Three whales on which the land of the Ethiopian “excursion” stands – nature, ancient architectural monuments, secular and religious, as well as a peculiar way of life – not only primitive tribes with a “saucer” in their lips, but also quite modern inhabitants of the country in the same Addis Ababa, as well as unique natural phenomena, such as, for example, the Erta Ale volcano.
If (quite conditionally) we divide the territory of the country into three thematic zones, then in half of Addis Ababa and further to the north there will be the main cultural and historical interests, and in the southern regions there will be authentic primitive tribes with ethnic villages. Between them is the vast Bale Mountains National Park, rich in breathtaking panoramas and all kinds of natural exoticism, and to the northeast of it, almost from the center of the country to the Red Sea coast, there are lands of volcanoes, whose landscapes make no sense to describe: you just need to see them.
Acquaintance with the sights of Ethiopiausually start from Addis Ababa. Its main places of tourist interest are the house-museum of the father of modern Ethiopia, Emperor Menelik II on Mount Entoto, the colorful Shiro-Meda market and the National Museum, which exhibits one of the most important evidence of the long and intricate history of “homo sapiens” – the remains of Australopithecus Lucy, whose age exceeds 3.2 million years. The Ethnographic Museum, repeatedly recognized as the best in Africa, is located in the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie. and death. Even in the capital, it is worth visiting the Cathedral and the Museum of St. George, the memorial museum of the victims of the Red Terror, a monument-icon of every self-respecting rastaman – the Lion of Judas, as well as the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity and the Museum of Natural History with stuffed rare animals. Let’s not fail to mention Pushkin Square, on which rises a monument to the Sun of efi… that is, Russian poetry, remarkable for its similarity with the original.
According to Wholevehicles, Lake Tana with the city of Bahr Dar delight with ancient monasteries on the islands, as well as excellent infrastructure for tourists – it is here that some of the best hotels in the country are located. The Blue Nile itself originates from the lake, the waterfalls of which can be seen downstream by going on an excursion, and the peasants living along its banks still sail on papyrus boats built exactly the same as in the time of the pharaohs.
Lalibela is the ancient capital of Ethiopia, remarkable primarily for its twelve 12th-century rock-cut churches that are still in operation today. Crowds of tourists come here for the colorful celebration of the Orthodox Christmas. Still here they still live in round stone huts with a thatched roof, pretty much reminiscent of the houses of the Moomin trolls.
People come to Gondar to see the ruins of the royal palaces of the Solomonic dynasty and at least some of the more than 40 ancient churches, including the 17th century Debre Berhan Church, whose vaults are frescoed with images of the faces of angels.
Of the national parks of Ethiopia, Semien is more famous than others: here is the highest peak of the country, Ras Dashen (4600 m), on the slopes covered with moist forest, rare animals live that are not found anywhere else on the planet: the Ethiopian wolf, mountain goat Walia and a special subspecies of baboons. Bird lovers will be impressed by the opportunity to observe more than 50 species of birds.
The Omo River Valley and the Great Rift Valley represent primeval Ethiopia. There are landscapes of incredible beauty and spiritual strength, numerous tribes live here, who have preserved the culture of the Stone Age to this day. Each tribe is unique: some paint their faces and bodies with white clay, others boast intricate tattoos, others insert a wooden plate into a cut in their lower lip… Tourists can visit the local ethnographic museums, share a meal with the natives and watch in jumping over a bull. Well, guests of the Great Rift Valley are waiting for amazingly beautiful relic lakes and no less ancient canyons.
Erta-Ale is one of the few permanently active volcanoes on the planet with regular eruptions and two whole lakes of red-hot lava “complete”. It is located in the northeast of Ethiopia in the remote Afar region of the Danakil desert. A trip to Erta-Ala is often combined with a visit to the Dalol Geyser Valley – a shallow depression covered with a layer of very salty water with salt crystals and fountains of geysers rising above the surface.