ETHIOPIA

If there is a sense of magic left in the world today, it surely exists in Ethiopia. This magical, mystical country in the northeast of the African continent is one of the most astounding places you will ever visit.

 

Lying at the northern end of the Great Rift Valley, the land stretches from the heights of the Simien and Bale mountains to the depths of the Danakil depression – the lowest, and one of the hottest points on the African continent. The range of regions and cultures in this land-locked country is astounding.

 

The north is an ancient land of fertile well-watered mountains that form the main source of the Blue Nile.  Here you will find the home of the Ethiopian Wolf, the most endangered predator on the African continent. This part of Ethiopia has long stood at the cultural crossroads of Africa, Arabia and the Mediterranean. The area boasts unique and magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Aksum, Lalibela, Gondar and the Simien Mountains National Park, among others. Ancient Christian heritage in this area created the churches, hewn out of solid rock and amazing to visit.

 

By contrast, the South is a land of misty highland meadows and tall escarpment forests.  Sitting as it does on the floor of the Rift valley, the area is dotted with beautiful lakes renowned for their diverse profusion of birds. The ethnic diversity of this astonishing region showcases the remote tribes of South Omo, the singing wells of the desert-dwelling Borena, towering Dorze homesteads and thousand year old island monasteries.

 

Ethiopia is an ancient country whose unique cultural heritage, rich history, and remarkable biodiversity are unmatched in Africa.