The world's third highest capital city with a population of more than two million people, Addis Ababa is not only the political capital but also the economic and social nerve-centre of Ethiopia. Founded by Emperor Menelik in 1887, this big, sprawling, hospitable city still bears the stamp of his exuberant personality. More than 21,000 hectares in area, Addis Ababa is situated in the foothills of the 3,000 meters Entoto Mountains and rambles pleasantly across many wooded hillsides and gullies cut through with fast flowing streams. Tall office buildings, elegant villas, and fashionable hotels, rise up alongside traditional homes of wattle and daub, surrounded by cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. There is no designated 'city centre' because, until very recently, there was no urban planning. Addis Ababa simply grew in a natural, organic way, and its present appearance reflects this unforced and unstructured evolution.
Situated in the foreground of the mighty Arsi Mountains, in the region of Oromia, Lake Langano is one of the few bilharzia-free lakes in Ethiopia. Stretching over 200 square kilometres, Lake Langano is one of Ethiopia's most visited lakes and is a popular spot for swimming, watersports and hippo viewing. It is the perfect stopover point on a road trip down the Rift Valley. The area surrounding the lake is home to baboons, warthogs, hippos and a variety of birds that makes for good bird watching. More wildlife can be found in East Langano Nature Reserve on the lake's eastern shore. Here, visitors can spot Colobus monkeys and more than 300 bird species living in the beautiful lakeside forest. Other popular activities include: camping, mountain climbing, biking, fishing and photography.
The city of Arba Minch is located in southern Ethiopia at the base of the western side of the Great Rift Valley and about 500 kilometers south of Addis Ababa. Arba Minch received its name for the abundant local springs which produce a groundwater forest. Besides the forty springs crossing the town is a river kulfo, which is used by the local people for washing cloths and farming. It is close to Nechisar National Park, which covers the isthmus between Lake Abaya to the north and Lake Chamo to the south.
Jinka is a market town in southern Ethiopia. Located in the hills north of the Tama Plains, this town is home to the German-funded South-Omo Museum and Research Center. Existing in virtual isolation from the rest of Ethiopia, Jinka has a rather quaint atmosphere that combines urban and rural attributes in equal proportion. The large Saturday market attracts traders from all over South Omo, in particular Ari, Bana, Besheda and Beseko People, and is well worth a visit.
One of the main towns of the Hamer and best known for its Monday market, possibly the most important in Hamer country, Turmi is a very traditional small town.
The Hamer, with their characteristic high cheekbones, elaborate costumes of beads, cowriees and leather, and thick copper necklaces are among the most readily identifiable of the South Omo peoples.
Situated in the Oromia region of southern Ethiopia, Yabello is a quiet rural town surrounded by vast desert plains, dotted with unusually shaped and impressive termite mounds. The friendly people here welcome visitors, making this a good place for getting to know the local culture. The ‘singing wells’ are an incredible man-made feat to see: deep wells in the hard dirt dug by the local people by hand, which require the men to stand on top of each other along the steep edges in a tower up to 17-people-long to retrieve the water. Don’t miss a visit to the scenic Yabelo Wildlife Sanctuary, home to Burchell's and Grevy's zebras, endemic Ethiopian bush crow, Abyssinian hornbill and white-tailed swallow. The spectacular crater at El Sod is also worth a visit, where you can see people extracting black salt.
Awasa (also spelled Awassa or Hawassa) is a city in Ethiopia, on the shores of Lake Awasa in the Great Rift Valley.
