About Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a land of contrasts and extremes; a land of remote and wild places. As Abyssinia, its culture and traditions spans over 3,000 years. Dating even further back is Lucy, the 3.3-million-year-old fossilised human-like child whose remains were found in a corner of the country and on display in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia is also well-known for its remarkable, ancient historical traditions. Wade through incense into a medieval world hewn from stone in Lalibela, and watch the line between past and present blur while taking part in striking Christian ceremonies that haven’t changed in 1000 years. Ethiopia’s storied and sovereign history has left its wide-ranging and fertile highlands laden with historical treasures, ranging from the ancient tombs and obelisks of Aksum to 17th-century castles and burnt-out Russian tanks.
Ethiopia’s landscapes are no less dramatic – from the Simien Mountains National Park and the Bale Mountains National Park, which proffer tremendous trekking and innumerable interactions with dozens of animals and birds seen nowhere else on earth, to the Danakil Depression in Northern Ethiopia, an enchanting and unforgivingly hostile environment offering extreme adventure. The remote lowlands in the sultry southwest are also home to untold adventures and house some of Africa’s most fascinating tribes.
Testing, awe-inspiring and heartbreaking – Ethiopia is a journey you’ll never forget.
For more information, visit the Ethiopian tourism website: www.tourismethiopia.org
Or the Lonely Planet site: www.lonelyplanet.com/ethiopia