Our first stop on a three-week journey around Ethiopia was to the northern part of Ethiopia. This, of course, is the focal point of most international tourism. The main destinations here are Lalibela, Gondor and Aksum. Lalibela is especially popular because of its ancient churches carved out of rocks. Most of the vestiges of ancient civilization are also in the north.

However, I also wanted to see the south, which is famous for nature. So the second half of our trip was devoted to a road trip around southern Ethiopia. This part of the country is full of beautiful lakes and national parks.

WHAT TO DO IN ARBA MINCH

We used the modern city of Arba Minch as our base. It’s a new and nicely laid out city, with a Haile resort at the top of a mountain overlooking two lakes. The Haile resorts form part of a hospitality chain owned by Ethiopian’s most famous athletes. The chain is well-run and each hotel has its own charms. The Haile resort in Arba Minch was one of my favorite hotels in Ethiopia.

I loved the views from the room at the Haile Resort Arba Minch and we ate every meal on the terrace. In fact, I spent as much time as possible outside, just gazing at the view. This really made me feel close to nature.

One of the highlights of visiting Arba Minch is driving up the mountains to see the village of the Dorze people. The Dorze people belong to one of the oldest tribes in Ethiopia. They live in a high-altitude area, in a village with also offers traditional accommodations for tourists.

I loved the views from the room and we ate every meal on the terrace. In fact, I spent as much time as possible outside, gazing at the view. This really made me feel close to nature.

STAYING AT A DORZE VILLAGE

Adventurous tourists get to sleep in a typical Dorze hut. It’s simple but it looked so comfortable. In fact, when I peeked inside and saw the thick blankets on the wooden beds, I was tempted to stay the night too.

The Dorze also have a small shop selling organic white honey and handwoven products. There’s also a restaurant for the overnight lodgers since there’s nowhere else to eat but here, after all.

VISITING THE DORZE VILLAGE

During our visit, we asked a young Dorze man who could speak English to tour us around. The young man and his friends walked us through family homes with soil floors, mud walls, and thatched roofs. You can actually stay here if you are adventurous enough, as the village accepts tourists for supplementary income.

Inside, the cooking pit iss the heart of every home in this high altitude, and the beds arranged around it for warmth as it does get chilly in these parts..

“There’s a small hole in the roof to let the smoke out,” explained our guide, “and the smog from the fire actually hardens the fiber of the roof and makes the house more durable.”

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WHERE THE ANIMALS SLEEP

Interestingly, each home also made space inside for their animals. The families basically let the cattle sleep in their living rooms.

“This keeps the animals safe and also helps to generate more heat for the house,” our guide said.

EATING A FAKE BANANA PANCAKE

At the end our visit, a Dorze grandmother who continuously flashed a toothless smile demonstrated the cooking of the local specialty. This was a pancake made from the grated stalks of a tree everyone called the “fake banana.”

The fake banana looked like the real one in Asia, but it had no fruits. However, the stalks of the fake banana trees are pretty similar to the real ones. The Dorze grate the stalks into a paste and bury the paste underground for months so that this can ferment.

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We sat in one of the huts to eat the fermented pancake. It was freshly made and slightly sour in taste. We ate it together with local honey and small cups of moonshine. Yes, the Dorze make their own drinks and these are potent.

MOONSHINE & FAKE BANANA

Although we never found out what was in the drink, the combination of all three made for a nice afternoon treat, sitting with some locals in a hut. Some of them could speak English so we asked them about their culture.

This enabled us to take away a useful custom of the Dorze people. If you fight with someone, they told us, all you need to do is to drink some moonshine from the same glass together to make peace.

Read more about traveling around Ethiopia in Travelife Magazine.

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I was full of excitement, flying to Ethiopia in East Africa, one of the lesser traveled parts of the world. On the Ethiopian Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Addis Ababa, I tried to recall information about Ethiopia.

This was when I realised I knew very little. I knew it only as the birthplace of world-class runners and the excavation site of the oldest human-related skeleton. Of course, it’s also the source of some of the best coffee in the world.

In other words, I landed in Addis Ababa with bits of knowledge accumulated from having once played a game of trivial pursuit. However, in the course of three weeks, I practically completed a course on the history and culture of Ethiopia. I traveled the width and breadth of the country, met locals, and visited famous natural and manmade wonders.

Where to go in Addis Ababa

During the descent into Addis Ababa, I was stunned by the sheer size and vibrance of the city. The city itself is 2400 meters above sea level, making it the capital with the highest elevation in Africa. No wonder we were short of breath on our first day.

We started out with a tour of major sights like the African Union Headquarters and the National Palace. Like most tourists here, we visited the National Museum of Ethiopia to see a replica of the oldest human-related remains in the world.

