's liberation from the Italians and is given the title of 'Pure Altar.' The church of the four heavenly creatures is also included in the church. The holy trinity cathedral also has the tombs of various emperors and empresses from the imperial family. Prime minister and other prominent figures of Ethiopia are also buried here

Blue Nile Falls, Blue Nile River

Blue Nie Falls is a 37 to 45-metre high waterfall known by the name tis Abay in Amharic, which means great smoke. These falls, situated on the upper course of the river, are one of the best-known tourist attractions of Ethiopia. These falls are located about 30 km downstream from the town of Bahir Dar and lake tana. The falls are made of four streams, which are just a trickle in the dry season to 400 metres wide in the rainy season. The ecology of lake tana, isolated by the blue Nile falls has led to the evolution of the endemic fauna of the lake. The first stone bridge that was constructed in the whole of Ethiopia was built at just a short distance downstream of the falls. 

Dallo, Erta Ale Range of Volcano

Dallol, a cinder cone volcano in Danakil depression, is situated to the northeast of the Erta Ale Range. This volcano is formed as a result of phreatic eruptions and other eruption craters. These are the lowest known subaerial volcanic vents in the world located at not less than 45 metres below mean sea level. A number of hot springs pour brine and acidic liquid in these depressions. Small temporary geysers of slat can also be seen here. A significant amount of potash deposited on the surface can be seen directly. It is known as the Landscape of Green Acid Ponds. Beware; observe this bewitchingly beautiful place from a distance as it is the hottest and dangerous place! You won't find a single trace of life here!

Abijatta Shalla National Park, Oromia Region

This national park is situated on the Ethiopian highlands, connected by the Ziway-Shashamane highway. Both the rift valley lakes of Abijatta and Shalla, separated by a 3 km of hilly land,  are within the area of the park. Mount fike is the highest peak situated in-between the two lakes. To the northeast corner of the lake Abijatta, several hot springs are located. A large number of flamingos visit this lake. Baboons are quite a common sight here. Near the gatehouse, a few grant's gazelle and ostrich are kept behind the fencing. Be careful while driving near the edge of this lake on the muddy crust!
 

WOO Adventures Travel Forum

The ultimate outdoor adventure travel forum