The land of Beauty

UNESCO and it’s world heritage list has registered eight of Ethiopia’s Natural and historical sites, namely; the Rock-hewn Churches of Lalibela in 1978 , the Semien Mountains National Park 1978 the Castles of Gondar (Fasil Ghebbi )in 1979 , the Obelisks and Archeological sites of Axum in 1980, the Lower Omo Valley paleoanthropological site in 1980 , the Tiya Stelae and Stone Pillars in 1980 and the Walled City of Harar (Jugol) in 2006.

The varieties of Ethiopia’s stunning landscape and rich climates have given rise to her flora and fauna. Ethiopia is one of the most physically and biologically diverse countries in the world. Out of the 277 species of wildlife, 7 mammals are endemic to Ethiopia. No doubt, the Dallol Depression (one of the hottest places on our planet ) with its astonishing and heart breaking Erta Ale active volcano, the chains of lakes and national parks of the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley, the hot springs, the great rivers and the rivers basins sprouting in all direction of the country, descending from the mountain ranges more than 4000 meters truly makes Ethiopia an unique blend of contrast of colors, sounds and feelings, to say the least .

Abjiatta-Shalla Lakes

Abijatta is surrounded mainly by acacia woodland, the Park covers 887 square kilometers of which 482 Square kilometers are water. Abijatta and Shalla are both

terminal lakes but very different in nature. Lake Abijatta is 14 meters (46 feet) deep, as opposed to Shalla which has a depth of 260 meters (853 feet).

Gambella

Gambella National Park in the west of the country is unique with its large area of swamps and wetlands. The wetlands and the Baro River contain large quantities of bird life (154 species are present in the park), many of them migratory visitors. The park also contains 41 species of wildlife not found elsewhere in Ethiopia.

Blue Nile

Known locally as Tis Isat ’Smoke of Fire’ the Blue Nile Falls is the most dramatic spectacle on either the White or the Blue Nile rivers. The power of the Blue Nile may best be appreciated just thirty kilometers downstream from the point where the river first leaves Lake Tana. There, a rumble of sound fills the air and the green fields and low hills on either bank tremble to the Blue Nile Falls. It is one of the most dramatic spectacles on either the White or Blue Nile, a vision of natural strength and grandeur.

Awash

Lying in the lowlands east of Addis Ababa, and beside the Awash River, the Awash National Park is one of the finest reserves in Ethiopia. The Awash River, one of the major rivers of the Horn of Africa, is crucial to the livelihood of the agricultural lands in the north-eastern part of Ethiopia.

Lake Tana

Covering more than 3600 square kilometers, Tana is Ethiopia’s largest lake. known to the ancient Greeks as Pseboa, its sometimes stormy waters are traversed by reed boats, called tankwas.The Blue Nile river flows out of the lake with tremendous force and volume over the basalt shoulder in a giant cataract and onwards from there, ever downwards through dark and angry defiles, towards the deserts of Sudan on is way to enrich Egypt’s fertile delta.

Lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia, is the source of the famed Blue Nile and is where it starts its long journey to Khartoum, and then on to the Mediterranean. The 37 islands that are scattered about the surface of the lake shelter

Fascinating churches and monasteries. Some of which have histories dating back to the 13th century.

Tana's Treasures

At the northern end of the Lake Tana, the Susneyos palace is a forerunner of the magnificent palaces and castles of Gondar, and dates from the time of Emperor Susneyos. Kebran Gabriel monastery is the principal monastery visited by tourists on the one of Lake Tana’s islands. (male only permitted). Its impressive Cathedral-like building was first built at the end of the 17th century.

Omo River

The Omo River tumbles its way 350 kilometers through a steep inaccessible valley before slowing its pace as it nears the lowlands and then meanders through flat, semi-desert bush, eventually running into Lake Turkana. Since 1973, the river has proved to be a major attraction for white-water rafters.

Field, he has worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA , Rockwell International and for the Boeing Company (leading American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer).

