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Considered as the Motherland of Humanity, Ethiopia has possibly the oldest settlement in the world for being the home of the earliest humans like Lucy, considered as the oldest, best preserved human fossil in the planet. Although no one knows if the Garden of Eden existed in Ethiopia, this country east of Africa is an Eden in its own right for having some of the continent's most well-maintained national parks and tourist attractions: medieval castles, rock-hewn churches, natural hot springs, and hostile environments.
Ethiopians are proud of their cultural identity as Africa's oldest independent nation and the continent's most bejeweled in terms of World Heritage Sites. They were never colonized so the locals still largely speak Amharic, follow their own 13-month calendar, and sometimes, even become xenophobic. Nonetheless, they are among Africa's most respectful people and are known for treating all people equally. They are particularly famous for their coffee ceremonies as the country is the origin of the coffee bean.
As the world's second oldest Christian nation, Ethiopia is full of medieval marvels such as the rock-hewn churches of Tigray and Lalibela, Lake Tana's centuries-old monasteries, and Gonder's 17th-century castles or "Africa's Camelot." Aksum, Axum Kingdom's former capital, has ancient tombs and soaring obelisks that in their heydays were envied by Egyptian pharaohs. Since the earliest days of Islam, a considerable Muslim minority has thrived in Ethiopia. The country was the first Hijira (migration) site in Islamic history and has the earliest ninth-century Sultanates, the oldest Muslim community in Africa (Negash), and the fourth holiest Muslim city, the ancient walled city of Harar.
A tropical monsoon dominates the Ethiopian air, making adventure a chilly experience especially in elevated areas such as Simien Mountains, Ethiopia's biggest mountain range, known to hikers and wildlife watchers for its precipices and ‘bleeding heart' baboons. Faded savannahs, Rift Valley lakes, zebra colonies and rare Abyssinian lions are the safari attractions of another park, Nechisar.
Thousands of avian wonders perform a ballet in the blue bays of Abijatta Shalla, while in the spa town of Sodere, natural hot springs and masseuses provide travelers some relaxation. The usual highlight of the spa experience is a huge campfire providing good opportunity for tourists from around the globe to meet each other and affirm Ethiopia's status as a crossroad between civilizations.
Ethiopia Traveler Advice
Ethiopia photography
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this is really good. vegeterian enjira. Ethiopian love Enjira. they eat it 3 times a day. with their by Barak
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Dressing up for st. Michael's day by Barak
Naser - one of the refugee representatives by Barak
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User blogs:
What to see in Sydney, Australia
Sydney is a beautiful and livable city and is one of the most famous and representative in Australia. It 's definitely the cultural capital, although the administrative capital is the nearby Canberra. Despite his poor beginnings as a British penal colony, now Sydney has a diverse population that seems to live quite well by its variety. This city has many hotels to choose from. Pick up one that has ... Read full Blog post
A trip to Siargao
Seeing people that are “living their dream” is always inspirational, it looks so rewarding and peaceful, breaking from the chains of conformism, doing what you always dreamt to do since you were a kid, it doesn’t have to make you huge loads of money or bring you world fame just a feeling of self fulfillment, last time I checked, you can’t put a price tag on that one. In Siargao ... Read full Blog post
Some of the best natural parks in the US
The natural parks of the United States are very different from what we are used to seeing in the rest of the world and in most travel blogs and travel news. Large, spectacular and complete, without a doubt a very preferred destination for holidays by the Americans. There are 58 National Parks in the U.S. well preserved and operated by the Federal National Park Service. Besides these you can ... Read full Blog post
San Gimignano and San Pellegrino
Night falls on the flourishing and industrious San Gimignano, its 72 towers stand on the low roofs of the houses lit by the moon. This is not a luxury travel spot but is something you don't see every day. In the distance the clatter of hooves echoed tired in the Via Francigena. The hand of the blacksmith stops beating, the frame of the weaver becomes silent, the streets of the tank only a concert ... Read full Blog post
Destinations
See All- Addis Ababa
- Aksum
- Gondar
- Lake Tana
- Lalibela
- Lower Omo Valley
- Nechisar National Park
- Semien Mountains
- Sodere
- More destinations
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