Eastern Ethiopia
If you’re travelling east of Harar on a Monday or Thursday, don’t miss the super-atmospheric livestock market in the village of Babille – it's one of…
Must-see attractions in Eastern Ethiopia
Eastern Ethiopia
With its superb architecture and dramatic setting, the clifftop village of Koremi, 19km southeast of Harar above the Erer Valley, is a definite must-see…
Harar
Harar’s old walled town (known as Jugal) is a fascinating place that begs exploration. The thick, 5m-high walls running 3.5km around town were erected in…
Eastern Ethiopia
The little-explored territory and salt lakes scattered around Asaita are something of a holy grail for serious adventurers. This area remains one of the…
Harar
Located north of Fallana Gate, this is one of Harar's two hyena feeding stations. A highlight of any visit to Harar, this impressive spectacle begins…
Harar
One of Harar's two infamous hyena feeding sites, it is located about 1.5km east of Erer Gate (near the garbage dump). This site is usually more productive…
Eastern Ethiopia
Easily accessible from Addis Ababa, 756-sq-km Awash National Park is one of Ethiopia’s most visited parks. However, if you’re here for the thrill of…
Eastern Ethiopia
Despite considerable tree cutting, livestock grazing and land encroachment, Babille is better protected than many of Ethiopia’s national parks, and the…
Harar
Near the middle of the walled city, and often mistakenly called Rimbaud’s House, is this museum dedicated to French poet Arthur Rimbaud with a series of…
Eastern Ethiopia
Lying just north of the town centre, Lake Hora is the wildest of Bishoftu's lakes and features some outstanding birdlife along its lushly vegetated slopes…
Ras Tafari's House & Sherif Harar City Museum
Harar
Close to Rimbaud’s House, the conspicuous Ras Tafari’s House was built by an Indian trader and many of its features, such as the Ganesh carving above the…
Eastern Ethiopia
At Filwoha Hot Springs, in the far north of the park, around 30km from the highway, you can swim in the turquoise-blue pools, but they’re not as…
Harar
The tomb of Sheikh Abadir, Harar’s legendary founder and second emir, is an important pilgrimage site. His tomb still attracts worshippers seeking…
Dire Dawa
With its Babel-like ambience, the enormous Kafira Market, sprawling way beyond its Moorish-style arches, is the most striking of Dire Dawa's markets…
Eastern Ethiopia
In the Dakhata Valley (better known as the Valley of Marvels), tall rocks have been sculpted into strange, often phallic shapes by the elements. The name…
Eastern Ethiopia
Towards the west end of the park, 600m above the plains, lies Fantale Crater (2007m). With its terrific vistas, total quiet and cool air, this dormant…
Harar
The Smugglers’ Market is chock-full of counterfeit clothing and electronics (some real stuff, too) from China. Most of it is smuggled in from Somaliland…
Eastern Ethiopia
The best way to appreciate this scenic body of water is from the crater rim at one of the hotels, drink in hand. The view is sensational. According to…
Harar
Harar’s great mosque is the only one inside the wall big enough to host both men and women. The mosque was built in the 16th century, though according to…
Dire Dawa
Rail fans can clamber through what remains of the once-great Imperial Railway Company of Ethiopia. Ask for Kadra Ali – she can get by in English and will…
Harar
The main square is a bustling place with several minor points of interest. Most conspicuous is the monument to those who died fighting against Menelik’s…
Harar
Elbow your way through the Shoa Gate Market (also known as the Christian Market) to find etan (incense) from the Jijiga area; it’s used in the famous…
Harar
Near the Shoa Gate Market is the Recycling Market where men repair metal materials and beat scrap into useful utensils. The whole area is undergoing a…
Eastern Ethiopia
Below Fantale, a few kilometres north of the village of Metahara, you can routinely see dozens of spotted hyenas exit their dens around dusk.The Birr300…
Harar
One of just two churches in Old Harar, St Mary Catholic Church is a haven of peace and a good spot if you need to unwind. It’s a French Catholic mission…
Harar
Gidir Magala (previously known as the Muslim market) is the main market and the city’s biggest butchery. Watch how the locals hide their meat purchases…
Harar
Emir Nur’s Tomb resembles a spiky green beehive. It’s devoted to the ruler who built the city’s walls, and his wife is also buried inside. You enter the…
Ashawa Market & Livestock Market
Dire Dawa
With its numerous sheet-metal shacks in the back, the chaotic Ashawa Market is well worth a gander. In the wadi behind Ashawa you'll find the livestock…
Dire Dawa
Also known as ‘Taiwan’, this is a modern, orderly covered market mostly full of clothing and fabric, though some of the cheap electronic goods that used…
Eastern Ethiopia
Lake Babogaya (formerly named Bishoftu Guda) is the site of most of Bishoftu's high-end resorts. With its beautiful backdrop of volcanic Mt Yerer, this…
Eastern Ethiopia
The tiniest of the lakes dotted around town, pretty Lake Kuriftu is notable for the sprawling Kuriftu Resort and Spa that hugs the north shore.
Harar
Leading southeast from Feres Magala, this narrow, atmospheric street is jam-packed with tailors’ workshops, which is how it came to be called ‘Sewing…
Harar
Don’t expect a fairy-tale castle. This late-19th-century ‘palace’ is a sharp-edged, charmless building. You can climb to the top floor and soak up the…
Harar
What is called Queen Taitu’s Palace, next door to Ras Makonnen's Palace, was neatly restored and now shelters a training centre for craft makers.
Dire Dawa
Chat is sold all over town, but the trade at the Chattara Market is so frenetic it deserves a look.
Harar
In the centre of Ras Makonnen Sq stands a rather Italian-looking, equestrian statue of the ras (duke) cast in bronze by the well-known Amhara artist…
Eastern Ethiopia
Twice a year, tens of thousands of pilgrims converge on the little town of Kulubi and its hilltop cathedral, Kulubi Gabriel, built by Ras Mekonen to thank…
Harar
You don’t come to this place below Mikael Church for the graves, but for the excellent views of the old town from the road below them. Photography is best…
Harar
Said Ali Hamdogn was an important 12th-century religious leader. His whitewashed tomb can easily be visited; it looks a little like a miniature mosque…
Eastern Ethiopia
Shallow Lake Chelekleka, 2km west of the main roundabout, is a birdwatcher favourite, and lesser flamingos as well as pelicans and various species of…
