OTHER PLACES TO GO IN ETHIOPIA

• OMO AND AWASH VALLEYS: Visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed areas of the Omo and Awash Valleys. The Awash Valley, located near Djibouti in the Afar region, is where the skeleton of ‘Lucy’ was found. Thought to be 3.5 million years old, Lucy provided a vital window into the evolution of the human species.

•HARAR: The historic walled city of Harar dates back to the 7th Century and developed as a trading centre and centre of Islamic learning. Today it has 80 mosques and 100 shrines and showcases the fact that Ethiopia has historical ties to a number of major religions.

• SOF OMER CAVES: These caves, in the Oromia region in south-eastern Ethiopia, are significant as both a cultural and natural treasure. A sheikh lived in the cave where he taught Islam long before the religion was introduced in the region. The cave hosts two religious ceremonies a year. The caves are also a natural marvel, with 15 kilometres of passages as well as a river running through the chambers.