Reviews
"The Bradt Guide has almost everything you need to read about the country’s history, tourist attractions and hotels, and proves itself to be an invaluable companion while in the country."
SX News
"Thorough and reassuring, it provides all the practical and background information to make readers leap from their armchairs and visit this vast, magical country."
The Daily Telegraph
"Essential reading for anyone with the remotest interest in Ethiopia ... a complete reference book to Ethiopia as well as an excellent travel guide."
Travel Africa
"Highly personal and informative guidebook ... his enthusiasm is reflected in every chapter."
Business in Africa
"An indispensable handbook for anyone wishing to visit Ethiopia."
The Guardian
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Reader Reviews
"First let me commend you on a fantastic guide book. It is truly encyclopedic, well researched, and written in an enjoyable style – one of the best guidebooks I ever used. This is certainly the most authoritative budget-oriented guide to Ethiopia on the market and I used it extensively during my visit to Ethiopia in October 2009."
Ron Elimelech
"I am completely addicted to your guidebooks and would not even consider anything else for traveling in Africa! Your Ethopia guidebook helped make my trip unforgettable."
I Quesada, Kenya
"Again my hearty congratulations on a well-done job. As far as I am concerned, your guidebook on Ethiopia is the best."
Harry Atkins, USA
"Excellent guide book - particularly the historical section. Better than any text book."
Finbar O'Sullivan - Ireland
"Most informative by far!"
Jay Burman, Braintree, Essex
"Splendid guide. Invaluable companion."
Janet Budd - Winchester
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Living in Ethiopia for a number of years now, I still enjoy Philip Briggs' guide because is simply the best guide available whether it is about getting ideas where to go, where to stay and what to expect. This holds true for the latest edition as much as it did for previous ones. Thanks!
Petra Zimmerman
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Table of Contents
PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION
Chapter 1 Ethiopia at a Glance
Facts and figures, Federal regions
Chapter 2 Culture and History
Language, Religion, History
Chapter 3 Wildlife
Mammals, Reptiles, Birds
Chapter 4 Planning and Preparation
When to visit, Tourist information, Getting to Ethiopia, Paperwork, Money matters, Packing, Planning an itinerary
Chapter 5 Traveling in Ethiopia
Tourist information, Public holidays, Money, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Shopping, Nightlife, music and dancing, Media and communications, Crime, Hassles
Chapter 6 Bridging the Cultural Gap
Responsible tourism, Guilt, Cultural perspectives, Giving, Overcharging and bargaining, Budget travel and meanness
Chapter 7 Health and Safety
Preparations, Diseases, Medical facilities, Insects, Outdoor health, Disabled travel
PART TWO ADDIS ABABA
Chapter 8 Addis Ababa
PART THREE NORTHERN ETHIOPIA
Chapter 9 Addis Ababa to Lake Tana by Road
Chapter 10 Bahir Dar and Lake Tana
Chapter 11 Gonder and the Simien Mountains
Chapter 12 Axum and the Adigrat Road
Chapter 13 Rock-hewn Churches of Northeast Tigrai
Chapter 14 Mekele and the Danakil
Chapter 15 Dessie, Woldia and Surrounds
Chapter 16 Dessie to Addis Ababa
Chapter 17 Lalibela and Surrounds
PART FOUR EASTERN ETHIOPIA
Chapter 18 Addis Ababa to Adama by Road
Chapter 19 Awash National Park and the Assab Road
Chapter 20 Harar and Dire Dawa
PART FIVE SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA
Chapter 21 Addis Ababa to the Rift Valley via Butajira
Chapter 22 The Rift Valley South to Awassa
Chapter 23 The Bale and Arsi Highlands
Chapter 24 The Moyale Road
Chapter 25 Arba Minch and the Konso Highlands
Chapter 26 South Omo
PART SIX WESTERN ETHIOPIA
Chapter 27 The Wenchi Loop
Chapter 28 The Western Highlands
Chapter 29 Gambella
Appendix I Ethiopian Swing
Appendix 2 Further Reading
Appendix 3 Language
Appendix 4 Glossary
Appendix 5 Key Historical and Legendary Figures in Ethiopia
Appendix 6 Some Ethiopic Transciptions of Place Names
Index
About the Author
Johannesburg resident Philip Briggs is a travel writer and tour leader specialising in East and southern Africa. Born in Britain and raised in South Africa, he started travelling in East Africa in 1986, and his first book, Guide to South Africa, was published by Bradt in 1991.
