Hospitality

Ethiopians are known across the globe for their remarkable hospitality and appreciate entertaining visitors in their homes.
Ethiopians like to smile, and project happiness and welcoming spirit.
A visitor will always be welcomed with a big smile by the host followed by a cup of coffee.
It is viewed as impolite to decline the offer.
Foreigners are normally referred to as farenji meaning a foreigner and refer to themselves as habesha meaning Ethiopian. Most people here are always willing to help out in case one needs help.

Greetings

Greetings hold an important place in the Ethiopian culture consisting of handshakes as shoulders touch each other followed by a direct eye-contact.
It is common to see women who have a close relationship kissing each other on the cheeks three times or even more.
In the presence of elders, it is customary that they be greeted first by bowing.

Ethiopia is an ancient country whose unique cultural heritage, rich history and remarkable biodiversity are reflected in a tally of nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites –more than any other country in Africa. Within its borders, you’ll find the world’s fourth-holiest Islamic city, along with the oldest continuously-occupied town south of the Sahara.

Compelling antiquities include the medieval rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and Gheralta, palaces and temples dating back 3,000 years, the magnificent 17th century castles of Gondar, and the oldest human fossils unearthed anywhere on the planet.

Add to this the beautiful Simien and Bale Mountains, the spectacular volcanic landscapes of the Danakil Depression, and a wealth of mammals and birds found nowhere else in the world, and it’s little wonder that Ethiopia has become the most attractive and popular emergent tourist destination in Africa.

The Land of Origins

Ethiopia is the cradle of humanity, Billions of years ago, where humans first walked on two legs.

Ethiopia’s history stretches back to before recorded time to an age when our first ancestors walked the earth. Here you can see fossils tracing the origin of humankind including our oldest forebears – the 3.2 million year old ‘Lucy’. This land abounds in mysteries – the Queen of Sheba, the resting place of the biblical Ark of the Covenant – and in the extraordinary achievements of ancient civilizations – Aksum, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the castles of Gondar, the colourful and holy Islamic city of Harar, all of them World Heritage Sites.

Ethiopia, the origin of humankind; home of the earliest remains of human ancestors ever, the origin or birthplace of the wild coffee plant, ‘Arabica’, Ethiopia’s gift to the world. Ethiopia is also the source of the Blue Nile, the great river whose power and fertility nurtured the origin of civilization itself.

Ethiopia as a country is believed to be the origin of so much more. Wel-come to Ethiopia, many reasons to Smile!