Top places to visit in Ethiopia called the land of ‘hottest place on Earth’

Ethiopia is where the Blue Nile is born. Ethiopia is salt-laden camel trains and own a destination which is called “the hottest place on Earth”. Many call Ethiopia as the “Land of 13 Months of Sunshine”. The country is a land of natural contrasts, with its vast fertile west, its forests, and numerous rivers, and the world's hottest settlement of Dallol in its north. It is a magical country with ancient and spiritual roots and is highly significant in religious history. The beauty of the wild mountains attracts visitors from various parts of the world. Here we will let you know the top eight visiting places or incredible destinations in Ethiopia that you must visit during your trip.

Harar City

Harar is a beautiful, historic, walled city and one of the top visiting places in Ethiopia. It has an enthralling web of narrow alleyways. Harar has been a major commercial center for centuries through its ports to the rest of Africa and the world. UNESCO listed the old walled city, Harar Jugol, as a World Heritage Site in 2006 in recognition of its cultural heritage. Many call it in Arabic as “the City of Saints”. It is considered “the fourth holy city” of Islam with 110 mosques, three of which date from the 10th century, and 102 shrines. One of the popular attraction is the long-standing tradition of feeding meat to spotted hyenas that evolved during the 1960s into an impressive night show for tourists. Other notable shrines are Medhane Alem Cathedral, the house of Ras Mekonnen, the house of Arthur Rimbaud, the sixteenth century Jami Mosque and historic Great Five Gates of Harar. Harrar Bira Stadium is the home stadium for the Harrar Beer Bottling FC. You can also visit the market.

Image Credit: Flickr / Rod Waddington

Simien Mountains

The Simien Mountains National Park in Northern Ethiopia is one of the best visiting places in Ethiopia. The place is an exotic setting and the travellers should visit here to experience the natural beauty Ethiopia is famous for. The gentle mountains at altitudes of around 4,400 metres covered with grasses, isolated trees, and giant Lobelia are found on the high plateau. The tallest peak Ras Dejen of altitude 4,550 metres. The other notable peaks are Mount Biuat and Kidis Yared of altitudes 4,437 metres and 4,453 metres respectively. Jin Bahir Falls is another attracting spot in this place. The mountains are almost unique and beers resemblance with South Africa’s Drakensberg. You can also watch the animals at the Simien Mountains like caracal, walia ibex, and geleda including Ethiopian wolves. The major part of the Semien Mountains consists of remnants of a Hawaiian-type shield volcano. The Kidus Yared peak is situated near the center of the shield volcano. Simien is also remarkable as being one of the few spots in Africa where snow regularly falls. You must dedicate at least a day or two to enjoy Simien Mountains at its best.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Blue Nile Falls

Blue Nile Falls is a highly popular waterfall on the Blue Nile river in Ethiopia. Many people call it by the name Tis Abay in Amharic, which means “great smoke”. The falls, which is 400 metres wide and falling from a deep height of 45 metres, will give you an eclectic experience you have ever felt or captured in-camera earlier. Here, you can sit on the first stone bridge constructed in Ethiopia by Emperor Susenyos whose date goes back to 1626. According to Manuel de Almeida, stone for making lime had been found nearby along the tributary Alata, and a craftsman who had come from India with Afonso Mendes, the Orthodox Patriarch of Ethiopia, supervised the construction. It is said that Blue Nile Falls even mesmerized Queen Elizabeth II of Britain when she visited here.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Danakil Depression

Danakil Depression located in the northern part of the Afar Triangle or Afar Depression is the hottest place on Earth with temperature often surpassing 50-degree Celsius. It is strewn with active volcanoes, hot springs, a lava lake, and salted basins. All this combine to make a very lunar-like landscape. Danakil Depression is one of the lowest places on the planet as it is geographically located 100 metres below sea level. It hardly receives rain throughout the year. Here, the Awash River dries up in a chain of salt lakes such as Lake Afrera, never reaching the Indian Ocean. You can see the thousands of years old volcanoes like Mount Ayalu and Erta Ale and hydrothermal system of Dallol and the Yellow Lake. You should prepare yourself before reaching Danakil Depression as climate can be intolerable if you are not prepared. But you should never give up inserting this spot from your itinerary.

Image Credit: Flickr / Michael Meraner

Lalibela

A town in Amhara Region, Lalibela is globally popular for its rock-cut monolithic churches. The Rock-Hewn Churches were declared a World Heritage site in 1978. The town’s name Lalibela was kept after a member of the Zagwe dynasty, Gebre Mesqel Lalibela who ruled Ethiopia in the late 12^th century and early 13^th century. There are 11 churches in the settlement all built by the King Lalibela. You must visit the churches as these portray a significant engineering feat given that they are all associated with water (which fills the wells next to many of the churches). You can also explore and capture yourself inside the lens at the round huts built of stone, earth and wattle. These portray the culture and tradition of Lalibela, and its architecture.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Babile Elephant Sanctuary

Although only 1,000 elephants are surviving in Ethiopia, the most visible herds live in Babile Elephant Sanctuary. You can reach the destination by taking a short drive from Harar. Apart from the elephants, Babile Elephant Sanctuary is also home to other wild animals like cheetah, leopard, gazelle, lion including exotic birds. You can also enjoy safari at the sanctuary.

Image Credit: Facebook / Ethiopia Mammal Atlas

Omo Valley

The Lower Omo Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site, in recognition of its archaeological and geological importance. You can visit the place in Southwest Ethiopia, which is the home to eight different tribes whose population is around 200,000. They have been living in Omo Valley for centuries keeping their traditions and culture uninfluenced. You can enjoy the bull jumping ceremony, spend night under the stars with Hamar Tribe, purchase materials from the Hamar Tribes from Lively Markets, etc. The prehistoric site near Lake Turkana, the lower valley of the Omo is renowned the world over. The discovery of many fossils there, especially Homo gracilis, has been of fundamental importance in the study of human evolution.

Image Credit: Flickr / Achilli Family | Journeys

Addis Ababa

You should dedicate at least 2 days to visit the remarkable destinations of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. It is the largest city of Ethiopia. You can see the headquarters of the African Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa including various other continental and international organizations. Some of the renowned visiting places in Addis Ababa are Addis Ababa Zoo, National Museum of Ethiopia, Mount Entoto (to get a overlook of the city), Addis Mercato (large open-air marketplace), "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum, Menagesha Suba Forest Park, Adadi Mariam (rock-hewn monolithic church) to name a few.

Image Credit: Flickr / A.Davey

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