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Africa Travel Newsletters > Ethiopia
1. Ethiopia - Why Connoisseurs think it is Africa's best-kept secretEthiopia is an enchanting country
whose
delights are unknown to most travelers. And yet this is a truly
unique destination with such attractions as can be found nowhere else
in the world. The
biggest draw is the rich Orthodox Christian heritage.
Ethiopia was one of the very first nations to embrace Christianity, way
back in the 4th century
AD. The wonderful churches, monasteries, icons
and relics to be found here is a reminder of the central role the
Church has played in the history of
the country. The painstaking effort
summoned to produce some of these tokens of mans faith in God is very
impressive, especially for non-believers.
Ethiopia is a very
worthy destination and many connoisseurs consider it to be Africa's
best-kept secret. Since so few outsiders
come here, the tourist
infrastructure is not well developed. But on the plus side, there are
no crowds of visitors, unlike at other historical
destinations such as
Egypt. The Christian heritage aside, Ethiopia is blessed with an
astonishing contrast of nature's gifts. This ranges from the
heights of
the jagged peaks of the Simien mountains- a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
the bird filled rift valley lakes, to the under sea level lunarscape
of
the Danakil Depression.
Travelers
have plenty of opportunities
to enjoy mountain treks, caving, camping,
sailing and white water rafting adventures. Though not as abundant as
elsewhere in east Africa, there is
plenty of wildlife, and 31 rare
species are only found in Ethiopia. This is also one of Africa's great
birding destinations and 861 species have been
recorded of which 16 are
endemic. Due to the relatively undeveloped tourist infrastructure, the
best way to see the country is by buying a packaged
Ethiopia tour.
Most
overseas visitors will start off their
Ethiopia tours from Addis Ababa. Addis, as the
city
is popularly known is the capital city and home to Bole International
Airport. The city rests at the foot of the Entoto Mountains. By
Ethiopian
standards, it is a new settlement and came into being in
1887. Addis Ababa means New Flower and its foundation is credited to
Queen Taitu - consort to
Menelik II. In Addis, make sure to visit the
Ethnographic Museum and the National Museum. The Giorgis Cathedral,
which was built in 1896 to commemorate
victory over Italian invaders,
is also worth a visit.
The Simien Mountains National Park is
much favored by trekkers. The park has some of the
scenic sights in the
country. The mastiff reaches to 4620m, the highest point in the
country. The park was created to protect the Walia Ibex, which is
found
only in Ethiopia. Other endemic animal species in the park are Gelada
Baboon and Simen Fox. Bale Mountains in the southeast, though
less
accessible, has trekking opportunities and some wildlife including a
few endemic species.
Awash National park is one of the finest
and
most accessible reserves in the country. The Awash River strides
the park before heading to the Dankil depression where it vanishes,
never to reach the
sea. Some special attractions in the park include
the Awash Falls, the dormant Fantale volcano and some thermal springs.
Forty-six species of wildlife
have been identified here and the bird
life is prolific. The park is located just 211 km to the east of Addis.
You
will obtain best value for
your Ethiopia trip if you have at least an
interest in the unique history of the country. The country claims a
history going back 5,000 years, and
there are Bible episodes mentioning
Ethiopia that are dated at least 3,000 years ago. The colorful history
is a blend of fact, legend, and tradition.
Some incidents dearest to
Ethiopians and which they use to affirm unique their place in the
world, on close examination appear to be apocryphal. The
legend that
the Ark of the Covenant is housed in Axum is certainly controversial.
But most of the history is almost certainly correct and
remains
unchallenged.
Despite earlier contact with the outside world,
Ethiopia developed in relative isolation and was actually once known
as
the "Hidden Empire". As a result, some of the living culture is unique
to the country and has origins dating back hundreds of years. The
Ge'ez
language used in most modern day church services derives from the
Kingdom of Axum. Ge'ez alphabet has an amazing 231 letters. The
country
still uses the Julian calendar, which has 12 months of 30 days each and
an additional month of 5 days, with 6 days in a leap year. Relative
to
the Gregorian calendar used in the west, Ethiopia is 7 years behind
between 11th September and 8th January and 8 years for the rest of
the
year.
Festivals of the Orthodox Church are an ingrained part of
popular culture. Timket, feast of Epiphany, is a colorful 3-day
festival commemorating the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the
Jordan River. Meskal, celebrates the "finding of the true cross"
upon
which Jesus was crucified, by Empress Helana -mother to Constantine the
Great. It is believed that a fragment of the True Cross is to be
found
in a monastery in Gishen Mariam. Meskal has been celebrated in the
country for over 1600 years. Other Orthodox festivals include the
Ethiopian
New Year (Enkutatash) and Christmas (Lidet).
