Ethiopia

Understand

History

Ethiopia is one of the oldest independent nations in the world, and the second Christian state (since at least AD 324, with Armenia the first, at AD 301). It has long been an intersection between the civilizations of North Africa, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa. For example, Ethiopia is the place of the first Hijra (615 CE) in Islamic history, when the Christian king of Ethiopia offered refuge to those fleeing from Mecca and sent by the prophet Muhammad. Uniquely among African countries, Ethiopia was colonized for only 6 years, from 1936 to 1941, when it was under Italian military occupation. The only ever Muslim emperor was Lij Iyasu from 1913 to 1916, although Abyssinia faced a succession crisis in this era because Iyasu became a loyalist of Garad Diiriye Guure, whereupon his alliance with the Sultan Diiriye Guure Kingdom headquartered in Taleh led to Zewditu backed by the British attempted to overthrown him. Iyasu and Sultan Diiriye Guure were allied with the German empire and Ottomans although the central powers did not succeed in stopping British campaign to overthrow of both Garad Diiriye Guure in Taleh or Iyasu in Abyssinia. During this period, the Italians occupied only a few key cities and major routes, and faced continuing resistance until they were finally defeated during World War II by an Ethiopian-British alliance. Ethiopia has long been a member of international organizations: it became a member of the League of Nations, signed the Declaration by United Nations in 1942, founded the UN headquarters in Africa, was one of the 51 original members of the UN, and is the headquarters for, and one of the founding members of, the former Organisation of African Unity and the current African Union. Ethiopia was historically called Abyssinia, a wor

See

Huge obelisks in Axum Historic routes, churches and mosques Lalibela, Axum, Gondar, Harar Volcanic lake Danakil Depression and Erta Ale Rift Valley lakes Wonchi crater lake, Langano, Tana National Parks such as Menengesha Churches, including many beautiful ones in Addis Ababa Rock-hewn churches in Lalibela Castles in Gondar

Itineraries Northern historic circuit. A loop from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar on Lake Tana, to Gondar, then Axum, and Lalibela, and back to Addis. Other stops can be included, such as Simien National Park, Adwa and nearby Yeha, Hawzien and Mekele. The circuit can also be done in the opposite direction. Destinations can be reached affordably by domestic airlines but you may want to consider taking the bus journey from Addis to Bahir Dar to experience the awe-inspiring and switch-backing descent from the highlands deep down

Getting there

Visa requirements

All visitors must obtain an entry visa, except for nationals from Djibouti and Kenya, and foreigners in transit at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for 12 hours or less to catch an international connecting flight and who do not leave the airport or pass the Immigration Desk. Visas-on-arrival are also available to citizens of all African Union countries. E-Visas are available to short-term visitors of all nationalities for tourism and business. The application is straightforward and takes only a few minutes to complete. You need to upload a scanned passport-style photo. Turnaround time might be within hours. You will receive an email welcoming you to Ethiopia. The official website to apply for E-Visa is https://www.evisa.gov.et – do not submit your application to any other similar looking website. E-Visa is only accepted at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. Upon landing at the airport go to an immigration area and you will see a sign for E-Visa. You may need a printed version of your E-Visa, indicate a place of residence (hotel) and a phone number, which may be foreign. You must indicate your intended place of residence and contact number to get a visa. Nothing appears to be checked, so in practice any hotel address and phone number should suffice. However, if you're unable to provide some address and phone number, they refuse to process the visa documents.

By plane

Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa is the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance and one of the largest airlines in Africa. The airport also hosts Lufthansa, Sudan Airways, Kenya Airways, Turkish Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Egypt Air and Fly Dubai. There are daily flights from Europe, the United States, Asia, and many African cities inc

Getting around

By plane Ethiopian Airlines is reasonably priced and has fairly comprehensive domestic services. Flights are often overbooked, so it is essential to reconfirm your tickets at least a day in advance and show up at the airport on time. If you forget to reconfirm, they may assume you aren't going to show up and give away your seats. Flights are frequently cancelled or rescheduled so allow extra time if transferring to an international flight. As of 2020, Ethiopian Airlines has a mobile app that enables you to book and pay by credit card. The app is well designed but its reliability depends on the reliability of the mobile/wifi coverage in your location. If an Ethiopian ticket office is nearby it's often easier to go there. If you have booked your international trip to Ethiopia via Ethiopian Airlines you will get a 60% discount on domestic flights. Even if you have arrived on an airline other than Ethiopian, you can still get the discounted prices by having proof of an international reservation with Ethiopian regardless of whether you have flown the flight or not. So you can get the discount by booking a refundable (eco flex) or cheap flight to a neighbouring country for the future and quoting the ticket number when booking domestic flights. You need to have proof of your international ticket or reservation as you are often asked for it. Chartered flights (both to serviced airfields and "bush flights") are available from Abyssinia Flight Services, on TeleBole road, just down the street from the airport. Helicopter service is available from National Airways, Abyssinia Flight Services, and certain government-owned companies.

By bus

Ethiopian buses fit into one of the following categories: the ubiquitous minibuses or matatus (typically Toyota Highace vans that room up t