©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

Western

Includes  Why Go? Ambo...... 203 Western Ethiopia is undisturbed and seldom visited, and Mt Wenchi . . . . . 206 while its towns are nothing special, it’s one of the most beau- ...... 207 tiful regions in Ethiopia. Rainforests and plantations Metu...... 208 share the landscape with savannah grasslands, wildlife-rich swamps and high plateaus carpeted in fields of tef (an in- Tepi...... 209 digenous grass cultivated as a cereal, the base for making Mizan Tefari. . . . . 210 injera). ...... 211 As impressive as the scenery is, it’s the ethnic diversity Gambela...... 215 that’s the real attraction: white-robed highlanders flock to churches while, on the South Sudan border, ritually scarred Nuer people stride across the grasslands with their long- horned cattle. The Anuak people of the Gambela region be- lieve that to continue travelling west is to fall off the edge of Best Places to Eat the world – they are wrong on this score: the world doesn’t ¨¨Negash Resort (p214) end in western Ethiopia, it just feels that way. ¨¨Baro Gambella Hotel (p218) ¨¨Central Jimma Hotel (p213) When to Go ¨¨Bebeka Coffee Plantation Guesthouses (p210) Jimma °C/°F Te mp Rainfall inches/mm 30/86 6/150

Best Places to 20/68 Sleep 4/100 10/50 ¨¨Negash Resort (p214) 2/50 ¨¨Kafa Development 0/32 Association (KDA) -10/14 0 Guesthouse (p215) J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Bebeka Coffee Plantation Guesthouses (p210) Jan–Mar Huge Oct–Nov Meskel Nov-Jan Ethiopia’s numbers of ante- flowers bloom: the coffee harvest ¨¨Baro Gambella Hotel lope move through countryside glows takes over much (p218) Gambela National green and yellow. of Western ¨¨Boni International Hotel Park. Ethiopia. (p213) 203 Western Ethiopia TGAddisheett Wing eAlste emThernr Hie &gh Alwaanyds

; ------$ T T is OR S (inner RE ሙዝየም Sun Birr30; (

thermalpool where you can where you 8am-5.30pm) displays some displays h ቅድስት ቅድስት ማርያም (

museum market Mon-Thu Birr20, Fri- Birr20, Mon-Thu Birr100;

; per tent Birr120, s/d Birr175/275) s/d Birr120, per tent

; run by Ambo Ethiopia Hotel. run by Ambo Ethiopia Hotel. 9am-noon & 1-3pm) 9am-noon & h Alem’s most interesting building. It Alem’s

Sleeping 011 236 2002; 236 011 St Maryam Church St Numerous depart-when-fullNumerous buses pass 6am-6pm) % የአምቦ ፍልውሃ የአምቦ POP 94,342 / ELEV 2101M Addis the ba decoration: standsits lavish out for surprising finds for such a nondescript re for such a nondescript surprising finds Set gardens, this coloni around flowering Despite the murky green colour, the pool green colour, Despite the murky an The town also offers is cleaned weekly. interesting Saturday find brightly coloured Ambo baskets. brightly coloured Ambo find ern and Ethiopian selections. It’s 150m west ern and Ethiopian selections. It’s of free use Guests station. the bus of have thermal pool. the town’s 4 choices are sin accommodation Ambo’s agularly unexciting, have least you but at from, unlikeof options to choose handful Ethiopian towns. western many Hotel Ambo Ethiopia ( charm.al place has bundles of old-world Though in places, notably it shows its age still quite comfortable and in the rooms, it’s The classic TV. satellite some rooms have dining hall (mains Birr50 to Birr90), which worthwhile, serves a stay alone makes West ba (Birr24, 1½ hours) and west to Ambo west 1½ hours) and ba (Birr24, hours). (Birr38, two Ambo The claim to fame of Ambo (አምቦ) is its min here and sold throughout bottled water, eral it contin Ethiopia. The that is so fizzy water left in overnight ues to sparkle even after it’s but you factory, visit the can’t a glass! You a dip in the famous can take ( h killed the new the killed Alem Addis then, Since world. al obscurity, into provincial back has settled museum. little a fine it does have though as the maqdas as well exterior, silica’s Birr50; clothing belonginggional town: crowns and as rel Selassie, as well and Haile to Menelik inlaid of and a gold ics from the Battle once contained says local legend that box Thethe Ark of the Covenant. site sits atop hill 600m south of the main road. a rocky Addis Alem heading east Aba to Addis sanctuary), with murals. covered is entirely the local door Next ቤተክርስትያን - - t

f you’re f you’re odo in the iver. uring the wet season, (www.ethiopianairlines. ar road in the north by public transport, Getting There & Away 8 t’s possible to reach Jimma from S I THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS CAR & MOTORCYCLE AIR BUS POP 18,000 ELEV / 2360M Addis Alem This unremarkable agricultural town 55km of was to be the site of west – Addis future capital II’s Emperor Menelik Alem (አዲስ means ‘New አለም) literally in . Thehad sent emperor World’ startto builders and engineers construction here when Addis Ababa was crippled by late-19th-centuryshortages. Thefirewood introduction of eucalyptus trees ended up the newAbaba) and (Addis flower saving Carpeted in lush forests, dense patchworks and plantations cultivation,of coffee shady Highlands valleys, the Western deep river an Ethiopian Arcadia. seem like nese-led construction crews are in the process of upgrading many roads across the region. I may still be a few years away before they join all of the dots, but plans to provide paved roads all the way from Addis to Gambela are progressing nicely. The road network in Ethiopia’s west is rapidly improving and, like elsewhere in Ethiopia, Chi Bahir D thus lettingyou connect western Ethiopia with both southern and northern Ethiopia without Addis. backtracking to coming from the south, distances are long but access has improved since the completion of two road bridges over the Omo R however, roads and schedules can fall by the wayside. Along the main paved roads, buses travel between Addis and Nekemte or Jimma, also serving the many towns en route. Ethiopian Most areas of Western Ethiopia are covered by regular bus services. D It’s possible to fly from Addis to Gambela or Jimma, while the paved road extends ever fur ther westwards with each passing I year. Gambela both with Ababa connects Addis com) and Jimma three times a week. Ababa– Addis the from Nekemte and south, 8