Ethiopia’s wealth of surprises

The East African country may not be on everyone’s must-visit travel list, but it has a lot to offer.

The first time I learnt about Ethiopia was when I watched the video to We Are The World, as images of starving African children with distended bellies flashed across the television screen. And it seems that Ethiopia is still haunted by those powerful images of famine and poverty. The country isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-visit vacation list. To top it off, the costly cocktail of vaccinations I needed was compulsory to be vaccinated against yellow fever, and my doctor advised me to get the meningococcal vaccine and malaria pills didn’t  help put my mind at ease. At first.

As I later found out, giving the country a miss would be a huge pity. Ethiopia is eager to exorcise the ghosts of its past. It wants to show off its beautiful scenery, otherworldly architecture and gracious people. All you need to do is be there.

Read more at: Today