• Visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, located at an altitude of 2,440m (8,000ft) in the central highlands. Places worth visiting include the National Museum, the Menelik Palace, the Jubilee Palace, the Meskal (Revolution) Square, St George's Cathedral and the Ethnology Museum. 

• Marvel at Aksum. The ancient royal capital of the earliest Ethiopian kingdom is renowned for its multi-storeyed ancient carved granite obelisks, its archaeological remains and its church, which claims to house the Lost Ark of the Covenant.

• Do not miss the Blue Nile Falls (also called Tissisat), one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Northern Africa. They are situated about 35km (22 miles) from Bahar Dar.

• Get caught up in the mysterious atmosphere of Gondar. It was the capital of Ethiopia from 1632 to 1855 and is the site of many ruined castles.

• Step back in time in Lalibela, famous for its 12th-century, rock-hewn churches. Bete Medhane Alem is believed to be the largest monolithic church in the world.

• See a bizarre spectacle in Harar: local men attract wild hyenas to the city at dusk to feed them. The place is also a famous Muslim walled city with 99 mosques and the centre for the coffee trade.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.