Bale Mountains

Bale Mountains National Park is 2,400 square kilometers (1,488 square miles) in area, covering a wide range of habitats and ranging in altitude from 1,500 to 4,377 meters (4,920 to 14,357 feet). It is the highest point in southern Ethiopia.

Rift Valley

The Ethiopian Rift Valley, which is part of the famous East African Rift Valley, comprises numerous hot springs, beautiful lakes and a variety of bird life. The valley is the result of two parallel faults in the earth's surface between which, in distant geological time, the crust was weakened, and the land subsided.

Dallol Depression

The Afar area where the Ethiopian Rift Valley meets the Red Sea is one of the most inhospitable parts of the earth. Much of this area was flooded by the Red Sea, a flood that was subsequently stemmed by fresh volcanic activity that raised barriers of basaltic lava.

Nech Sar

Covering 514 square kilometers (319 square miles), Nechisar National Park is situated near the town of Arba Minch, 510 kilometers from Addis Ababa. Lakes Abaya and Chamo are the twin rift valley lakes separated by a neck of land better known as a the "Bridge of Heaven".

Mago

Covering an area of 2,162 square kilometers on the banks of the Omo River, the Mago National Park is relatively undeveloped for tourists. The broad grasslands are teeming with herds of Buffalo, Giraffe, Elephants and Kudu.

Simien Mountains

The Simien Mountains massif is a broad plateau, cut off to the north and west by an enormous single ridge over 60 kilometers long. To the south, the tableland slopes gently down to 2,200 meters, divided by gorges 1,000 meters deep, which can take more than two days to cross. Insufficient geological time has elapsed to smooth the contours of the ridges and buttresses of hardened basalt.

Zion Church

The oldest church in Africa south of the Sahara is the first St Mary of Zion church, originally built around the 4th century. Emperor Fasilidas replaced it with a newer church around 1635 which is still a place of active worship, notable for its crenellated, fortress-like walls.

Sof Omar Cave

The Sof Omar cave system,120 kilometers east of Goba in Bale region, is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground courses. There exsists a cave system of the distant past and a newly carved channel through limestone foothills. The 16 kilometer cave system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty.

Fasilidas Castle

The graceful city of Gondar was founded by Emperor Fasilidas around 1635 famous for its many medieval castles and the design and decoration of its churches. Flanked by twin mountain streams Gondar retains an atmosphere of antique charm mingled with an aura of mystery. The city was once a vigorous and vital center of religious learning and art. For more than two hundred years skilled instruction in painting, music, dance, poetry and many other saw their elegant capital as a phoenix and so patronized the arts.

The so called bathing palace of Emperor Fasilidas is filled with water every year for the Timket ceremony.

Axum

Axum is renowned for the world’s tallest monoliths, or obelisks, carved from single pieces of rock. The largest obelisk, measuring over 33 meters and weight over 500 tones, fell long ago and now lies in pieces.

Another, 24 meters high, was looted by Italy in 1937 and now it has been returned, and a third, 23 meters high, remains standing. All three of these stelae(obelisks)were neatly carved with ‘doors’ and ‘windows’ to give the appearance of very tall buildings.

Debre Damo

56 kms from Axum is the monastery of Debre Damo (closed to women), which is said to have the oldest existing intact church in Ethiopia. Local tradition says that Abune Aregawi, one of the nine Saints, built the church in the 6th century.

Lalibela

King Lalibela is credited with the foundation of the 11 Rock-hewn churches in the 12th century. It is considered to be one of the world’s most incredible man made creations. They are a lasting monument to man’s faith in God. These remarkable edifices were carved out of the solid rock, in region where the rugged landscape still protects the churches from mass tourism.

Bird Watching

Ethiopia’s Rift valley lakes, highland massifs, lowlands and semi-deserts provide the varied terrain to support an amazing variety of birds. The country’s position and terrain has enabled the evolution of many birds of the region into unique forms and species. Ethiopia boasts 857 bird species, of which 16 are considered endemic. Whether in the highland forests of plateau, on the lakes, or in the lowlands, Ethiopia is an ornithological paradise for bird watchers.