Ethiopia is the only country in Africa that has never been colonised, and its people have a proud tradition of fighting for their independence. The country is also unusual for its rich Orthodox Christian heritage, which the Ethiopians maintained even when all its neighbours embraced Islam in the 7th century.

The landscape is fabulous, the people will make you welcome, the sense of history is tangible and you won't have to worry about crowds of snap-happy tourists. And of course, all of it comes on a less-than-shoestring budget.

Full country name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Area: 1,127,000 sq km (439,530 sq mi)
Population: 65 million
Capital city: Addis Ababa (pop 3 million)
People: Oromo (35%), Amhara (30%), Tigrean (9%), Sidamo (4%), Shankella (2%),
Somali (4%), Afar (4%), Gurage (3%)
Language:Amharic, Tigrinya, Orominga, Guaraginga, Somali, Arabic, English
Religion: Ethiopian Orthodox, Muslim, protistant, animist
Government: Federal republic
President: Girma Wolde-Giyorgis
GDP: US$242 billion
GDP per head: US$400
Inflation: 10%
Major industries: Agriculture, forestry, agricultural processing
Major trading partners: USA, Germany, Japan, Italy

Facts for the Traveler

Visas: Everyone except Kenyan nationals needs a visa. Visas are single entry. Health risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis), contaminated drinking water, AIDS, malaria, parasites, land mines. Yellow fever vaccinations are compulsory. Time: GMT/UTC + 3 hours
Electricity: 220V or 240V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric

When to Go

Ethiopia is pretty pleasant all year round, with temperatures in Addis Ababa averaging around 20°C (68°F) no matter what season it is. Fairly heavy rain falls in the middle of the year, so it's probably best to avoid June and July.

Events

On 19 January, Ethiopian Christians celebrate Christ's baptism at the festival of Timkat . During the festival, which runs for three days, priests remove the symbolic Ark of the Covenant from every church and parade it to a nearby consecrated pool. Giant Masses are held, accompanied by late night picnics. Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash is celebrated on 11 September, which is also the feast of John the Baptist. Enkutatash is a spring festival, with kiddies dancing in the streets, handing out flowers and miniature paintings, bonfires and plenty of singing and dancing. On 27 September another Christian festival, Maskal, commemorates the finding of the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. Town squares are filled with huge piles of maskal, or 'cross', daisies, which later become giant bonfires. Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January.

Money & Costs

Currency: Birr
Meals
* Budget: US$1-2
* Mid-range: US$2-5
* Top-end: US$5 and upwards

Lodging
* Budget: US$2-5
* Mid-range: US$5-20
* Top-end: US$20 and upwards

If you want to live like a local, Ethiopia goes very easy on the wallet. If you're staying in small hotels, eating street food and travelling by bus, you can get by on about US$12 a day. Doubling that budget will allow you to stay in slightly classier hotels and eat in restaurants, but you'll still be restricted to bus travel. If you're willing to pay around US$70 a day you can stay in quite upmarket hotels, jet between towns, eat whatever you want and hire a guide.

US dollars travellers' cheques should do the trick just about anywhere in Ethiopia, although it's sensible to keep a bit of cash on hand to cover you in really out-of-the-way places. There's really no point taking a credit card with you.

If you use a guide while visiting one of Ethiopia's historic sites, they'll expect a tip - about US$1 an hour seems to be the going rate. Tips aren't expected in restaurants, but they will be happily received. Bargaining with taxi drivers and souvenir-sellers for a better price is quite acceptable.

Attractions

Addis Ababa

There are plenty of people in the Ethiopian capital - of the 3 million bodies who live here, 1 million have arrived since the 1991 revolution. The city was only founded in 1887, and was nearly abandoned due to lack of fuel wood until the introduction of eucalypts to the area. It's a huge, sprawling place, with very few street signs, although the main shopping strip, Churchill Ave, is labelled.

The city's Ethnographic Museum is well worth the price of admission. Its two main sections on local crafts and on regions and peoples make it an ideal place to start learning about Ethiopia's rich ethnic diversity. It also has an impressive array of religious crosses, triptychs and murals, as well as Haile Selassies's bedroom and bathroom. The National Museum is much smaller, but it does have the fossils of 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', perhaps our earliest ancestor.