However, this museum is way more than a repository of human remains. It’s a dynamic institution that also showcases contemporary local art, tribal costumes and ancient potter. As such, it gave us a good overview of the depth of Ethiopian history and culture.

Mercato: Africa’s largest market place

The other major attraction is the Addis Mercato, Africa’s largest trading market. Its name is one of the few remaining links to Italy’s short occupation of Ethiopia from 1936 to 1941. It’s located in the heart of Addis Ababa.

However, be forewarned. A GPS won’t help at the Mercato so it’s best to go with a local guide. The streets are overflowing with stalls offering all imaginable goods. You’ll find everything from fancy jewelry to plastic water jugs. In one district, we even found rows of houses piled high with bundles of plastic bags on the rooftops.

Travelers should get their shopping done here as long as they know how to haggle with a smile. Also, please make sure your shopping list includes coffee, white honey and berbere, an Ethiopian spice mix.

READ MORE : WHERE TO STAY IN ADDIS ABABA

TRADITIONAL ETHIOPIAN CLOTHING

The traditional Ethiopian clothing for women is also a good souvenir to take back home from Ethiopia. It’s usually made of organic white cotton and embroidered at the hems. You’ll see these dresses worn everywhere, including for religious ceremonies and daily life.

Read more about traveling around Ethiopia in Travelife Magazine.

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The city of Awassa in southern Ethiopia is known for its lake that is surrounded by mountains and trees. Luckily, our hotel, the Haile Resort Awassa, was right next to the water. So it was the perfect way to get a last breath of fresh air before heading back to Addis Ababa after three weeks of traveling around Ethiopia.

BOATING SAFARI IN AFRICA

Lakes in Ethiopia are always opportunities for enjoyable boat rides with a safari aspect – and this last one had a few extra surprises. For one thing it was a paradise for bird watchers. So we were able to pursue our passion for bird watching, which really began on our visit to South Africa a few months back.

We even got to see a couple of fish eagles diving in for their prey. Meanwhile, boat safaris on Lake Awassa are not limited only to two-legged creatures. Hippos also roam these waters, and several came up to close enough for good photos.

THE BEST SPICES IN ETHIOPIA

We ended our three-day stay in Awassa with a visit to the famous fish market at the edge of the city. Here, many vendors hawked fish by the water. There were also others who set up stalls offering fish stew and chili spices by the entrance.

At one spice stall, set up under a large tree, about a dozen customers waited impatiently for their spices. The vendor ground each batch and mixed it with assorted pastes from about five plastic buckets. I was so intrigued.

“Are these spices really good?” I asked one man in line. He replied: “These are the best in Ethiopia. I’m from Addis Ababa. I come here to buy a pail of spices each time I’m here, just before flying out.”

READ MORE : WHAT TO DO IN ADDIS ABABA

THE FAMOUS FISH STEW OF AWASSA

“One of the stalls here is really famous,” our guide told us. He led us to a wooden stall that was still closed.

Pointing to this, he said: “This stall sells fish stew. People even come from Addis Ababa just to eat it. The old man who runs this place has been making the stew for years based on a secret recipe. It’s so good and reportedly so healthy that everyone here now calls him The Doctor.”

That definitely sounded like the perfect lunch to us. So we hung around the market for an hour eagerly waiting for his stall to open. Unfortunately, The Doctor had not yet arrived by 11 AM and we had a flight back to Addis Ababa to catch, so we have to try that fish stew next time instead.

HAPPINESS OF ETHIOPIANS

I love traveling because it allows me to observe the life of a place. It’s very interesting to watch people in their routines and to observe new environments.

Also, taking a roadtrip is my idea of a perfect escape so I had three weeks of bliss. On this journey around Ethiopia, we were impressed by the sights we saw and the things we experienced. But most of all, I was struck by the happiness of the people.

READ MORE : WHAT TO DO IN ADDIS ABABA

In the remote areas, many walked long distances with the heat of the sun pressing down on them. These are not easy conditions at all. But such conditions never deterred any of them from smiling at us when we passed by.

Meanwhile, we found small street cafes everywhere. Many were far from glamorous. In fact, they were small, dark and messy. But inside most of these, people were happily drinking coffee while sitting on tiny plastic chairs.

Happiness seems to be in the DNA of Ethiopiansz. Our guide in Addis Ababa himself explained: “I need to dance and sing; then I’m happy”. And judging by the warmth of the people, there is a lot of dancing and singing in their hearts.

So I end this column with only one suggestion: Make your next stop Ethiopia. And read more about traveling around Ethiopia in Travelife Magazine.

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