Articles and advice on traveling to Ethiopia, including visiting Lalibela, Simien Mountains, Gheralta Mountains, Addis Ababa, Gondar and Axum. Also includes an overview of Ethiopian food and history.
What is Ethiopian food? For us, Ethiopian food is one of the world's most unique, fascinating and delicious cuisines. In addition to its flavorful dishes, stews, and spices, Ethiopian cuisine also features a strong culture around how food is served and shared with friends and family.
This Ethiopian food guide includes an extensive list of traditional Ethiopian dishes you seek out and what sort of flavors and spices might you find when you visit the country or an Ethiopian restaurant at home.
I left my heart in San Francisco, but I left my hair in Ethiopia.
The danger sign was there, quite literally. The two hairstyle options apparently available to me at my Ethiopian barber shop of choice: Ricky Martin and Ludacris.
I was in northern Ethiopia with a mess I’d deliberately grown out for almost two months — saving myself, the African haircut virgin — and I was determined to navigate yet another haircut-as-cultural-experience. A World Wrestling Entertainment match, piped in from somewhere in the Middle East (who knew WWE needed subtitles?), blared on the television. All the men in the shop sported either dreadlocks or close cut afros.
Curious about Ethiopia and what you might experience there? From its ancient history and rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to its mountains, bustling markets, delicious cuisine, coffee ceremonies and more, here are a few reasons why you should travel to Ethiopia. We're almost certain you will be surprised by what you find.
The story of the rock-carved churches of Lalibela goes: almost 900 years ago in Ethiopia there lived a visionary king named Lalibela.
Lalibela traveled far and wide, including an extended pilgrimage he took to Jerusalem, after which he brought back home to Ethiopia all he'd seen and learned.
When Muslims conquered Jerusalem in the late 12th century and it became too dangerous for devout Ethiopian Christians to make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem itself, Lalibela fashioned a work-around: to build a New Jerusalem in his home country.
But this New Jerusalem was no ordinary holy place.
Our journey to East Africa, just about underway. What follows includes not only our itinerary and a call for your recommendations, but a personal note and a couple of back-stories including $100 given to us with a purpose on a ship in Antarctica.
As you read this, we're on our way to Ethiopia to begin a six week journey through Eastern Africa. We expect the journey to take us from Ethiopia to Uganda, Rwanda and finally Tanzania.