What to see in Ethiopia: 9 must-sees

Cross the trenches of living rock that separate Lalibela's 11 rock-hewn churches, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. In this city in the Amhara region, the first believers cut down into the stone to shape monolithic temples such as Bete Giorgis, with its perfect cross-shaped plan. You'll see pilgrims dressed in white praying at dawn beside walls carved more than eight hundred years ago. This complex stands as an exceptional testament to a living cultural tradition, where priests and monks maintain liturgies that have been celebrated since the Middle Ages.

Step through the walls of Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar's fortified enclosure where Ethiopian emperors raised their castles in the seventeenth century. Fasilides' Palace combines towers of volcanic stone with Portuguese-influenced arches and local masonry techniques. Beside it you'll see the castle of Iyasu I and Fasilides' ceremonial bath, which still fills up every January for the Timkat festival. UNESCO declared this complex a World Heritage Site in 1979. The buildings display a vanished architectural tradition, a testament to the imperial capital of the Gondarine dynasty in the Amhara region.

In the Omo Valley, in southern Ethiopia, watch how local tribes decorate their bodies with elaborate paint and wear the distinctive clay lip plates. Explore this UNESCO World Heritage area and meet communities that keep ancestral traditions alive in their daily lives. Hike through terrain of striking geological formations, where wildlife and plants accompany walking routes along the Omo River. Wear comfortable footwear and respect each village's rules before photographing its inhabitants.

Sail on Lake Tana, the largest in Ethiopia, and disembark on islands where the Ura Kidane Mehret and Kebran Gabriel monasteries house religious murals. Boats set out from Bahir Dar to cruise its shores among papyrus, pelicans, and hippos. To the south, the Blue Nile begins its course toward the Tis Issat falls. Orthodox monks still celebrate daily liturgies in circular churches with thatched roofs and painted walls.

Admire the National Museum, where remains of human ancestors are on display, and step inside Holy Trinity Cathedral to see its stained glass and the tomb of Haile Selassie. Wander through the Mercato, the largest open-air market in Africa, and try injera with coffee from the region where this drink was born. This capital of 3.5 million people blends colonial buildings, the headquarters of African organizations, and neighborhoods of bars with live Ethiopian music.

From the crests of Simien Mountains National Park, admire the volcanic crags of Amhara, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. Walk among troops of gelada baboons grazing on the highland meadows and, with luck, spot an Ethiopian wolf prowling among giant lobelias. Follow trails across plateaus cut by deep gorges, where the silence is broken only by the wind and the calls of lammergeiers.