Category: Attractions In Ethiopia

King Fasiladas officially founded Gondar in 1632. It was this Gondarine period that is considered to be the third major dynasty after the Axumite and Zagwe dynasties. The dynasty is historically important for the introduction of a permanent capital. Gondar’s 17th century castles reflect the strong dynasty and the power of progressive rulers. Seven of the dynasty’s kings had their own castles built to show their power and independent, efficient ruling styles. The city’s main imperial precinct, known as the Royal Enclosure, covers an area of 7.7 hectares and contains five castles raised walkways and connecting tunnels surrounded by high stone walls. The oldest of these is the Castle of Fasiledes, built of stone in the mid-17th century. His castle reflects a number of influences, mainly Axumite, Portuguese and Indian. The tower offers divine panoramic views, even Lake Tana is visible on a clear day. Gondar is especially significant to the Ethiopian Orthodox community and considered a pinnacle of religious centers across the country. Among the churches in town, Debre Berhan Selassie is famous for its typical Gondarine style and extraordinary ceiling. Timket Festival Timket Festival is celebrated on the 19th or 20th of January. It is an Ethiopian Orthodox ceremony that celebrates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. It is most commonly celebrated in Gondar and Lalibela. During the ceremonies of Timket, the Tabot, a model of the Ark of the Covenant, which is present on every Ethiopian altar (somewhat like the Western altarstone), is reverently wrapped in rich cloth and born in procession on the head of the priest. The Tabot, which is otherwise rarely seen by the laity, represents the manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah when he came to the Jordan for baptism. The Divine Liturgy is celebrated near a stream or pool early in the morning (around 2 a.m.). Then the nearby body of water is blessed towards dawn and sprinkled on the participants, some of whom enter the water and immerse themselves, symbolically renewing their baptismal vows. But the festival does not end there; Donald Levine describes a typical celebration of the early 1960s.

Dallol is situated in the very north of the Great Rift Valley. It is well below sea level at -155m, which is the lowest point in Africa. It acts almost like a cauldron, trapping all the heat with in the one area. It is known for being THE hottest place on the face of the earth.

The time to visit would either be between the months of March and September where temperatures reach 48 degrees. Or maybe consider the ‘rainy’ season (which really isn’t very rainy at all) between September and March, will be at an average of about 25 degrees.

Dallol is a field of phreatic craters in the barren salt plain north north east of the Erta Ale Range. The Dallol craters are the Earth’s lowest known sub aerial volcanic vents. The most recent of these craters, Dallol, was formed during an eruption in 1926. Colorful hot brine springs and fumaroles deposits are found in the Dallol area. There are hot yellow sulfur fields among the sparkling white salt beds. It really is a miraculous sight to see if you can handle the heat! The Afar Triangle is also well known for recent discoveries of remnants of the oldest fossil hominid. ‘Lucy’ the 3.2 million year old partial human skeleton can be seen in the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa.

Located in the East of Ethiopia about 500km from Addis and under 100km from the Djibouti border, Harar, or otherwise known as “the city of saints” is one of the most historical cities to visit in Ethiopia – UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best time to visit would be between October & March, with a daily average temperature of 20 degrees. It has a wonderful hilltop location, and is home to approximately 128,000 people.

Seventy-two successive Imams have ruled Harar since its formation during the 700s to 1900s through which a unique, strong and authentic Muslim tradition was created. UNESCO considers it as being the fourth holist city of Islam. Three out of the 82 mosques were built in the 10th century.

Hara has a vast territory outside of the city with many friendly tribes such as Adare, Somali, Oromo and Argoba. These tribes are the main settlers all of Muslim ethnicity. Hyena night feeding has become quite a popular tourist attraction in a few of these tribes and has turned into a rather exciting night show. You can also visit the Harar Brewery for all of our beer enthusiasts out there, where taste testing and purchasing the local brew is possible.

Surrounding the ancient town, Harar has developed into quite the metropolis & remains the capital city for the Eastern parts of Ethiopia.

This beautiful national park was first explored in the early 1900’s. The Bale Mountains are situated 400km southeast of Addis Ababa and is the home to 20 Ethiopian endemic mammal species such as the Mountain Nyala, Ethiopian Wolf (Semien Wolf), Bale Monkey, the Giant Molerat and more.

The best time to visit is between the months of November & April when the temperature is perfect and everyday is sunny & clear. The rainy season tends to be between the months of May & November for the Bale Mountain ranges, however the weather can change quite drastically depending on where you are altitude wise.

The park is on an area of about 2150 square kilometers and divided into 5 distinct environments or ecosystems: the Northern Grasslands (Gaysay Valley), Northern Woodlands (Park Headquarters), Afro-alpine Meadows (Sanetti Pleateau), Erica Moorlands, and the Harenna Forest.

The commonly seen Hygiene Abyssinia and juniper trees dominate the park and gives a suitable environment for such endemic bird species such as the thick Billed Raven, Roget’s Rail, Wattled Ibis endemic and more.

Forest belts and escarpments surround the mountain, which is an ideal spot for trekkers and the more physically able adventurists.

The population is about 40,000 within the park boundaries; the majority of people speak the official language of Oromia. They are mainly famers and cattle herders and generally live in circular shaped houses, using materials such as bamboo, mud (to separate rooms) Eucalyptus trees & thatched grass.

Axum is about 1,000km north of Addis Ababa, just shy of the Eritrea border. This historical site was the name of a kingdom once upon a time. Axum ruled the region from 400BC and was in fact the second capital city of Ethiopia from the 1st through to the 6th century AD. The rulers of Axum (otherwise spelt Aksum) or back then known as the Aksumite Kingdom, controlled their trade through the ports on the Red Sea between Rome and India. UNESCO has added Axum’s archeological sites to its list of World Heritage Sites due to their ancient historical significance.

