10 Extraordinary Reasons to Put Ethiopia on Your Travel List !

Ethiopia is a very different kind of Africa to the ‘Africa’ imagined by most tourists, yet it is truly majestic and deeply fascinating. The uniqueness of the Ethiopian experience is described in its ancient monuments, remote tribes, unique wildlife and remarkable vistas. Ethiopia is not for the luxury safari seeker, rather it rewards the traveller errant with an unparalleled sense of discovery, rare and humbling scenery and a range of thought-provoking episodes that are truly life changing.

Passage to Africa shares 11 reasons to visit this extraordinary country.

1. Hyenas

Whilst many cultures demonise hyenas, the Hararis, inhabitants of a sleepy medieval walled city south of the Chercher Mountains in eastern Ethiopia, are at peace with them. Local man Yusuf , and later his son Abbas, have built up a close bond based on mutual respect, and a great love for these largely misunderstood animals as they feed them on a nightly basis. There’s an idiom in Harar which is waraba nasib – hyenas’ luck. You will be the lucky one to have this bucket list experience in a truly unique city, which in 2005 was awarded a UNESCO prize as a city of peace and tolerance.

2. Sundays in Lalibela

Coincide your visit with the Sunday church services in Lalibela when the town comes to life and you get a sense of being in a living museum. Attend the final part of an early morning church service where here even the grounds around the church are sacred, so you are surrounded by a cacophony of sounds and activity with children playing, priests chanting, parishioners praying and perhaps even a wedding taking place inside the church.

3. Volcanoes

Spend a night atop Erta Ale in the central northern Danakil depression, the volcano famed for its persistent lava lake. This is camping in its simplest form – the entire camp is carried up the volcano on the back of a camel. Camp under the stars, huddled behind a basic rock shelter. The amazing experience of the volcano compensates for the simplicity of the camp. In the morning fly to a nearby saltwater rock-pool for a refreshing swim.