Travel

A quick Tour of Addis Ababa

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A stone carved angel stands at the entrance of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa (left) and students walk past the cathedral (right). PHOTO | EMMA NZIOKA | nmg

If you’re a budget traveller but have an insatiable urge to tour and experience different cultures but don’t know where to start, you may want to take a look at Ethiopia.

One of reasons I picked the Horn country for my short trip is that Kenyans do not require a visa if travelling as tourists, making it easy to plan.

If you are travelling for business, you may want to enquire from the Ethiopian embassy as the conditions may be different.

There’s a lot to see in this beautiful country; the capital alone is a dream for history lovers.

Addis is vibrant and alive with culture, perhaps an enduring testament of little western influence compared to other African countries.

Entoto Hill

A trip to the top of this hill, about 10 kilometres from the main city centre, is worth it because of the scenic uphill drive and great panoramic views of the country’s capital. Referred to by some as the roof of Addis Ababa, it is where Emperor Menelik II chose to build his palace, where it still stands today.

For 200 birr (about Sh800), you can get a tour around Menelik’s old palace (very modest by today’s standards), the adjacent Entoto Maryam Church he built and where he was coronated in 1889 as well as the memorial museum where his old possessions are kept.

Here, you can also view the rifle he used in the battle of Adowa when he defeated the Italians in the fight against colonialism.

You may not be let into the church, whose grounds are sacred and entry may be restricted to non-worshippers.

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Menelik II's old palace is considered modest by current standards. PHOTO | LYNETTE MUKAMI | NMG

Shiro Meda market

On your way back from the city, be sure to stop by the Shiro Meda market which is perfect for buying Ethiopian hand-woven traditional fabrics, jewellery and wall art.

I chose to go to this market as it is safer and less chaotic than the famous Addis Mercato, said to be Africa’s largest open air market. Go with a local who can speak Amharic to help with bargaining as a lot of traders tend to hike prices at least threefold when dealing with non-Ethiopians.

National Museum

A tour of Addis Ababa is not complete without a trip to the national museum, where visitors can see ancient fossils of early man, Ethiopian art, old jewellery and beautifully embroidered garments that belonged to past emperors.

The main attraction here is Lucy, the grandmother of humanity and the most complete human fossil in existence. Her bones lay on the basement floor of the museum behind a thick glass display. Carry a charged phone or flashlight just in case, as there was a power outage and it took close to 10 minutes before the generator kicked in.

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Lucy's bones lie on the basement floor of the museum behind a thick glass display. PHOTO | LYNETTE MUKAMI | NMG

After your tour of the museum, you can walk to the nearby Lucy Restaurant for a taste of Ethiopian cuisine. Other places to see in Addis include the Meskel Public Square —legendary for its nightmarish traffic with no traffic lights and the Red Terror Matyrs’ Memorial Museum just nearby.

You can also venture outside Addis and check out the holy city of Axum— believed to have housed the Ark of the Covenant — and Shashemene, the famous promised land for Rastafarians.

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Yod Abyssinia Restaurant

Addis isn’t just about old churches, museums and palaces. What better way is there to experience Ethiopian culture than through food and music? The country’s coffee tradition is legendary and you can experience the brew in one of many cafes that dot the city.

But if you’re looking for a place that combines all of these elements of Ethiopian culture in one place, the Yod Abyssinia cultural restaurant is the best bet.

It serves a variety of traditional Ethiopian food, and in the evenings, you can enjoy this as you watch cultural performances by local artistes.

The ambience is very warm but busy as it’s usually packed with a tourist crowd that make for a great evening of fun and dance.

Don’t forget to get a taste of Tej, the Ethiopian traditional wine made from honey.

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