Addis Ababa

The National Museum of Ethiopia shows Lucy, the 3.2 million year old hominin found in 1974, and the Ethnological Museum occupies the former palace of Haile Selassie on the Addis Ababa University campus. Holy Trinity Cathedral holds the tombs of the last emperor and of patriots of the Italian occupation, the Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum tells the story of the 1970s, and the Adwa Victory Memorial in Piassa recalls the 1896 battle that kept Ethiopia independent. Unity Park, opened in the old palace grounds, lets visitors walk through rooms that were closed to the public for a century, while Entoto Park and Mount Entoto give you forest air and city views from the hills above town. Merkato is one of the largest open-air markets in Africa and is best explored with a local guide, and the city’s tables are full of injera, spicy stews and coffee poured from a clay jebena. This guide shows you what to book ahead, how to get around, how many days to give it and where to stay, and it states the current US State Department advisory plainly so you can plan day trips sensibly.