Ethiopia Dos and Don'ts

Addis is sprawling, busy and choking with diesel exhaust. Most tourists flock to the 51 acre compound of two hotel chains, but there are slightly less expensive options where you can actually mingle with the local population and other travelers from the African continent. There are a few things worth seeing, the University of AA on the grounds of the old palace and the national museum (for a replica of 'Lucy' and objects from Menelik II Haile Selassie eras). I'd have much more more on my intinerary that Addis: the countryside is stunning. Take it easy on the injera (lots of yeast!) and check the meat on your lamb skewers, unless you like it raw.

It's a city with two differents side, a poor one, visible everywere: dirty street and poor houses. Another owned by the few lucky men there: big palace and hotel, nice restaurant and big cars. It's not a city with atraction for turist but for many miles is the only place wher you can exchance money or find some bottled water and hire a 4X4. No asphalt's roads souther than Langano so be ready to everything, even cross rivers in the middle of a raining season because the bridge fell down!!

you don't want to be there

I had a 3-week trip to Ethiopia and I found the BEST tour company. GETTS Travel did a fabulous job and the price was great. The owner Yared really cared about every detail and I had the greatest accomodations, guides, cars, sites and meals included. I could not have been happier! GETTS is Grants Express Tour and Travel Services. He is based in Addis and really set up the best tour for me in the historic North in the Southern Omo Valley.

Mursi people accept only new banknotes so keep a good stash of mint 1birr notes with you when visiting. They can get quite agressive and you might see your not-so-new money being thrown on the ground and spat on. Sometimes it takes them months to get to spend it so they keep it hidden, probably buried somewhere. I guess the abundance of crappy notes you get in Ethiopia are their work.