Visit the Mercato in Addis Ababa, one of Africa's
largest markets, and the National Museum, which contains
the famed fossilized skeleton of Lucy, mankind's oldest ancestor…in Lalibela,
walk the narrow paths and tunnels that connect the ancient rock-hewn churches,
a UNESCO World Heritage site…attend Timket,
the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on January 19th each year with exciting
festivals and pageantry…in Gondar, see the fortresses
and castles that bear evidence of Moorish influence -- the Church
of Debre Birhan Selassie has a beautifully painted roof…in Axum,
Queen of Sheba's capital city, visit the remains of a series of elaborately
carved granite stela and the Church of St. Mary of Zion,
rumored to be the repository of the Ark of the Covenant…on the outskirts
of Axum, visit the Palace of Sheba and the ancient
town of Yeha, with some of Ethiopia's oldest buildings…stop
for a night at Bahir Dar on the banks of Lake
Tana, dotted with islands that are the site of ancient churches and monasteries,
and see the source of the Blue Nile…admire the
power of Tissisat Falls, located at nearby Tis Abbay…explore
Harar, on the eastern escarpment of the Rift Valley,
whose 99 mosques make it one of Islam's holiest cities…go birdwatching
on the lakes of the Rift Valley National Park…in
Bale Mountains National Park, enjoy the alpine climate,
fast-flowing streams, and soaring mountains…in Simien
Mountains National Park, search to see several of the country's endemic
species: Walia ibex, Simien Red fox, and the Gelada baboon…visit Omo
National Park, the largest in the country, with Ethiopia's densest population
of wildlife as well as hominid fossil remains that are over 4 million years
old.
