Anyone choosing Africa as the next continent to spend one's vacation could choose to travel in Ethiopia for an exceptional off-beat experience. In this North African country, there are two popular tourist destinations worth noting: the capital city of Addis Ababa and the alluring backwater of Axum. Interestingly, both cities are unlike each other.
Between the popular Addis Ababa and the mystical Axum, many people would choose to visit Axum. Here are the reasons why:
Two-day Road Trip
From the airport in Ethiopia's capital city, the journey to Axum takes about two days on the road. While many people would conveniently go for another round of aerial travel, spending two days on the road might prove to be a fun African safari road trip. Warning: travel at your own risk.
Historical Wealth
One of the key reasons why people would visit Axum is because of its very rich cultural heritage. This city has thousands of years of history behind it. The local obelisks and stele slabs take academic tourists back into the golden age of the Kingdom of Aksum that thrived around 400 BC.
Ancient Christianity
Axum is also a significant site of the earliest Christian society in Africa (if not the whole world). In fact, the Church of the St. Mary of Zion allegedly guards The Ark of the Covenant - the most important Judeo-Christian artifact.
If Axum is too much of a backwater for others who travel in Ethiopia, one would rather choose to visit Addis Ababa. Here are the following reasons:
Tourism Powerhouse
As of July 15, 2015, Addis Ababa was awarded the number 1 spot by the European Council on Tourism and Trade. For the last ten years, Ethiopia's capital city has experienced a 10 percent increase in its tourism growth.
Life and Industry
One of the reasons behind Addis Ababa's recent appealing decade has a lot to do with the government's efforts to increase its productivity. This has been made obvious by the proliferation of many commercial skyscrapers.
Groovy Nightlife
Another reason why people also like to visit Addis Ababa is its thriving nightlife. This metropolis is teeming with music clubs, fusing modern genres with traditional Ethiopian beat. The most recent trend in the city is the revival of its 'ethnic-jazz.'