Since then Philip has written or co-written numerous books on the African continent including Bradt travel guides to Northern Tanzania, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and East & Southern Africa, as well as Bradt's East African Wildlife guide. He also writes regularly for magazines including Africa Geographic, Travel Africa and Africa Birds & Birding.
Other Titles by this Author
 | East African WildlifePrinted in full colour throughout, this new guide provides a lively overview of the region's variety of large animals together with information on their habits and habitats, plus an excellent introduction to the region's less heralded variety of smaller creatures including 1,500 bird species and butterflies. » more details |
 | MozambiqueMozambique should whet the appetites of all adventurous travellers. » more details |
 | Tanzania with Zanzibar, Pemba & MafiaWhether you need advice on removing ticks, or tips on photographing wildebeest, the sixth edition of this comprehensive guide has the latest information. Tanzania is home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater, and lakes Victoria and Tanganyika. One fifth of Africa's large mammal population lives here. Now fully updated, this guide covers practical information for both independent travel and all-inclusive safaris. » more details |
 | MalawiThis fourth edition of Malawi features all that you would expect from a Bradt guide, including comprehensive practical advice, information on local wildlife, conservation area and a detailed history of the country. » more details |
 | UgandaWhether visitors want to climb to the snows of the fabled Mountains of the Moon, track mountain gorillas and chimps, raft the headwaters of the mighty Nile, or marvel at the legendary tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, this sixth edition of Philip Briggs' much-praised guide is the most comprehensive resource available to Uganda. » more details |
 | RwandaFifteen years on from the tragic genocide of 1994, Rwanda is rapidly emerging as one of Africa’s most exciting ecotourism destinations, boasting three diverse national parks and famed for its mountain gorillas. This updated fourth edition of the only English-language guidebook to Rwanda lists the newest hotels, tours, activities, tour operators and all other travel practicalities. » more details |
 | GhanaBradt's Ghana has remained the bestselling guide to the country since it was first published in 1998. Readers will discover a country steeped in a rich cultural tradition and little-visited attractions. Caters for tourists on all budgets with excellent history and wildlife sections plus accommodation and restaurant recommendations and a wealth of practical information. » more details |
 | Northern Tanzania: The Bradt Safari Guide with Kilimanjaro and ZanzibarThe second edition of this tightly focused guide includes updated information on the best accommodation in every price bracket, and the best of the safaris. There's specific coverage of the wildlife and natural history of the region, making it the indispensable companion to a safari in northern Tanzania's renowned national parks. Mt Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar are also covered. » more details |
Guidebook Updates
Companion Website
To get the most up-to-date information between editions, or to send feedback directly to the author, visit the companion site for Ethiopia:
Notes from the Author
"Ethiopia confounds every expectation. You arrive expecting a vast featureless desert and instead find yourself overwhelmed by majestic landscapes and climatic abundance. You expect a land which has been ravaged to the point of ruin by years of civil war, and instead you find close to the best civil amenities in Africa and almost no obvious signs that a war ever took place. You arrive expecting to see human degradation and abject poverty, and instead find yourself immersed in a culture besotted with itself and its history, and marked by a sense of unforced pride that is positively infectious.
Ethiopia is a true revelation. It is the most welcoming, enjoyable and uplifting country I have ever visited. For independent travellers, the combination of good, inexpensive facilities and practically limitless opportunities for off-the-beaten-track diversions makes Ethiopia among the most rewarding and attractive countries in Africa. When the world taps its feet, Ethiopia, I suspect, will always breakdance with its shoulders."
The African Travel & Tourism Association ATTACK Newsletter - www.atta.co.uk/
