The beautiful Entoto hills surround Addis Ababa, the highland capital of Ethiopia. While criss-crossing the town, whose terrain is equally hilly, you can enjoy scenic views of the hills covered with an array of vegetation that provide some sort of green backdrop for this century old city.
After just two hours, flying with Kenya Airways or Ethiopian Airlines, Kenyans seeking to reconnect with their roots can touch ground in this Horn of Africa nation, deemed the cradle of mankind.
There, you will have the pleasure of meeting ‘beautiful’ Lucy, the mother of humanity who lived in Ethiopia 3.2 million years ago.
Her skeleton, first discovered in 1974, sits calmly at the National Museum of Ethiopia, near the place she was found and dug up.
Addis Ababa offers an array of luxury hotels that visitors can choose from. The Sheraton Hotel sandwiched between the presidential and prime minister’s palace, is considered the most luxurious.
Its owner, Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi - born to an Ethiopian mother and Saudi Arabian father - was listed by Forbes in 2015 as the world’s second wealthiest black billionaire.
Other popular hotels in the city include the Hilton, Radisson Blu, Addis Regency, Elilly and Golden Tulip.
Addis Ababa, home to the African Union headquarters, is rich in historical architecture, museums and monuments of great historical significance.
Glass art
You can view the old St. George’s cathedral, commissioned by emperor Menelik (II) to commemorate Ethiopia’s remarkable defeat of the Italians in the historic battle of Adwa.
This Orthodox Church is named after St. George, the patron saint of Ethiopia whose icon was carried into the battle for good luck.
The church has a unique octagonal shape and stunning glass art displaying weapons used in that war.
Ethiopia is one of the only two African countries that wasn’t colonised. Despite the Italian soldiers possessing sophisticated weapons, they weren’t skilled at fighting in the highland terrain of the country, which contributed to their defeat.
Nevertheless, Ethiopians still lost their lives during the struggle. A reminder of one such incident is the Yekatit 12 square monument, situated near the cathedral, which commemorates the indiscriminate massacre and imprisonment of Ethiopians (on 19th February, 1937) by the Italian forces.
This followed an attempted assassination of Marshal Graziani, the then Italian viceroy for East Africa.
Another historic monument in the city is the Lion of Judah - considered the symbol of Ethiopia’s monarchy as the country’s kings are believed to be descendants of the biblical King Solomon who was from the Judah clan.
After being erected on the eve of Haile Selassie’s coronation in 1930, the statue was looted by Italians in 1938 and taken to Rome as a symbol of their victory.
It was eventually returned to Addis Ababa in 1960 in a bid to mend relations between the two nations.
Taxi service
Visitors can easily visit all these tourist sites around the city using reliable taxi services (especially vehicles in yellow) which can be boarded outside most hotels.
But those keen to have an organic feel of the city can comfortably take a stroll and do the sightseeing on foot.
Apart from the usual pick-pockets in crowded places, Addis-Ababa is generally a safe city, even at night.
The citizens are warm, friendly and open to helping out with directions or information about key landmarks in the city.
In spite of being more conversant with Amharic and other local languages, most city dwellers can also speak some English.
The country is an ideal tourist destination for Kenyans seeking to ‘disappear’ from the world and enjoy a quiet vacation.
Your boss, work colleagues, annoying relatives or bothersome friends will not be able to reach you since none of the mobile phone companies in Kenya offer roaming services in Ethiopia. You have to buy a local SIM card to communicate with the world.
Ethiopian calendar
According to the Ethiopian calendar, the year is 2008. So technically, you will be far removed from the outside world!
Traditional Ethiopian clothes and local craft can be bought at the Addis Mercato and Shiro Meda market. The country is renowned for its leather products such as jackets, shoes or hand bags that are sold at the famous Stadium leather market at competitive prices.
For high-end exclusive leather bags, it is worth visiting the Zaaf store, run by 27-year- old Abai Schulze. It also has online stores and stockists in Europe and the United States.
Purchases can be made using major credit cards or Birr (Ethiopian currency). You have to carry dollars from Kenya which can then be exchanged for Birr in the country. No one recognises the Kenyan shilling there.
If you would like to sample traditional Ethiopian cuisine, the 2000 Habesha Cultural Restaurant is the place to go.
It serves mouth-watering injera (flat bread with a slightly spongy texture made out of sour dough) accompanied by spicy traditional Ethiopian stews which frequently include beef, lamb, vegetables and various types of legumes. For dessert, the restaurant offers Ethiopian coffee, considered as one of the best in the world.
The place is calm and quiet during the day. But at night, diners can enjoy Ethiopian cultural songs and dances.
For Italian dishes, consider visiting the Mamma Mia restaurant where you will enjoy different pasta dishes, sauces and some of the best dessert in the country. It is run by an Ethiopian couple who previously lived in Italy.
But you need to be cautious when eating raw vegetables in Addis Ababa. Newcomers to this city often complain of severe food poisoning upon consuming them.
