Ethiopia travel destinations and tours

Simien Mountains National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Amhara region, Ethiopia.Credit: Alamy

MY HUSBAND AND I AND OUR 15-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WILL BE TRAVELLING TO NAIROBI NEXT APRIL. WE WILL SPEND AROUND A WEEK IN NAIROBI THEN MOVE ON TO ETHIOPIA FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS. CAN YOU SUGGEST SOME PLACES FOR US TO VISIT IN ETHIOPIA, AND ALSO A FEW THINGS TO DO IN NAIROBI?

K. BRADY, GLENBROOK

Ethiopia is a sensational destination for the traveller, a real collector's item. There's Lucy, 3.5 million years old, in the National Museum of Addis Ababa, Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile, rock-hewn churches, medieval castles, the journey across the Nile by local ferry, markets, tea in the cafes, medieval castles and ancient obelisks that bear witness to a culture that dates back to the time of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. In the Simien Mountains you have a wild, desiccated landscape that comes from the far reaches of the imagination.

You need to take a guided tour in Ethiopia. Australia's Intrepid Travel and World Expeditions offer guided group tours but not in April, which is one of the hottest months in Ethiopia. Yigo Tarekegn of Endless Ethiopia Tours (endlessethiopiatours.com) can tailor a tour to suit your needs and he gets excellent reviews on several websites.

In Nairobi, there's the Daid Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (sheldrickwildlifetrust.org), the Giraffe Centre, the Animal Orphanage in Nairobi National Park (kws.go.ke), the Oloolua Nature Trail and, close at hand, the Ngong Hills. This is also Africa's safari capital, the choice is huge. You won't be bored.