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Best places to visit in Ethiopia

The problem when planning a trip to Ethiopia isn't knowing what there is to do, but rather figuring out how to see everything!

How do you choose between hiking in the Simien mountains, a national park with incredible scenery, ranging from a precipice to valleys 1,500 m below, filled with indigenous species, and discovering modern Ethiopia at Addis-Abeba, its capital, a town where construction continues apace, where buildings worthy of New York jostle for space with small, wooden shacks, museums, Ethio-jazz clubs and the old quarters of the Piazza and the station? 

Between sunbathing on the beaches of lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia, where you can watch fishermen drawing up their fish-filled nets, and the newly listed UNESCO world heritage sites: the impressive churches carved into the Lalibela rock, the magnificent fortified town of Haran, where Rimbaud, the French poet, spent some time, the ruins of the ancient town of Aksoum and the majestic monolithic obelisk? 

Between exploring one of the new national parks in search of scenery and wild animals – the park at Awash offers panoramic views from the summit of the Fentale volcano, while the park at Gambela is home to elephants, crocodiles, lions, antelopes, hippopotami, red hartebeest, monkeys... – and spending an unforgettable night in the villlage of the Mursi, a semi-nomadic population known for their ear ornaments, worn particularly by the women, who are termed 'plate women'?

And finally, why not adventure into the strange Danakil desert? Situated 116 m above sea level, the volcano there is covered by a thick layer of salt, coloured by a surprising palette of sulfur, salt and other minerals.

Loleh Rustenholz
This town in the north of the country, on the border of Eritrea, is famous for its giant stelae erected by one of the first civilisations known to man, the Sabians, who reigned in the 10th century BC., and which flourished until the 7th century AD.
Village in the vicinity of Kombolcha and Dessie, known specifically for its weekly market (on a Monday).
This village, situated at an altitude of 3000 metres, is around 40km from Arba Minch. It is the highest point in the Dorze kingdom.
This volcanic furnace located at 136.8 metres above sea level, on the border with Eritrea, is a multicoloured plateau with an unearthly appearance surrounded by salt mountains. You can also visit the salt caravans and salt mine.
At 1hr 30min from Addis Ababa, this town with 5 crater lakes is a favourite with residents from the capital, who descend in droves on sunny weekends.
It is the largest Hamar village, around 30km from Turmi, on the road to Jinka.
Situated in the heart of the Danakil desert at the border of Eritrea, this active volcano is famous for its spectacular lava lake.
A city scattered with impressive historical monuments
A very beautiful fortified city, in which Arthur Rimbaud settled and where African and Muslim people mix.
Hawzen is a Tigrayan village situated between Mekele and Aksoum) that, along with Wukro, has the best selection of accommodation. It's conveniently close to Tigray's most spectacular churches, including Mariam Korkor, Abouna Yemata and Debre Damo.
Jinka is the stopover village in the Omo valley on the way to the Mago National Park where the Mursi live.
As its name indicates, Konso is the main village of the Konso tribe who live in this region of the Omo Valley.
Lake Assale, also known as Lake Karum, is located in the heart of the Danakil Desert, next to the Danakil Depression. It evaporates under the sun during the dry season and turns into a salt pit, to where camel caravans travel.
One of the most famous towns in Ethiopia, known for its incredible rock cut churches.
Simien National Park is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It extends across 220 km² and includes the highest peak in the country, Ras Dashen, which reaches an altitude of 4450m. Entrance formalities for the National Park are done at Debarq.
Meaning "New Flower" in Amharic, the capital of Ethiopia bears witness to its name: an huge city undergoing constant change.
Awash National Park is the dream location for discovering Ethiopia's animals and landscapes.
Peaceful town bordering the lake of the same name, a few hours from the capital by road.
It is lovely to cycle around this peaceful town at the edge of Lake Tana.
It is the last Afar village before the Danakil desert, the Dallol Depression and the Erta Ale volcano, on the Djibouti road not far from Eritrea. Usually groups stop here either before or after expeditions into the desert.
Langano Lake is Addis Ababa's wealthy population's holiday resort. You would think yourself at the seaside, in a country where there is none.
The large city of Arba Mich, home to fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, is situated around 520 kilometres from Addis Ababa, in the south of the country. It is the last stopover city before the Omo valley.
This village, located near Omo National Park and also Mago National Park in Omo Valley, is the gateway to the villages of the Mursi, Suri, Beheta, Koromu and Dizi tribes.
With a population of 220 000 inhabitants, Mek'ele is northeastern Ethiopia's big city. This is the departure point for excursions to the Danakil Desert and the Tigray villages all around Hawzen where there are remarkable churches to visit.
Yabelo is a small village in southern Ethiopia in the Omo Valley next to the natural reserve of the same name, in Borana country.
Yeha is a small village in the Tigray situated roughly between Hawzen and Axsum, just before Adwa. It is famous for its pre-Axumite temple, one of the most ancient archeological sites in the country and even the world.
Irgalem is a town in the south of Ethiopia located in the Omo Valley, in Sidama country. It has almost 50,000 inhabitants and is at an altitude of 1700 metres.
It's the only town at the foot of Simien National Park, located between Aksoum and Gondar, a main place to stop, where you pay an entrance fee for the park and choose your guides, scout, cook, routes, etc. before the climb. 
A road stop between Addis Ababa and Gondar, it's a large city in the north-east of Ethiopia with a few interesting places in the surrounding areas. 
It is a large city with more than 200,000 inhabitants living in the west of the country. It is an important trading centre in Ethiopia which holds little interest for tourists.

Best time to visit Ethiopia

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