Is Ethiopia the best place to visit?

Ethiopia can be compared to a basket filled with a variety of fruits. The historical, cultural and natural attractions are ready to satisfy the desire of its visitors.You can come and ‘pick’ your choice or ‘have’ them all at once.

The Capital City, Addis Ababa

The present capital city is founded in 1876, at the height of 2400mts above sea level (The third highest capital in the world).The name Addis Ababa ,means new flower named by Queen Taitu,wife of the great king Menelik the IInd who defeated the European Colonialist at the battle of Adwa.

Addis Ababa is a seat for UN different offices and AFRICAN UNITY. Its museums are notable for large collection of fossils, cultural and historical exhibits and archeological displays. It takes more than a day to exhaustively visit the city.

1. Natural Tourist Attractions

The natural beauty of Ethiopia amazes the first-time visitor. Ethiopia is a land of rugged mountains (some 25 are over 4000 meters high) broad savannah, lakes and rivers. The unique Rift Valley is a remarkable region of volcanic lakes, with their famous collections of birdlife, great escarpments and stunning vistas. Tissisat, the blue Nile falls, must rank as one of the greatest natural spectacles in Africa today. With 14 major wildlife reserves, Ethiopia provides a microcosm of the entire sub-Saharan ecosystem. Birdlife abounds, and indigenous animals from the rare Walia ibex to the shy wild ass, roam free just as nature intended. Ethiopia, after the rains, is a land decked with flowers and with many more native plants than most countries in Africa.

2. Ethiopia's Historical Attractions

Ethiopia, the oldest independent nation in Africa, has a heritage dating back to first century AD. Tradersfrom Greece, Rome, Persia and Egypt knew of the riches of what is now Ethiopia, and by the first century AD, Axum was the capital of a great Empire. This realm became one of the first Christian lands of Africa. Late in the 10th Century, Axum declined and a new Zagwe dynasty, centred what is now Lalibela, ruled the land. Axum, Lalibela and Gonder now provide our greatest historical legacy. It was in the 16th Century that the son of the great explorer Vasco Da Gama came to Ethiopia, but then found a land of many kingdoms and provinces beset by feuds and War.In the 19th Century the great Emperor Menelik led us towards the modern state of Ethiopia, and the country's passage to modernization began. The most popular historical attractions are catagorized under the classic route, that includes Axum, Lalibella, Gondar, Bahir Dar and Harar.

3. Archeological Attractions

The remains of “Lucy" dated from 3.5 million years ago and the recent discovery- RAMIDAS, 4.4 millions years old hominid fossel, makes Ethiopia the Cradle of Mankind. Both are discovered in Haddar, along the Awash river, east of the country. They completed the missing link between Apes and men. Melka Konturie is also an important archeological site where 1.5 million years old stone tools were found. Several cave paintings and stone monuments are found in different parts of the country like Dilla, South of Ethiopia and Dire Dawa east of Ethiopia.


Horizon takes you in its package programs or customized to the facinating attractions based on your time and budget.