Axum

Get around

Bajaj (blue, three-wheeler motorised rickshaws with 250cc two-stroke engines imported from India) charge tourists about 20 birr for short trips around town. For the Lioness of Gobodra and the Judith (Gudit) Stelae Field, instead of hiring one of the ultra-expensive tourist minibuses, you can catch a minibus going in the direction of Shire (there are many early in the morning) and ask them to drop you at the Lioness of Gobodra turnoff and catch another one back. The Lioness is not easy to find on your own but a group of children will soon appear who will guide you, and they should be compensated appropriately.

See

thumb|Northern Stelae Field thumb|The Great Stele weighed more than 500 tonnes when quarried and dressed 4 km away - how ever was it moved!?! thumb|Chapel of the Tablet, at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Zion

An combined archaeological ticket costs 300 birr (May 2019). Tickets are available from the tourist commission off the roundabout 400 m south of the Northern Stelae Field is valid for three days.

Do

According to the sign by the fig tree near the churches complex, a replica Ark of the Covenant is paraded on the first seven days of each month according to the Ethiopian calendar, at 21:00. This means 03:00 by the standard clock. Other sources say 05:00 but nothing was happening at 05:00 GMT+3 on 3 May 2019. Even if you don't get to see the Ark of the Covenant just sitting under the fig tree is a must do activity.

Buy

There is an ATM that accepts Visa cards at Wegagen Bank.

Eat

Africa Hotel (see the Sleep section below) has a large, clean restaurant where a steak club sandwich with lettuce and tomato together with chips cost 30 birr in June 2013. Traditional and other "international" dishes are also served and their bar has a large screen LCD TV if you want to watch some soccer or the manic, shoulder-shaking style of the local dances. Pizza Restaurant, turn north one block east of the Africa Hotel into the street that leads to the Remhai Hotel and this small place is on the right of the street. A large pizza, "but-not-as-we-know-it-in Italy, Croatia, Canada or Singapore", cost 60 birr in June 2013. Kuda juice is a fun place to eat is local food, Italian food and even some Mexican. Popular with locals and tourists