Natural Tourist Attractions

Ethiopia is a land of wonder and enchantment, a country with one of the richest histories on the African continent, a land of contrasts and surprises, of remote and wild places, home to cultured and friendly people who are descended from some of the world's oldest civilizations.

This is the land of the fabled Queen of Sheba, home of the Ark of the Covenant, the birthplace of Coffee. 'Lucy', the world's oldest known almost complete hominid skeleton, more than three million years old, was discovered here.

Ethiopia has so much to offer visitors: the Historic Route, covering the ancient town of Axum, with its amazing carved obelisks, Christian festivals and relics, including the Ark of the Covenant; Gondar, with its castles and palaces; Lalibela, with its remarkable rock hewn churches; and the walled Muslim city of Harar. At Dire Dawa you can see cave paintings considered to be thousands of years old.

Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile, is one of a string of Great Rift Valley Lakes, many with national parks, home to a wealth of bird and animal life .The high, rugged, Simien Mountains in the north and the Bale Mountains in the south are also home to some unique wild life, and are ideal for trekking, whilst some of Ethiopia's fast-flowing rivers are becoming famous for white-water rafting.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's Capital City, has so much to offer, too, with its first-class hotels and restaurants, museums and palaces, and the Merkato-Africa's largest open-air market.
Ethiopia has been called 'the land of a thousand smiles'.

• The Simien Mountain National Park

The Simien Mountain Massif is one of the major highlands of Africa, rising to the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dejen (4620m), which is the fourth highest peak in the continent. Although in Africa and not too far from the equator, snow and ice appear on the highest points and night temperatures often fall below zero.

The national park has three general botanical regions. The lower slopes have been cultivated and grazed, while the alpine regions (up to 3600m) were forested, although much has now disappeared. The higher lands are mountain grasslands with fescue grasses as well as heathers, splendid Red Hot Pokers and Giant Lobelia.
The park was created primarily to protect the indigenous Walia Ibex, a type of wild goat. Also in the park are families of the Gelada Baboon and the rare Simien fox. The over 50 species of birds have been reported in the Simein mountains.

• The Blue Nile Falls (Tisisat Falls)

The river Nile, over 800 Km in length with in Ethiopia and the longest river in Africa, holds part of its heart in Ethiopia. From Lake Tana, the Blue Nile, known locally as Abbay, flows for 800 Km within Ethiopia to meet the White Nile in Khartoum to form the great river. It has been said that the Blue Nile contributes up to 80 % of the Nile's flow. Nowhere, is it more spectacular than where it thunders over the Tisisat Falls literally "Smoking Water" - near Bahir Dar. Here millions of gallons of water cascade over the cliff face and into a gorege, creating spectacular rainbows, in one of the most awe-inspiring displays in Africa.

The Blue Nile falls can easily be reached from Bahir Dar and the scenic beauty of the Blue Nile Gorge, 225 Km from Addis Ababa, can be enjoyed as part of an excursion from the capital.

• The Lake Tana

Lake Tana, the largest lake, in Ethiopia is the source and from where the famed Blue Nile starts its long journey to Khartoum, and on to the Mediterranean. The 37 islands that are scattered about the surface of the lake shelter fascinating churches and monasteries, some of which have histories dating back to the 13th century. However, it should be noted that most of the religious houses are not open to women. The most interesting islands are: Birgida Mariam, Dega Estephanos , Dek, Narga, Tana Cherkos, Mitsele Fasiledes, Kebran and Deber Maryam.

kebran Gabriel is the principal monastery visited by male tourists, with its impressive cathedral - like building first build at the end of the 17th century. Dega Estephanos, which is also closed to women, is on an island in the lake, and the monastery is reached by a very steep and winding path. Although the church is relatively new (only hundred years old), it houses a madonna painted in the 15th century. However, the treasury of the Monastery is a prime attraction, with the remains of several Emperors, as well as their robes and jewels.

On the banks of the lake are many more religious houses, such as Ura Kidane Mehret and Narga Selassie, many of which are also open to be visited by women.

Near Gorgora, at the northern end of the lake, the Susneyos palace is a forerunner of the magnificient palaces and castles of Gonder, and dates from the reign of Emperor Susneyos. In the same area the medieval church of Debre Sina mariam is particularly important.

A sail or cruise on Lake Tana is one of the most pleasant excursions for visitors to this region, particularly in the heart of the summer. Along the lakeshore bird life, both local and migratory visitors, make this an ideal place for birdwatchers.

Bird lovers will not want to miss Fasiladas island, which is especially famous as an important wetland. The whole of the lake Tana region and the Blue Nile Gorge have a wide variety of birds both endemic and visitors. The variety of habitats, from rocky crags to riverain forests and important wetlands ,ensure that many other different species should be spotted.

• The Sof Omar Cave

Sof Omar is one of the most spectacular and extensive underground cave system in the world. Formed by the Wabi River, as it changed its course in the distant past and carved out a new channel through limestone foothills, the Sof Omar system is an extraordinary natural phenomenon of breathtaking beauty.

The cave which is now an important Islamic Shrine, was named after the saintly shekh sof Omar, who took refuge here many centuries ago, have a religious history that predates the arrival of the Muslims in Bale - a history calibrated in thousands of years.

• The Rift Valley

The Ethiopian Rift Valley, which is part of the famous East African Rift Valley, comprises numerous hot springs, beautiful lakes and a variety of wildlife. The valley is the result of two parallel faults in the earth's surface between which, in distant geological time, the crust was weakened, and the land subsided. Ethiopia is often referred to as the "water tower" of Eastern Africa because of the many rivers that pour off the high tableland. The Great Rift Valley's passage through Ethiopia is marked by a chain of seven lakes.

Each of the seven lakes has its own special life and character and provides ideal habitats for the exuberant variety of flora and fauna that make the region a beautiful and exotic destination for tourists.

Most of the lakes are suitable and safe for swimming and other water sports. Besides, lake Abiata and Shalla are ideal places for bird watchers. Most of the Rift valley lakes are not fully exploited for tourist purposes except Lake Langano where tourist class hotels are built. The Rift valley is also a site of numerous natural hot springs and the chemical contents of the hot springs are highly valued for their therapeutic purposes. In short, the Rift valley is endowed with many beautiful lakes, numerous hot springs, warm and pleasant climate and a variety of wildlife. It is considered as one of the most ideal areas for the development of international tourism in Ethiopia.