City Guide

Addis Ababa (meaning ‘New flower’ in Amharic) is the capital of Ethiopia and a Hub of Africa as it is a seat for the African Union Commission (AUC), more than 20 UN agencies including the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Pan-African chamber of commerce and industries and other many international and regional organizations; hence making Addis one of the top diplomatic cities in the world.

There are more than 4 million friendly inhabitants living in the city that settled in 54,000 hectares of land, with an average elevation of 2,500 meters above sea level. It has a fairly favorable climate and moderate weather conditions that demand neither cooling in summer nor heating in winter.

As the premier location in the Africa, Addis is a fantastic city encapsulating the world’s tastes when it comes to restaurants that serve mouth-watering meals and bars where you can relax comfortably after the hearty meals. Highest level of safety, low rate of inflation and low cost of living are making the visitors enjoy their stay.

The city is connected to more than 70 international destinations spanning four continents through the flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines, a member of star alliance, the leading global airline network. Ethiopian won African Airline of the Year Awards for many years.

Shopping

Shopping facilities are everywhere in Addis from small merchandise to big supermarkets and the traditional markets. Markets are found all over the city. The biggest is Merkato, but if you want to buy traditional clothes, Shiromeda might be the better choice.

Souvenirs

For a tourist, it is natural to take a souvenir for oneself or family in memory of the visited country. You can find Ethiopian mementos at any one of the metropolis' souvenir shops. What do you want? Traditional clothes? Carvings? Jewellery? or paintings? When you are ready to buy any of these items, just visit the souvenir shops located along the Churchill Road or the Merkato area. In most souvenir shops, you have to bargain. However, in some of the big hotels and a few shops, the price is fixed.

Addis at Night

From Entoto, 4 km from Piassa, you can see Addis flooded with light like a sunken dome adorned with glistening stars. After witnessing this stunning scenery you can enjoy the local cuisine while watching Ethiopian traditional music and dance. If you want international music, there are many nightclubs to suit your taste and make you dance until you sweat with Reggae, Pop, Latino, Salsa and other tunes. Most of the nightclubs are led by renowned DJs.

Museums & Historic Places

Welcome to the home of Lucy, your ancestress of 3.2 million years ago. For that is how old Lucy is. But Ethiopia keeps on furnishing one surprise after another as regards the hominid ancestors of humanity. Ramides Afarensis was discovered a couple of decades after Lucy. And it is belived to be much older.

The city hosts nine museums, each specializing in different aspects of the country’s rich tradition. The National Museum at Amist Kilo exhibits archeological collections, historical findings from early periods of Ethiopian history, ethnographic objects and selected paintings and sculptures by Ethiopian artists while St. Georges’s Cathedral Museum displays costumes, parchments, crosses and wall paintings that throw light on some aspects of the cultural tradition of the country’s long history.

Places of Interest

In Addis Ababa, there are old and modern buildings and monuments. These include the city’s municipality, the Economic Commission for Africa, the old post office, the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, Hilton and Sheraton hotels as well as the UN convention center.

Some of the historical sites in Addis that are worth visiting are: The statue of Abune Petros commemorating the archbishop executed by the Italian invading troops, the liberation monument around Arat Kilo, the martyrs’ monument around Sidest kilo, the Andinet statue erected in memory of the fallen troops during the invasion of Somalia, the statue of Emperor Menelik at the heart of the city called Arada and the Lion of Judah erected in front of the Ethio-Djibouti Railway

For your local tour and travel need, Please contact:

Walk In Ethiopia Tour Travel and Car Rental

Bole, around Harmony Hotel, Park Land Tower Building ground floor
Mobile: +2519 30 099360
Email: info@walkinethiopia.com / walkinethiopia@yahoo.com