Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Two Weeks
Historical Circuit
The historical sights along this loop north of Addis Ababa are monumental in both scale
and detail.
After a few days revelling in the chaos of
Addis Ababa
, head north to palm-fringed
Bahir Dar
for a day. Spend the next day at
Lake Tana
exploring some of the lake's
centuries-old island monasteries. Next wander the extensive ruins of crenulated 17th-cen-
tury castles in
Gonder
. Looming 100km north, the
Simien Mountains
are one of
Ethiopia's most stunning national parks - spend a couple of days trekking in this sensa-
tional massif and spotting wildlife.
Push on to
Aksum
where pre-Christian tombs underlie splendid 1800-year-old stelae
(obelisks). After two days, venture to the 3000-year-old ruins of Ethiopia's first capital,
Yeha
, and to the cliff-top monastery of
Debre Damo
. Then head south and search out Ti-
gray's precarious and stunning
rock-hewn churches
. A short hop to the south is
Mekele
,
