Ethiopia Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

Ethiopia may not actually have been the domain of the Queen of Sheba, as legend has it. And it may not be the final resting place of the lost Ark of the Covenant, either. But it's the home of some of the most remarkable ancient civilizations in the world—and the land where the fossilized remains of our earliest human ancestors have been uncovered. The country's mountainous landscape is covered with old ruins, remains and wonders—ancient sculpted obelisks, walled Islamic towns and thousand-year-old churches carved out of solid rock. It also has its share of wild places—with lions and hippos and untamed rivers. As English novelist Evelyn Waugh once observed, Ethiopia is a country of "crazy enchantment."

Unfortunately, the country is still recovering from its border war with Eritrea. Most of the population is desperately poor, and parts of the country are prone to periodic droughts and famines. Ethiopia's amazing attractions come with plenty of flies and starving beggars. Tourist infrastructure is growing, but slowly. Travelers with a flexible and adventurous temperament will be enchanted, but others will find traveling in Ethiopia too stressful to enjoy.

Geography

History

Bounded on its highland plateau by steep mountains and desolate lowlands, Ethiopia was once known as the "Hidden Empire." It evolved in relative isolation, protected by its fierce fighters and impassable terrain. Greek-speaking traders and Coptic missionaries based in Alexandria, Egypt, converted King Ezana of Ethiopia to Christianity in the fourth century AD, leading to the creation of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which is still going strong 16 centuries later. After the eighth century, Ethiopia became increasingly cut off from the Mediterranean Christian world by the expansion of Islam. The east still supports a sizable Islamic community, founded during the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammed.

For much of the 20th century, Ethiopia was led by Haile Selassie (formerly known as Ras Tafari). Selassie was crowned emperor in 1930 in an elaborate ceremony that inspired books and even a religion (Jamaica's Rastafarianism). Despite his lavish lifestyle and (at least in Jamaica) divine status, Selassie was unable to keep Italy from overrunning Ethiopia in 1935. In 1941, Haile Selassie returned to lead rebel troops, and with the help of the British, he liberated Ethiopia from Mussolini's forces. In 1952, the country was linked in a federation with Eritrea, but civil war broke out 10 years later when Ethiopia unilaterally annexed Eritrea.

The strain of a long, drawn-out war eventually led to the 1974 coup and revolution that deposed Haile Selassie and brought in a Marxist military regime, known as the Dergue. The colonels in power tolerated no dissent and initiated mass killings and forced relocations. (The regime set new standards for government cruelty: When citizens arrived to claim the bodies of state-murdered dissenters, the regime asked them to pay for the bullets in the victims.) Neighboring Somalia took advantage of the confusion and invaded, starting a war over the desolate Ogaden region. As popular discontent swelled, an Ethiopian rebel group formed and combined with the Eritreans to rack up victories against the government.

By the early 1990s, the Ethiopian military was defeated and the rebels took control of the country. Eritrea seceded and officially became a separate nation in 1993. Meanwhile, in what remained of Ethiopia, a transitional government was created and, by 1995, a new constitution had been written and ratified. The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) began to run the country.

In 1998, the two countries went to war over their common border. The disputed territory was tiny, but the war continued sporadically for years before the U.N. delineated an official boundary that was accepted by both sides in 2002. The enmity between the two governments, however, has not dissipated.

Since 2000, the Ethiopian government has been pushing for a cultural revival. Historical landmarks are being resurrected, such as the Axum Obelisk. Billboards around Addis Ababa advertise the many culturally and historically significant places and events around the country. In addition to the rebuilding of history, there have been large advances in infrastructure. Although most of the country is still undeveloped, Addis Ababa is home to television stations, skyscrapers and Internet cafes, and, to a lesser extent, so are other large towns such as Bahir Dar, Gonder and Mekele.

Ethiopia's first democratic elections were held in 2005. In a highly contentious election, the EPRDF held onto power. Violence broke out between students and the government in the weeks after the election, but it quieted down quickly, and the situation has been stable ever since.

Snapshot

Ethiopia's chief attractions are unique cultures, historical sites spanning 2,500 years, religious shrines, the Blue Nile, game reserves, trekking, ancient markets and architecture.

Well-traveled people who are interested in both African culture and religious history should consider travel to Ethiopia. It's not a destination for inexperienced travelers, those who seek a wide variety of shopping and nightlife, or anyone who would be upset by inconveniences, poverty and last-minute changes.

Potpourri

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church's claim of holding the Ark of the Covenant may be on thin ice historically, but it is the foundation of the church just the same. Theologically speaking, being designated the caretakers of the ark signifies a covenant between God and the Ethiopians: It implies that Ethiopians are a "chosen people." This might explain why no one has been allowed to verify the church's claim that the ark rests in the Church of St. Mary in Aksum.

Ethiopia, unlike any other African country, maintained freedom from colonial rule during the late 19th century, when the Italian army was repulsed by Ethiopia's King Menelik II and his army at Adwa. Italy claimed revenge when it occupied Ethiopia in 1936, but independence was restored when the Italians were booted out in 1941, and Ethiopian has otherwise been successful in keeping out foreign colonists.

The Amharic word for foreigner is ferengi. (It's synonymous with gringo in Latin America.) Expect to hear children remind you of your status with shouts of "ferengi, ferengi!"

Ethiopia has a reputation for producing superb long-distance runners. In the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Abebe Bikila ran barefoot to become the first black African to win an Olympic marathon (and he won again in Tokyo four years later). In 1996, Ethiopian policewoman Fatuma Roba won the gold medal for the women's marathon. The country's most successful athletic export, however, is marathon runner Haile Gebreselassie.

Paleontologists believe the Great Rift Valley region is the cradle of humankind. "Lucy," the headless skeleton who is at least 3 million years old, was discovered along the Awash River in 1974. Called Dinkinish (Thing of Wonder) by the Ethiopians, she was determined to be the earliest known, reasonably complete example of the human ancestor Australopithecus afarensis. In 1994, a skull believed to belong to a male of the same species was found only about a mile/kilometer away from the Lucy dig. Pushing back the human evolutionary clock farther still was the discovery of a 5.8 million-year-old "missing link" skull that shows clear affiliations with both humans and chimpanzees.

The Amharic alphabet is unique to the language and contains approximately 260 characters, each of which denotes one syllable.

The Julian calendar is used in Ethiopia. It has 12 months of 30 days (the remaining five or six days form a 13th month). The new year begins on 11 September (the end of the rainy season), and the 24-hour day begins at sunrise (if the sun rises at 7 am, then that's 1 o'clock locally). Business, however, is conducted on standard international time, using the Western calendar. The Ethiopian calendar is approximately eight years behind the modern Gregorian calendar.

Rastafarianism, the mystical Jamaican religion, takes its name from Ras ("Prince") Tafari Mekonnen, who was crowned as Emperor Haile Selassie I in 1927. Some Jamaicans regard him as the African messiah predicted by back-to-Africa leader Marcus Garvey.

Residents of Kefa (also known as Kaffa) claim the province gave its name to coffee.

Khat is a mildly narcotic plant with stimulating effects that has become Ethiopia's biggest unofficial export product (Harer is the world's top producer). Aficionados will chew the bitter leaves doggedly for hours, swallowing the juice.