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Best places to visit in Ethiopia

The problem when planning a trip to Ethiopia isn't knowing what there is to do, but rather figuring out how to see everything!

How do you choose between hiking in the Simien mountains, a national park with incredible scenery, ranging from a precipice to valleys 1,500 m below, filled with indigenous species, and discovering modern Ethiopia at Addis-Abeba, its capital, a town where construction continues apace, where buildings worthy of New York jostle for space with small, wooden shacks, museums, Ethio-jazz clubs and the old quarters of the Piazza and the station? 

Between sunbathing on the beaches of lake Tana, the largest lake in Ethiopia, where you can watch fishermen drawing up their fish-filled nets, and the newly listed UNESCO world heritage sites: the impressive churches carved into the Lalibela rock, the magnificent fortified town of Haran, where Rimbaud, the French poet, spent some time, the ruins of the ancient town of Aksoum and the majestic monolithic obelisk? 

Between exploring one of the new national parks in search of scenery and wild animals – the park at Awash offers panoramic views from the summit of the Fentale volcano, while the park at Gambela is home to elephants, crocodiles, lions, antelopes, hippopotami, red hartebeest, monkeys... – and spending an unforgettable night in the villlage of the Mursi, a semi-nomadic population known for their ear ornaments, worn particularly by the women, who are termed 'plate women'?

And finally, why not adventure into the strange Danakil desert? Situated 116 m above sea level, the volcano there is covered by a thick layer of salt, coloured by a surprising palette of sulfur, salt and other minerals.

Meaning "New Flower" in Amharic, the capital of Ethiopia bears witness to its name: an huge city undergoing constant change.
It is a large city with more than 200,000 inhabitants living in the west of the country. It is an important trading centre in Ethiopia which holds little interest for tourists.
With a population of 220 000 inhabitants, Mek'ele is northeastern Ethiopia's big city. This is the departure point for excursions to the Danakil Desert and the Tigray villages all around Hawzen where there are remarkable churches to visit.
It is the last Afar village before the Danakil desert, the Dallol Depression and the Erta Ale volcano, on the Djibouti road not far from Eritrea. Usually groups stop here either before or after expeditions into the desert.
This volcanic furnace located at 136.8 metres above sea level, on the border with Eritrea, is a multicoloured plateau with an unearthly appearance surrounded by salt mountains. You can also visit the salt caravans and salt mine.
Lake Assale, also known as Lake Karum, is located in the heart of the Danakil Desert, next to the Danakil Depression. It evaporates under the sun during the dry season and turns into a salt pit, to where camel caravans travel.
Situated in the heart of the Danakil desert at the border of Eritrea, this active volcano is famous for its spectacular lava lake.
A large town of more than 100,000 inhabitants, Kombolcha is a stopover for a traditional night (or nearby Dessie), on the north road, going toLalibela or Mekele.
One of the most famous towns in Ethiopia, known for its incredible rock cut churches.
A city scattered with impressive historical monuments
It is lovely to cycle around this peaceful town at the edge of Lake Tana.
The large city of Arba Mich, home to fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, is situated around 520 kilometres from Addis Ababa, in the south of the country. It is the last stopover city before the Omo valley.
Yabelo is a small village in southern Ethiopia in the Omo Valley next to the natural reserve of the same name, in Borana country.
Irgalem is a town in the south of Ethiopia located in the Omo Valley, in Sidama country. It has almost 50,000 inhabitants and is at an altitude of 1700 metres.
Langano Lake is Addis Ababa's wealthy population's holiday resort. You would think yourself at the seaside, in a country where there is none.
This village, situated at an altitude of 3000 metres, is around 40km from Arba Minch. It is the highest point in the Dorze kingdom.
It's the only town at the foot of Simien National Park, located between Aksoum and Gondar, a main place to stop, where you pay an entrance fee for the park and choose your guides, scout, cook, routes, etc. before the climb. 
Simien National Park is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It extends across 220 km² and includes the highest peak in the country, Ras Dashen, which reaches an altitude of 4450m. Entrance formalities for the National Park are done at Debarq.
This town in the north of the country, on the border of Eritrea, is famous for its giant stelae erected by one of the first civilisations known to man, the Sabians, who reigned in the 10th century BC., and which flourished until the 7th century AD.
Yeha is a small village in the Tigray situated roughly between Hawzen and Axsum, just before Adwa. It is famous for its pre-Axumite temple, one of the most ancient archeological sites in the country and even the world.
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