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Addis Ababa © Galen R. Frysinger

Why? Ethiopia is a fascinating country and most tourists travel to Addis Ababa, the colourful capital, to start their exploration. It is worth spending a day of your holiday in Addis Ababa to experience the vibe of an African city. The city has some lively markets and worthy attractions, including the Ethiopian National Museum, resting place of 'Lucy', the famed early hominid fossil.
When? The most pleasant time to travel to Addis Ababa is during the dry season, between October and May. Between June and September the city is awash with rain, which makes a holiday in Addis Ababa during this period a wet affair.
Who for? Travel to Addis Ababa is not for the timid tourist. The city itself offers some decent hotels and first world amenities, but excursions are for the more adventurous. Do not travel to Addis Ababa if you are disturbed by scenes of poverty and are afraid of the threat of petty crime.
More Info: Our detailed Addis Ababa travel guide is updated regularly and contains all the information required for a happy trip to Ethiopia, from health and safety advice to currency exchange.

Overview

Addis Ababa (sometimes spelt Addis Abeba) is a diverse and riotous capital city of nearly three million souls, with roughly 80 different nationalities, and a multitude of religious and language groups making up its colourful population.

Nestled at the foot of Mount Entoto, the city was founded in the late 1800s by Ethiopian emperor Menelik II and was later occupied by the Italians during the second Italo-Abyssinian War. When Ethiopians regained control, Emperor Haile Selassie immediately set about rebuilding the capital and formed the Organisation of African Unity, replaced by today's African Union, which has its headquarters in the city.

Addis Ababa is also home to the world-renown early hominid Lucy - her fossilised skeleton, as well as a replica, are housed in the Ethiopian National Museum. The city also boasts the largest open market in Africa (in the Merkato district), several interesting mosques and cathedrals, as well as the world's largest prefabricated building, Shengo Hall, and Menelik's old Imperial Palace, which is the official seat of the Ethiopian government.

Addis Ababa is an interesting mix of poverty and wealth, urbanisation and nature (the city is surrounded by forests and cultivated land). It is a dynamic capital, but has its fair share of unemployment, petty crime and destitution. Addis Ababa, however, is well worth exploring, as there are plenty of 'diamonds in the rough' to be uncovered.