Ethiopia rewrites what many people think they know about Africa. Apart from a five-year Italian occupation (1936 to 1941), it was never colonized. It has its own calendar, its own script, and a history that runs back through the Kingdom of Aksum and beyond.
Is Ethiopia worth it as a luxury trip? For history and culture, yes. It has 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a coffee ceremony you'll never forget, and lodges like Limalimo and Mezena. But as of October 2026 the US rates Ethiopia Level 3, and Amhara, home to Lalibela and the Simien Mountains, is Do Not Travel. Check before you book.
Key facts
- Safety (as of October 2026): the US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3 (Reconsider Travel). The Amhara region, including Lalibela and the Simien Mountains, is Level 4 (Do Not Travel).
- Highlights: 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Lalibela's rock-hewn churches, Simien National Park, the stelae of Aksum, the castles of Gondar and the walled city of Harar.
- Where to stay: Limalimo Lodge in the Simien Mountains and Mezena Lodge near Lalibela, both in Amhara, so only when the advisory allows.
- Don't miss: a private coffee ceremony in Addis Ababa.
Why Ethiopia
Ethiopia has 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among them the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, Simien National Park, the stelae of Aksum, the castles of Gondar (Fasil Ghebbi), and the walled city of Harar.
The experiences
- Lalibela: rock-hewn churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, each carved from the living rock (my Lalibela guide)
- Simien Mountains: dramatic trekking among endemic gelada monkeys and walia ibex
- Aksum: ancient stelae and the chapel said to hold the Ark of the Covenant
- Omo Valley: home to many Indigenous communities, best visited with a respectful local guide
Photo: Abenezer Shewaga / Unsplash
Where to stay
Limalimo Lodge in the Simien Mountains is a beautiful eco-lodge on the edge of the escarpment. Mezena Lodge near Lalibela gives you dramatic highland views.
As of October 2026, the US State Department rates Ethiopia Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), and the Amhara region, which includes Lalibela and the Simien Mountains, is Do Not Travel. Please check the current advisory before you book. We only plan routes that are safe at the time you travel.
Claire's Ethiopia experience
The coffee ceremony alone is worth the trip: green beans roasted, ground and brewed over charcoal while incense fills the room. I wrote a whole post on it, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Photo: Amanuel Kebede / Unsplash
At Lalibela, standing inside Bet Giyorgis, the cross-shaped church carved down into a single rock, you can't quite understand how it was made.
Photo: Volker Repke / Unsplash
For Black travelers especially, Ethiopia holds a special place. It kept its sovereignty and its cultural identity through the colonial era, and you feel that pride everywhere.
Discover Ethiopia with Caviar in the Air, where civilization runs deep and luxury is just getting started.
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