Axum is famous for its stelaes or obelisks built in memory of the Great Emperor of Axum and the Queen of Sheba. This prominent historical attraction is an open-air exhibition of Ethiopia’s pre and post Axumite civilization. These obelisks are around 1700 years old and have become a symbol of the Ethiopian people’s identity. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church claims that the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion houses the Biblical Ark of the Covenant in which lie the Twin Tablets of Law, which portray the Ten Commandments that Moses received from God on Mt Sinai.

The Axumite kingdom was founded on the northern tip of Ethiopia at a place called Aksum by the native Sabean people. The creation of this kingdom was an indication of a power shift from the capital at Yeha to the fertile lands of Aksum.

The mysterious and extremely holy city of Lalibela is located approximately 700km north of Addis Ababa. The city is the home to what some consider being the eighth wonder of the world.

The town has 11 rock-hewn monolithic churches built by King Lalibela in the late 12th and 13th century. These miraculous churches with spectacular ancient architectural structures are caved, inside and out, out of massive rocks that took almost 25 years to complete.

King Lalibela was the second son of King Zan Seyum – the 7th King of Zagwe dynasty. He had lived in Jerusalem for 5 years before he became king and aimed at establishing New Jerusalem in Ethiopia. UNESCO has recorded this site as one of the world’s wonders. The Lalibela rock-hewn churches apart from their historical significance are renowned for their excellent and unique rock caving that is believed to have been partly built by angles. The detail displayed on the rocks reflects the beautifully executed craftsmanship of this time.

Sometimes named ‘The Camelot of Africa’, Gondar is situated 700 kilometers north of Addis Ababa at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level. This medieval city was Ethiopia’s capital from 1632 to 1868 and is still one of the prominent historical cities in Ethiopia.

King Fasiladas officially founded Gondar in 1632. It was this Gondarine period that is considered to be the third major dynasty after the Axumite and Zagwe dynasties. The dynasty is historically important for the introduction of a permanent capital. Gondar’s 17th century castles reflect the strong dynasty and the power of progressive rulers. Seven of the dynasty’s kings had their own castles built to show their power and independent, efficient ruling styles.

The city’s main imperial precinct, known as the Royal Enclosure, covers an area of 7.7 hectares and contains five castles raised walkways and connecting tunnels surrounded by high stone walls. The oldest of these is the Castle of Fasiledes, built of stone in the mid-17th century. His castle reflects a number of influences, mainly Axumite, Portuguese and Indian. The tower offers divine panoramic views, even Lake Tana is visible on a clear day.

Gondar is especially significant to the Ethiopian Orthodox community and considered a pinnacle of religious centers across the country. Among the churches in town, Debre Berhan Selassie is famous for its typical Gondarine style and extraordinary ceiling.

Bahir Dar, meaning “sea shore” in Amharic, is an especially beautiful city set on the southeastern shore of Lake Tana which is in fact Ethiopia’s largest Lake. It is also only 30km from the spectacular Tissisat Falls (Blue Nile Falls), which stems off Lake Tana. The falls are always more amazing in the rainy season due to the rising water levels and enormous amounts of water that come crashing down and create that magical mist.

There are picturesque churches and magnificent murals from the 16th & 17th centuries. One of the more famous churches is two stories tall, carved out of stone and has an outside staircase. There are also a number of monasteries on surrounding Bahir Dar islands that can be visited by boat very easily. It is important to always respect these holy grounds of prayer and of course the people that worship.

Daily & weekly markets are a must in Bahir Dar. Beautiful ornaments, jewelry & crafts are available here that would make beautiful gifts for back home

The Semien Mountains are north east of Gondar. They are spectacular and are the perfect trekking site for the adventure seeking traveller. They are listed as one of the official World Heritage Sites. The terrain is magnificent, Ras Dashen being the tallest peak at 4,550m.

The best time of year to visit the Semien Mountains are between November & July, the rainy seasons are too cold and wet and visibility tends to be relatively bad.

It is also possible to see villages along the way where you can meet diverse people and immerse yourself in their culture.

Exciting Ethiopia Tours recommends at least 3 days trekking in this region to fullest experience the calm and peaceful atmosphere in these extraordinary ranges.

Please contact us for more details

Konso Region is located 90 km from Arbaminch with isolated region of the basalt hills. The Konso tribe make the most of the hard, rocky slopes that characterize their relatively dry and infertile homeland. You can visit the old village of Mecheke which is an excellent example of a traditional Konso village. You can see over 800 years of history when you see the wagas, memorial statues to a dead man who has killed an enemy or an animal.

These ancient wooden carvings are arranged in groups, representing the man, his wives, and his vanquished adversaries. Unfortunately the majority of these significant pieces have been stolen or sold to high-end antiques galleries in Europe and America. The Konso people are a reasonably rich tribe, as they have a vast number of terrace fields in the hills. The villages are relatively large and ruled by the elders of the region. Yazai is the charismatic king of Konso, what an honor it is to meet this exceptional human being. The Konso had an fascinating tradition after having a fight with an other tribe. They would take the tibia bones of their dead rivals and during a huge celebration would burn them to ashes.
Many years ago the women were all half nude with a typical white colourful skirt which can still be seen, but as missionaries are very active in the area, they tend to wear Arsenal tee-shirts to hide their breasts. There is in fact a challenge in Ethiopia between Christian and Muslim activists to convert the isolated villages.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added in September 2011 the ‘Konso Cultural Landscape of Ethiopia’ to it’s World Heritage List.