A deep dive into the darkness of the earth’s interior will bring you to the birthplace of civilisation, where 150 diverse tribes still coexist alongside many languages and cultural traditions.
Regardless of how much you’ve journeyed previously, a trip to Ethiopia will immerse you totally and make it impossible for you to leave. Book your Ethiopian airlines flight tickets and prepare yourself for an adventure that goes well beyond the routes and itineraries, where sometimes you may not even be aware that you are viewing the passing scenery and people.
Because everything in Ethiopia focuses on you, your attitude, and the people you wish to travel with to experience among the most prideful countries in Africa, everything encourages positive self-centeredness. Paradoxically, travelling alone in Ethiopia makes you more likely to seek out local companionship than isolation. Check out the advice listed below if you’re soon considering a lone trip to Ethiopia to make the most of your vacation while being safe:
Image Source: unsplash.com
Prepare to be the centre of attraction
Ethiopia is becoming more of an industrial powerhouse for Eastern Africa, but it still isn’t one of the more popular tourist destinations in Africa, like South Africa or Kenya. The natives, especially those living outside of Addis Ababa, are not used to witnessing non-black people.
Knowing this, You will see a constant stream of public harassment and attention as an evident foreigner following you around. There were sounds that the locals thought were phrases in an Asian language at times, and there were also instances when large groups of young men were openly staring and gazing.
Be prepared for challenging bus journeys
Anyone travelling from Addis Ababa to further places, including Lalibela or Gondar, can take domestic flights. Although the road conditions aren’t great, keep in mind that frequent pauses and bumps are typical if you want to go less distance or save money.
Leave the earplugs at home if you’re prepared to listen to hours of Ethiopian music, which is repetitious by nature; otherwise, a pair will help you endure it. Bring food with you since getting off the bus in tiny villages that served as rest breaks can make you a target for attention and abuse much more so than in bigger cities.
Keep your expectations for language use modest
One of the few African nations that had never experienced colonisation by a European force was Ethiopia. There are extremely few speakers of English, German, or any other Western tongue in the whole nation; Amharic is the primary language spoken there.
What to dress in Ethiopia as a woman?
In Ethiopia, it’s advisable to wear conservative clothing, much as in other East African nations. You can choose to wear long skirts and dresses, as well as baggy bottoms and shirts. When entering places of worship, always have a thin scarf on standby to protect your shoulders and head.
The weather in different places might be quite different. After sundown, the highlands are quite chilly. The highlands get very hot throughout the day. In the highlands at night, So layer up carefully. Since cotton weaving is a speciality of Ethiopia, the whole nation is filled with exquisite hand-woven scarves and rugs that are ideal for comfort and cultural understanding.
Image Source: unsplash.com
Safety measures for staying
The quality of lodging varies greatly throughout the nation. In addition to renting an Airbnb in Addis, you can do camping in the Danakil, stay in guesthouses in tiny villages, or lodge in eco-friendly homestay-style residences in Dorze and the Amhara highlands.
There isn’t a hard-and-fast rule for this other than to try to just remain in official places. Safety is never an issue since each visitor has their own individual tukul, a circular thatched cottage, at the homestays you will come across. Having adequate warm clothing for the chilly evenings is the main worry.
Engage in shoulder dancing
Ethiopian folk dances, known as eskista, are performed on stage by professionals at ethnic restaurants, where they gain popularity. The shoulder dance is precisely what it appears like: a strenuous sequence of pumping motions for the shoulders, whose constant up-and-down motion can be nearly dizzying to witness. The audience claps in sync as the dancers maintain their shoulder hops in time with the music while keeping their arms at their sides.
