When is the best time to travel?
Depending on what you are into, you can divide the
calendar year into four major sets of months that are clear guides to getting
you a step closer to your dream destinations within Ethiopia. If you are Lucky
enough, the beginning of the three sets of months, outlined below, are marked by
major holidays/ festivities across the country. These months are September,
January and April. Let us dive into each one at a time.
September-December
Lush and magnificent green fields covered with yellow
flowers are how Ethiopians greet their New Year. As followers of their own
calendar system (much similar to the Julian calendar), September is the first
month of the year for Ethiopians. It is fitting because life begins to
resurface from the rainy months of July and August. The weather is still a bit
chilly (nothing a light jacket will not protect) in September and October, but
the feeling of renewal is very much evident.
After New Year celebrations (September 11), one of the
major holidays would have to be Meskel (Finding of the True Cross). Much
celebrated in the Gurage area, this UNESCO-inscribed holiday that revolves
around bonfires is also colourfully marked in Addis Ababa.
Gonder and
Aksum (fall on September 2,7 plus or minus one day, depending on the area you
want to go to).
Irrecha, celebrated by the Oromo (the largest ethnicity in
Ethiopia), takes place on the shores of Lake Hora (end of September or beginning
of October).
November and December are ideal months for trekking
and sightseeing countrywide, but more so in the Semien or Bale Mountains
national parks. Blue skies set the country up for amazing landscape photography
in these months leading up to January.
January - March
January is the beginning of other major celebrations
in the country. Gena (Christmas, January 7) followed by Timket (Epiphany,
January 19) usher incolourfull celebrations from north to south of the
country. Addis Ababa’s fervour of shoppers is contagious,s which fills the shops
and streets lined with live animals, colourful vegetables, spices and everything
in between. Although movements in similar citiesares quite telling about the
onset of Christmas, if you are seeking a more religious experience, Lalibela,
Gonder and Aksum are the places to be during Gena and Timket.
After the holiday zeal subsides, February and March present ideal weather for any kind of travel, given that the daily mean
temperatures peak to beautiful, comfortable sunny days and crisply pleasant
nights. If you’re into wildlife watching, hiking, boat rides,s and any activity
that is outdoors, rs February and March are your go-to months for sure.
April - June
After two slow months of beautiful weather and calmer
activities undertaken by the long fasting seasons of the orthodox religion,
April/May marks more celebrations as it brings forth Easter and Good Friday.
April/May (the month of Miyazia, as it is locally known) is the month with the
most official holidays, with Labour Day and Patriots Day marked as other
celebrations. The increased heat in April and May, along with schools closing, might be indicators to locals of summer ending, as June brings in the months
of winter and heavy rains. The Holy month of Ramadan usually falls in this time
of the year.
July & August
Marked with heavy rains and
colder days and nights, July and August are a bit more difficult for travellers to get around. Although by Western standards, heavy rain might be
considered a tolerable winter, unpaved roads around the country could pose
difficulty in getting around. Not to worry, though, as you could easily move
around the country to your planned destinations via Ethiopian Airlines, with
one of the flight services that serve all major towns in Ethiopia. One major
event in late August is the girls’ only festival known with different names: Shadey, Ashenda, Ashendye, or Solel, which shouldn’t be missed in Northern
Wollo, Wag Hemra and Tigrai region. If museums, art galleries, culinary
experiences, music and nightlife are your ‘cup of tea,’ then cities like Addis
Ababa, Debre Zeit, and Hawassa are still enjoyable during these months.
Dubbed the country with 13 months of sunshine, you
might be confused about when you should plan your visit to Ethiopia. The truth is,
the sun does shine all year round! However, it shines much brighter in some
months more than others do. We will help you figure out when the best time to
travel to Ethiopia would be with a few simple breakdowns of the months to help
focus your decision, with the type of activities that might interest you more
than others.
“Thirteen Months of Sunshine, Mr Habte Selassie Tafesse is popularly known as the man who coined the term “Thirteen Months of Sunshine” and who single-handedly established tourism in Ethiopia.
The History behind “Thirteen
Months of Sunshine”
Habte Selassie Tafesse introduced
the concept of tourism in Ethiopia by making use of what makes the country
different. He found it in the unique Ethiopian Calendar. The calendar has
twelve months of thirty days each, the last month Pagume at the end of the year
has five days, with a sixth in a leap year, a total of 13 months. Based on these
13 months, Habte Selassie famously coined the classic phrase, “Thirteen Months
of Sunshine”.
The term opens up the imagination of visitors and stimulates curiosity in
tourists. A visitor to Ethiopia will explore a country of great antiquity,
culture and tradition dating back more than 3,000 years. One can travel a
journey through time, transported by beautiful monuments and ruins built
centuries ago. Donald Levine referred to Ethiopia as “A setting of great
natural beauty and a climate often called 'idyllic,' it offers a gate through
time to a state of being that is richly medieval.’’
Habte Selassie envisioned the
potential in how tourism can become a source of important income to Ethiopia.
When given credit for being the “Father of Ethiopian Tourism,” he is known to
modestly say that “he only identified some of the international principles of
the tourism industry and tried to apply them to Ethiopia.”
Mr Habte-Selassie Tafesse was
born in Addis Ababa, spent most of his youth in Greece, Egypt and the United
States. Tourism started in Ethiopia in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s under
his dynamic leadership, an energetic man who did everything to promote
Ethiopia.
In 1961, when the Ethiopian Tourism Organisation (ETO) was first formed, he
introduced tourism in the country. This was at a time when visitors were looked
upon more as curious strangers, rather than a source of important income to a
developing nation. Mr Habte Selassie introduced for the first time the concept
of tourism in Ethiopia.
MMrHabte Selassie played a major role in the creation of the Historic Route,
which to this date has remained as the most popular segment of Ethiopia’s
tourist attractions. The Historic Route consists of the Blue Nile Falls, Lake
Tana, Gondar, Lalibela and Axum. Thanks to his vision, millions now have the
opportunity to visit and admire the great history and culture of ancient
Ethiopia.
His belief is that:
“Only the tourism industry can get Ethiopia out of poverty and make it prosper with
its resources, which it has in abundance: history, culture, climate, fauna and
flora and a great people.”
His philosophy is that:
“Everybody has something to offer if they are given the chance and listened
to.”
His wish is, “to see a dramatic change in Ethiopia’s tourism industry, whereby
we have millions and not just hundreds of thousands of visitors; and to see peace
and harmony among our people and neighbours.”
To so many Ethiopians, Habte
Selassie Tafesse is a role model, a man of inspiration and action, and he shall
always be credited as the pioneer of the Ethiopian Tourism Industry and the man
of “The Thirteen Months of Sunshine”.
