Rich in history, wildlife and cultural traditions, Ethiopia deserves the aura and fame of Egypt. To many it remains synonymous with famine and war, but the relative obscurity has its rewards, flavouring travel with a sense of adventure and discovery. The landscape is littered with rock-hewn churches, mighty castles and isolated monasteries. Nature lovers come away with memories of waterfalls, mountains and wildlife. Travel here can be tough but also hugely satisfying-and you won’t have to worry about crowds of tourists, yet…

October to January, when rains have turned the land into lush, blooming best

Walking around the rock-hewn churches at Lalibela at dawn Trekking into the Bale Mountains in search of the elusive Ethiopian wolf Exploring Gonder’s castles and the colourful interior of Debre Beirhan Selassie Church Visiting the ruins of Aksum,once home to a mysterious and mighty ancient civilization Taking a boat to Lake Tana’s island monasteries

Read Graham Hancock’s The Sign and the Seal, a fascinating historical detective story which traces the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia, while providing an overview of the country’s history and culture

Listen to anything by Mahmoud Ahmud, a legend of Ethiopian music with his soulful and funky Amharic sound. Start with his Live in Paris set.

Eat injera, a phenomenally bouncy bread that is found throughout the country. Try it with fiery kai wat sauce.

Drink the excellent Ethiopian beer, especially Harar. Delicious fruit juice mixtures known as spris shouldn’t be missed.

Denkenesh (you are wonderful), the Ethiopian Amharic name given to Lucy, the oldest complete hominid skeleton ever found, on display at the National Museum in Addis Ababa

Ancient churches; Live Aid; Haile Selassie; Radio Ethiopia

Ethiopia is home to one of the oldest Christian civilizations in the world; Ethiopias believe their country is the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant; the country is at peace

Though daunting at first, the ascents up rock faces required to reach some of the Tigrayan churches are not difficult it taken carefully. Just focus on the footholds, get a good grip, don’t stop and don’t look down. Sometimes the holds are very small, hewn by the bare feet of generations of priests. ln which case, do as they do and take off your shoes. It’s amazing the grip a toe can get!