Destination: Ethiopia

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.

Ethiopian Food: A Culinary Travel Guide to What to Eat and Drink

Ethiopian food

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 is drawn from experiences across the country, including visits to local markets, meals in homes and an impromptu cooking course. It offers an extensive list of traditional dishes as well as tips on what to eat and drink when you visit.

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My Date With An Ethiopian Hair Butcher

ethiopian barber

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.

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The Ancient Rock-Carved Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia

St. George, the most famous of Lalibela's Rock Hewn Churches

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.

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Up Next: A Journey to East Africa

Simien mountains

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.

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