2 / 5 - One review
How to get there
5 hours by car from Addis Ababa
When to go
All year round
Minimum stay
Half a day
Shashemene (Ethiopia)
©
Loleh Rustenholz
Practical information about Shashemene
Reviews of Shashemene
A nondescript town, known since the 1950s for its Rastafarian population.
My suggestion:
Not an essential destination, but worth a visit out of curiosity or if you are interested in the history of the Rastafarians.
Summary:
Haile Selassie, the last emperor of Ethiopia, is regarded as the Messiah by the Rastafarian community, and his country is thought to be the Promised Land. In 1948, he donated a little of his personal land to them, located in Shashamané. Successive waves of followers wishing to return to Africa have gone to settle there.
The town of Shashamané is not pretty and does not possess a very good reputation. But it is located on the road connecting Addis Ababa and Hawassa, which allows you to pay a visit to the Rastafari village, the only real attraction of this place, if you are going that way.
If you spend the night in the village and if you feel so inclined you will be able to participate in a morning yoga session, and set out in search of hyenas in the evening. As for us, we only caught a glimpse of their eyes.
©
Loleh Rustenholz
