Addis Ababa

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Introduction

Merkato, Addis Ababa

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Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and the African Union, is home to a population of roughly 4 million. The city's name originates from the Amharic word for "New Flower", reflecting its perceived status as a new flower for the continent. The city was founded by the Ethiopian emperor Menelik II in 1886. The site was chosen by his partner, Empress Taytu Betul.

Neighbourhoods

Sights and Activities

Events and Festivals

Weather

As Addis Ababa is located at around 2400 meters above sea level, it rarely gets warm and temperatures can actually drop close to zero during the colder months. Temperatures rarely hit more than 30 degrees Celcius though during the hotter days in summer. Temperatures average between 21 (July-August) to 25 (March-May) degrees Celsius during the day, dropping to a rather chilly 5 (December) to 10 (April-August) degrees Celsius at night. The rainy season lasts from late May to September, with July and August seeing much more rain than any other month, around 300 mm each month. October to January is fairly dry.

Getting There

By Plane

Ethiopian Airlines is based at Bole International Airport (ADD) near Addis Ababa and international flights to and from here include destinations like Abidjan, Accra, Bangkok, Nairobi, Frankfurt, Entebbe, Washington, D.C., Stockholm, Paris, Rome, London, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Johannesburg, among many other cities, mainly in Africa. A number of other cities like Amsterdam (KLM), Sana'a (Yemenia), Istanbul (Turkish Airlines) and Jeddah (Saudi Arabian Airlines) have connections as well. Cairo, Dubai and Amman also have flights to Addis Ababa.

Domestic services with Ethiopian Airlines include Arba Minch, Dire Dawa, Kabri Dar, Lalibela, Mekane Selam, Mek'ele, Mizan Teferi, Asosa, Axum and Bahir Dar, among a few others.

By Train

The only train to and from Addis Ababa goes to and from Djibouti, via Dire Dawa and Harar. It is a long, slow and uncomfortable train link.

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

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Sleep

Budget

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Upscale

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