Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is an important Ethiopian City situated within the self-governing district of Addis Ababa. The City was established during the reign of Emperor Menelik II at around 1887, becoming the capital of Ethiopia during Menelik’s time. To cope with anticipated fuel shortages in the city, the Emperor planted Eucalyptus trees in Addis Ababa for firewood. These are still present and many can be seen lining the streets of the city. Addis Ababa is the headquarters of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The City has an estimated population of about 3 million residents.

Transport in Addis Ababa:

Addis Ababa is the key hub for transport in Ethiopia, from here buses depart traveling to different towns and cities around the country. Travel within the city is mainly by minibus. There is also the main railway terminal which traverses the country into neighboring Djibouti.

The City is home to the Bole International Airport (about 6 km from the City Centre), the key airport in the country and the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines. Taxis, buses and shuttle services provide transport from the airport into the City.

Places to visit:

With its rich historic background, Addis has a good number of tourism attractions such as; the Grand Palace of Emperor Haile Selassie, the National Museum, the Tiya Archeological site to the south of the city, the Zoological Natural History Museum, the Lion of Judah Monument, Menelik Square which features the imposing monument of Emperor Menelik II and traditional markets. Addis is also an entertaining city and has a number of cinema theatres, restaurants, pubs, night clubs and discotheques.

Addis Ababa Airport:

The Bole International Airport commonly referred to as the Addis Ababa Airport, is the key airport in Ethiopia catering for frequent domestic and international flights. The airport is the main hub for Ethiopian Airlines, one of the leading airlines in Africa. The airport is situated about 7 km from the Addis city centre. Transport to and from is mainly by public buses, taxi and shuttle services operated by individual companies including some hotels.

The airport has in recent year’s undergone expansion and redevelopment in order to prepare for anticipated increase in air traffic. This includes the opening of a new passenger terminal which features a wide range of amenities for travelers including; a shopping complex, banking facilities, restaurants, cafes and lounges. A new runway has also been added.

Airlines serving the airport:

Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Emirates, Egyptair, Lufthansa, KLM, Sudan Airways, Turkish Airlines, Yemenia.

Flights to Addis Ababa:

There are a number of regular scheduled flights to Addis Ababa, landing at the Bole International Airport. The airport caters for domestic and international flights to the city and is the main hub for Ethiopian airlines.

The airline is one of the leading flight operators in the third world and conducts flights from a number of domestic and international locations including; Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, Arba Minch, Jimma, Gondar, Gambela, Lalibela and Mek’ele, Abidjan, Accra, Amsterdam, Bamako, Bangkok, Beijing, Beirut, Brazzaville, Brussels, Bujumbura, Cairo, Copenhagen, Dar Es Salaam, New Delhi, Djibouti, Douala, Dubai, Entebbe, Frankfurt, Harare, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Harare, Karachi, Khartoum, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lilongwe, Lome, London, Luanda, Lusaka, Mumbai, Nairobi, N’djamena, New York, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, Washington D.C, Tel Aviv.

Other airlines operating flights to Addis are; British Airways, Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Emirates, Egyptair, Lufthansa, KLM, Sudan Airways, Turkish Airlines, Yemenia.

Addis Ababa Hotels:
As the capital and the main city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is home to a good selection of hotels, ranging from budget accommodation to luxury establishments. Most of the city’s hotels are situated within easy reach of the CBD and a number of tourism attractions here. Popular hotels include;

The Hilton Hotel Addis Ababa:

One of the city’s premier establishments, the Hilton Hotel Addis Ababa occupies a spacious property on Menelik II Avenue near the city centre. A four star hotel, the Hilton offers a wide range of facilities and services for travelers such as; restaurants, bars, business and conferencing facilities, swimming pool, fitness center, child care, tennis courts, foreign exchange services and an information desk.

Sheraton Hotel Addis Ababa:

Another of the city’s leading hotels, the Sheraton is a four star establishment situated at Taitu Street a short distance from the CBD. The hotel offers a wide range of facilities such as; swimming pool, spa, restaurants, bars, massage, round the clock room service, business facilities, meeting rooms, an airport pickup service and air conditioned rooms.

Addis Ababa University:

The Addis Ababa University formerly known as the Haile Selassie University was the first university to be established in Ethiopia, and one of the first in Africa. The University was established in 1950 as a University College at the behest of Emperor Haile Selassie who donated one of his palatial buildings to the University.

The University has seven campuses, with six of them including the main campus situated within Addis Ababa. The University is run by the Ethiopian Government under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.

Addis Ababa University was closed temporarily during the reign of the Derg in Ethiopia, following the overthrow of Haile Selassie. The University presently offers diploma, degree, masters and PhD courses in various disciplines including; social sciences, education, business, economics, technology, science, law, pharmacy, biology and veterinary medicine.