There’s a whiff of legend about Ethiopia that will probably always draw travellers, and on many levels the country lives up to the hype. It’s about as rural and agrarian as any country in the world can be these days, its northern circuit is simply packed with historical treasures, it has a wild diversity of terrains and cultures, and it has the opportunity for some fairly OK safari experiences. On top of all its quirkiness, Ethiopia is also blessed with a pretty distinct and delicious cuisine – and it’s cheap to boot! But even with all these draw-cards in hand, Ethiopia’s not an easy game to play as a traveller. Value for money is low, hassle is high, and the backpacking scene is almost non-existent. Then there’s the ancient infrastructure, the bus journeys that take forever, the restaurant service that feels like it will never come, and the political instability of late. While many may come to Ethiopia in prearranged tours and never get dealt a poor hand, for those on a more traditional route Ethiopia will certainly be a memorable experience – no matter how hard you might try to forget! – Daniel
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Top Tips
Pay careful attention to the political situation in Ethiopia at the moment as protests, strikes and road closures are making travel around the country quite difficult.
Ethiopia is for the most part still a very rural (though heavily populated) country. Expect a good deal of hassle when in the most rural areas, especially from very young and persistent children. We would advise you not to further facilitate this behaviour by giving gifts/money as this only further encourages children to skip school.
If you do decide to visit the country during the political unrest, consider flying between destinations. Ethiopian Airlines currently offers large domestic discounts to any customer that also flies with them internationally. For destinations in the north such as Axum, Gondar and Lalibela, you may want to consider flying anyway as bus journeys are often very long between these locations.
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