Africa Hall is the headquarters of the United Nations Ecomonic commission for Africa, and was designed as a monument to African independence. Its huge, richly coloured stained-glass windows, by Ethiopian artist Afewerk Tekle, portray the history and diversity of Africas peoples. If you'd like to see more of Tekle's work, visit the Giorgis Cathedral, built in 1896 to commemorate Ethiopia's victory over the invading Italians. Addis Ababa's Mercato is one of the largest markets in Africa. It's a sprawling mess of open-air stalls, where you can buy everything from vegetables to gold jewellery - keep an eye out for pickpockets.

Many cheap hotels in Addis Ababa are a combination of noisy street bar, brothel and a few double rooms, though some are suprisingly well kept. Expect to pay two to four times the local rate. Most hotels are around the Piazza, where you'll also find a bunch of cheap cafes and bars. Although the Italians were only here five years, you'll find good Italian eateries all over the city.

Aksum

Aksum is the holiest city in Ethiopia. According to the Orthodox Church, the original Ark of the Covenant, which holds the ten commandments, is somewhere around here. This is also the place where Christianity was declared the national religion in the 4th century. The Ark is supposed to live somewhere in the grounds of the 17th-century St Mary of Zion church, but of course no one is allowed to look at it. The church's museum has a small but impressive collection of bibles, crosses and crowns. Just past the museum is Aksum's ancient stele field, all that remains of the city's past glory. Steles are huge, carved pillars made from single blocks of granite - the highest of those remaining at Aksum is 23m (75ft) tall.

If you take a walk outside the town, you can have a look at the ruins of King Kaleb's Palace, and if you keep going up the hill you'll end up at the Pentaleon Monastery - women aren't allowed in, but the views from here are lovely. The ruins of the Palace of Sheba are also outside the town, although archaeological investigation suggests they are 1300 rather than 2000 years old.

Aksum is about 500km (310mi) north of Addis Ababa. You can fly from the capital, or catch a bus from Gondar, Adwa, Adigrat or Mekele.

Bahar Dar

Bahar Dar sits on the southern shore of the 3600 sq km (1404 sq mi) Lake Tana. Nothing much happens in Bahar itself, apart from a bustling Saturday market, but there's plenty to see in the surrounding area.

Lake Tana is scattered with islands, many of which are home to monasteries . Some of these monasteries were built as long ago as the 11th century, and most were built before the 16th century. The most popular monasteries are Kidene Mehret, Kebran Gabriel (where women are banned) and Debre Maryam. Travelling between the islands can be pretty expensive unless you're in a group.

The Blue Nile Falls are about 45 minutes by tour bus (pretty much the only way to get there) from Bahar Dar. Known locally as Tis Isat, the falls are about 400m (1312ft) wide and 50m (164ft) deep. They're pretty impressive any time of year, but at their best from October to December.

Bahar Dar is about 300km (186mi) north-west of Addis Ababa. There are a few pleasant hotels and eateries in town. You can get to Bahar by plane from Addis Ababa, or you can take the bus through the spectacular Blue Nile Gorge. There's also a bus from Gondar.

Rift Valley Lakes

The seven lakes of the Rift Valley sit in a wide, fertile valley which runs between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan border. This is one of the best parts of Ethiopia for bird watching. Lakes Lagano, Abiyata and Shala are perhaps the most popular of the seven - one lake is blue, one silver and one brown. Abiyata and Shala are designated national parks, but this doesn't mean much in practice. Lake Abiyata is shallow, with heaps of birds, while Lake Shala sits at the bottom of a 250m (820ft) deep crater. Lagano is the only lake in Ethiopia which is bilharzia-free, so take a dip while you have the chance. It's also the only one of the three lakes with accommodation. You can also swim at the hot springs at Wondo Genet, south of the three lakes. Towards the Kenyan border, Lakes Abaya and Chamo are thronging with wildlife, especially

crocodiles.