Exploring Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia and a home to the African union and many other important things that make it a unique place to visit. It is a home to many people who converge into the city to do numerous things and they create a culture that you would not want to miss. The capital city of Addis Ababa has over 4.5 million people living there and this makes it a crowded place to stay in but entertaining when it comes to visiting the numerous places that are found in the city.
Unlike other capital cities in Africa, Addis Ababa is extremely cheap when it comes to food, accommodation, food, travelling around and the city. You need to up your game when it comes to bargaining because some locals take advantage of foreigners and hike the prices but all the spending in the city greatly depends on your budget. There are different travelers who come into the country and these are the middle class tourists, high budget tourists and low budget tourists and all these can get everything that they want as long as it fits into their budget.
Also referred to as the capital city of Africa, Addis Ababa is located in the highlands and there are a lot of things that you can do when you visit it. Below are some of the things that you can do so that you get to enjoy your stay in Addis Ababa.
Hike up the Entoto Mountain
The Entoto is just twenty kilometers away from Addis Ababa. Getting to the Mountain is quite easy as you can either hire a car or use the bus although the best way to get to the Mountain is by use of a tour van as you will be able to get there faster and enjoy a trek up the Mountain. The mountain rises up to 3200 meters high above sea level and there are different routes that have been mapped out and these make the trekking more easily.
While trekking you will get a good view of the capital city of Ethiopia Addis Ababa, get to see the museum that is located on one of the trekking trails, view a few birds that habitate on the mountain side and meet the local people and learn more about their ways.
Get a taste of the Ethiopian food
Due to the many ethnic groups that are in Addis Ababa, you will find that there are many food dishes that you will not be able to taste in one day. They provide different types of food either sold alongside the road or in the restaurants and they always have fresh food servings for their customers. And this is for all food fanatics because you will get to taste all the best dishes from Ethiopia.
Take a walk through the Ethological Museum
The Ethological Museum is located within the University and it has a lot to offer when it comes to the history of Ethiopia. It also has a shop where you can buy several art craft as souvenirs and enjoy the tale of Ethiopia even before the colonial times and you also get to visit the former bedrooms of the Emperor Haile Selassie. Since Ethiopia was not colonized, you will find that everything that is sold in the shop is all Ethiopian without any western influence.
Explore the red Terror Museum
The Red Terror Museum commemorates and remembers all those that lost their lives during the fighting against Marxists. The revolution against the Marxists took place between 1976 and 1977and over 750,000 people lost their lives. When you get to the museum entrance is free although you can make a donation that helps in the day to day running of the museum. It is always open throughout the whole week from 8:00am to 6:30 pm and a visit to the place will give you a chance to understand more about the revolution and who the Marxists were.
Addis Ababa is a fine place to visit especially for all those that really want to relax and get to experience a new life and if you enjoy living in the big city then this is your chance to visit Addis Ababa and the more you stay in the city, the more you will fall in love with all the unique things that it has to offer.
The National Museum of Ethiopia
The National museum in Ethiopia is considered to be one of the best museums in the country and it is located in Addis Ababa. There are different pieces of art that can be found in the museum and these can be seen including the relics that were used by the emperors in the country.
Explore the Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Holy Trinity cathedral is considered to be the most sacred prayer place in Ethiopia and it is located just a few meters away from the National museum of Ethiopia. The cathedral is built in a very medieval way in that you will be blown away with the decorations that are found inside and not forgetting the museum that is located at the back of the cathedral. A tour guide will take you through the cathedral to the back where the museum will be able to learn more about Ethiopia’s history, religion and the previous emperors of country.
Visit the monuments in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa has several monuments that you can visit and have fun but the most important ones include the following:
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Visit the lion of Judah monument
Ethiopia is so rich when it comes to religion, culture and beliefs and that is why some of the things that show how rich the country is when it comes to religious beliefs is the lion of Judah statue. The statue of the lion of Judah is made from black stone and can be visited at any time of the day.
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The Derg monument
The Derg monument is also located on the church hill street in Addis Ababa and it was constructed by the North Korean government. It is the representation of the Korean culture in Ethiopia and there are a few guards that you will find when you visit the place. Remember to go with a tour guide who will help you with the translation and tell you the history about the monument.
Visit the Bole Medhane cathedral
This is located in the southern part of Addis Ababa and is surrounded by different unique things around it. The cathedral belongs to the Orthodox sect and it is the second largest church in Africa. It is located in Bole Sub County which is where the international airport of Ethiopia is also located making it a good place for one to stay due to the numerous hotels and cheap food found in the area and you also get to mix with the locals and get to know more about them.
Experience the culture in Addis Ababa
Ethiopia experiences a unique culture due to the fact that there are several ethnic groups that live in the city. Since Addis Ababa is a central city in Ethiopia, many people converge there creating an epitome of culture. There are several ethnic groups of people that live in Addis Ababa and these are the Amhara people who make up 50% of the total population, the Oromo people who make up 20% of the population and the Tigrinya who make up 30% of the total population.
When you visit Ethiopia most especially Addis Ababa you will get to know that the city does not have any westernization to it as people still follow the old traditions of the country. You will find that internet in Addis Ababa is so unreliable and extremely expensive, it will also be extremely hard to find anyone adorning the western wear or culture as they are attached to their traditional ways and it is hard to find Ethiopians speaking English as their alphabet system does not match with the English alphabet causing them to drift extremely far away from the rest of the world.
Safety in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa has a lot of people that are loving in the area and that makes it more crowded but this does not mean that the safety is shady. It is all about being conscious especially when you go out to crowded places, you just need to be vigilant with your property because there are many young boys and girls who pick pocket.
Addis Ababa can be visited anytime of the year irrelevant of the weather because you can carry out the different activities at different times. If you love to travel and enjoy the different places in the world especially big cities, Ethiopia is the best place to be at and we can arrange this for you at an affordable price. We have a lot of itineraries that you can view from our website to get to know more about our tours to Addis Ababa.
Attractions in Addis Ababa
The
National Museum
is famous for its antiques and relics besides the rich archaeological history facts of a growing Ethiopia. Located close to the University of Addis Ababa Graduate School, you can not miss the opportunity to explore the museum. Its most famous exhibit is the 3.5 million year old skeleton of Lucy. Also visit the
Zoological Natural history
Museum
with exhibits of indigenous wildlife species and many other things about Ethiopia
Mount Entoto forms the backdrop of the city of Addis Ababa towering to an incredible 3,200 m above sea level. Part of your
Mt. Entoto
tours and Ethiopia excursion are trips to Entoto Museums and St Mary’s C is built in 1885.
The Africa Hall is the home and birth place of the African Unity (AU) formerly known as Organization of African Union (OAU). Situated opposite to the Grand palace, the 1961 magnificent monumental building also houses the offices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. World Laureate Afework Tekle – a special art piece of Miter Artist a famous Ethiopian artist grasses the tainted glass window depicting the future of African freedom.
The
Jubilee Palace
is a beautiful palace built to commemorate 75 years since the cronations of Emperor Haile Selassie I. Its park has some rare species of wildlife a few endemic to Ethiopia and also a museum.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
constructed in 1947 by Emperor Selassie I under intricate architecture and designs with glass tint of the apostles and mosaics of early Christian activity.
The Grand market locally called
Markato
is a vibrant commercial centre in the capital. Get the real market frenzy when you visit on Wednesday and Saturday every week. Here you’ll buy all the souvenirs, gifts and clothing to take back home!
