Considering traveling toAfrica? Consider Ethiopia

I have included this page with information on Ethiopia as Ethiopia is special to me.  I spent two years there while in high school; yes it was a long time ago, but I still have vivid memories of the country and the people. I n 2008 I attended a reunion of Alumni from the American/International School that is still based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. One of the alumni happened to be with Ethiopian Airlines. In fact, a reception for the alumni was hosted at the Ethiopian Embassy by Ethiopian Airlines. As I hope to return to Ethiopia in a few years time I thought I should devote some space on my website to Ethiopia. Who knows?  I may raise some interest in getting others to make the trek with me.

Ethiopia is called "the cradle of humankind." It is Africa's oldest independent country and one of the oldest in the world. It is approximately twice the size of Texas and landlocked by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Kenya to the south and Sudan to the west. The country is mostly mountainous, dominated by Africa's highest range, the Simiens and bisected by the Rift Valley.

Ethiopia is Africa's third most populous country with approximately 70 million people and 77 different ethnic groups each with their own distinct language, customs and dress. Most of the country's population are Christians living in the highlands, which is where the country's capital, Addis Ababa, is located. Addis Ababa is at an elevation of about 8,000 feet and has temperate weather throughout the year. When I lived in Ethiopia in the mid 70's, the advertising slogan was "13 months of sunshine"; because although there is a rainy season -- the sun does shine every day!

Addis Ababa is worth spending some time in; the National Museum of Ethiopia (which houses a replica of the 3.2 million year old "Lucy" the oldest hominid found until the recent Ethiopian discovery of the 3.3 million year-old infant "Dikika") is a good place to start; and you shouldn't miss the Mercato. The Mercato in Addis is the largest open-air market in Africa -- a fact I didn't know when we used to go there.

Ethiopian Airlines is the best way to get to Ethiopia. It is considered Africa's best airline and in 2007 celebrated 60 years of operation. They have five flights weekly from Washington Dulles . The morning departures allow seamless connections to 29 African destinations and 50 destinations around the globe.

Ethiopian Airlines has launched "Ethiopian Journeys", a new collection of three vacation packages showcasing the best of East Africa and designed for the US travel consumer.

The "Queen of Sheba Tour" features the northern cultural route of Ethiopia including the famous Blue Nile Falls, Gondar's castles and churches, Lalibela's fascinating churches carved from solid rock, and the ancient history of Axum, the country's oldest city. The "Tanzanian Odyssey" promises to be one of the finest safari experiences in all of Africa, including the Serengeti National Park, the inimitable Mount Kilmanjaro and the spectular Ngorongoro Crater known as the Eden of Africa. The third journey "Ethiopian Tribal Discovery" features the southern route of Ethiopia where travelers can discover tribal communities that have changed little over the last thousand years. All "Ethiopian Journeys" tours include airfare, hotels, land tours and other amenities.

                                                                        

Church of Lalibela

Meskal Celebration

Wild Blue Travel

PO Box 1455, Clarksville, VA  23927

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