Addis Ababa

Understand

thumb|350px|Equestrian statue of Emperor Menelik II

While Ethiopia is regarded as the original home of humans, and there has been several earlier settlements in the region, Addis Ababa was founded only in 1886 by King Menelik II and Queen consort Taytu Betul. Since then, Ethiopia has gone through a lot of events that have left a mark on the city, such as two cathedrals built to commemorate victories over Italians, sites where emperors lived and worked, monuments to them, and a memorial museum to the victims of the red terror during the Derg regime. The museums of the city lets visitors experience much older times too – indeed you can see a replica of the hominoid Lucy at the national museum. In addition, the restaurants and cafés of the city let you sample Ethiopian cuisine, its famous coffee and the national drink tej.

There are more than 120 international missions and embassies in Addis Ababa, making the city a hub for international diplomacy concerning Africa. The headquarters of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) are both in the city. The European Union and the United States both have two delegations in Addis Ababa, one for bilateral relations with Ethiopia and one for the African Union.

The city is divided into ten boroughs, known as subcities, then further divided into wards (kebeles). Suburbs include Shiro Meda and Entoto in the north, Urael and Bole (home to Bole International Airport) in the east, Nifas Silk in the south-east, Meka…

Get around

Very few streets have names and those that do may not be named correctly on a map; use landmarks to navigate the city.

See

If you walk along the road from Meskel Square to Sidist Kilo (6 Kilo), you'll probably find it quite entertaining and interesting. You'll see the Africa Hall, the palaces and the Parliament building, the Hilton Hotel, the marvellous architectural adventure of a building hosting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sheraton Hotel, the first modern school (which Emperor Menelik II built in the 1880s), the Trinity Orthodox cathedral, the National Museum, and the Addis Ababa University (which hosts a former palace and museum).

Arat Kilo (4 Kilo) Avenue is marked by a statue built in commemoration of the Ethiopian day of victory during the Second World War, while Sidist Kilo Avenue is marked by a statue commemorating some 39,000 residents of Addis Ababa killed by Italian fascist troops. Around Arat Kilo, you will find part of an old town known as Serategna Sefer (literally, the residential area of labourers).

If you go past Sidist Kilo, the road becomes steeper and many of the attractions will be on the right side of the road. The Entoto college (previously Teferi Mekonnen School) and the US Embassy are on this side of the street. After the Embassy there's an open market called Shiro Meda where traditional craftsmen sell their homemade fabrics, pots and other craftwork. The marketplace is at the foot of the Entoto Mountains, which rise up to 3,300 m (10,827 ft) above sea level.

You can take a taxi or a bus to the mountain unless you are of a mind to try it yourself. O…

Do

thumb|View from Mount Entoto Stop by at one of the small (5-7 people) coffee spots / rooms to taste local coffee with tenadam (rue) and have a conversation with locals who hang out there. You can find many of those along the main streets. Price should not be more than 5 birr. Oftentimes you can have local food there too.

Buy

thumb|Fabric for sale in the Mercato

Eat

Food is generally cheap. Make sure you try the national dish injera at least once, since there is no other food like it. It is a yeast-risen flat bread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. It is traditionally made out of teff flour. In making injera, teff flour is mixed with water and allowed to ferment for several days, as with sourdough starter. As a result of this process, injera has a mildly sour taste. It's what the locals eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most ordinary Ethiopian restaurants have it, and a serving for 2 people with free refills can be as cheap as 15 birr.

Drink

thumb|A glass of tej The national drink of Ethiopia is 'tej', which is brewed from honey. You can also try 'tela' which is similar to beer.

In addition to places listed below, some of the hotels in Sleep have a bar.

Stay safe

thumb|Police officer on a light rail train Addis is safer than most cities in Africa. Gang violence and similar serious activities are unusual. However, you may encounter some pick-pockets and con-artists around and inside Bole Airport, Mercato, Piazza and many other areas. Keep your belongings close, and pay attention to your surroundings. A common tactic is to show you a tray of things to buy with one hand and to try your pocket with the other. The good news is most of these pick-pockets are unarmed and young boys. If they know that you are aware of what they are up to, they may get intimidated and go away. However, some can be quite persistent and even involve older boys. Watch out for the spitting scam which happens in Piazza area. Typically it involves someone "accidentally" spitting on you, offering a handkerchief / tissue to clean it up, trying your pockets while you are distracted by this "accident" and then jumping into a companion's car with your belongings. Someone might also grab your arm and act crazy pretending to kick you as a distraction while his accomplice tries your pockets. As most Ethiopians are very welcoming, there is an infamous scam where young locals "befriend" tourists and invite them over after a nice day together to celebrate a "special holiday". You will get fed a lot of khat leaves, a chewing drug, and have a good time with them, but in the end you will be asked for a tremendous amount of money for the khat as they claim it is a "special" qualit…

Go next

thumb|Crocodile in Awash National Park Adama and Sodere some 120 km to the southeast are popular weekend destinations for locals. The latter is famous for its hot springs. Adama is accessible by bus and train, from there minibuses go to Sodere. Awash National Park, 200 km to the east by road, is a world heritage site where some of the earliest human remains have been found. It's also a good place to see hyenas, and another highlight is the Awash waterfalls. Bahir Dar is 550 km to the north, Ethiopia's third largest city and accessible by bus, car or plane. It's next to Lake Tana, and famous for churches and monasteries on islands in the lake as well as the Blue Nile Falls. From there you can continue to other destinations in Northern Ethiopia such as Gondar and Lalibela. Dire Dawa is an 11-hour train ride east along the new railway to Djibouti (you can fly here too). It's the only other chartered city in the country. A highlight here is Emperor Haile Selassie's Palace. Further 54 kms away from Dire Dawa is the world heritage listed ancient city of Harar, regarded as Islam's fourth holiest city. Melka Awash, with the world heritage listed Paleolithic Melka Kunture excavation sites.

Tiya, the "Stonehenge of Africa" is a world heritage listed ancient burial grounds, 90 km to the south. Accessible by car or bus. Minibus vans depart from Kality Menaharia, take the route that goes to Butajira and get off at Tiya. Note locals may not know Tiya, don't get sold the wrong ticket that …