Ethiopia really is an African land like no other. The only African country that has never been colonised, Ethiopia is also unusual for its rich Orthodox Christian heritage, which was maintained even when all its neighbors embraced Islam in the seventh century.

Ethiopia is famous for having the most unparalleled riches and historical legacy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Referring to the classic historic travel circuit followed to the south and east, one commonly visits 5 key destinations: Axum, Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar and Harar.

The northern landscape was breathtaking; dramatic mountains and vast highland tablelands riven by deep gorges and rivers, expansive tracts of subsistence farming stretching to the horizon and on every terraced ledge that the steep hillsides would allow. As the heartland of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, the religious celebrations and architecture were like nothing we’d ever experienced; Axum, Gheralta and Lalibela are unique living shrines, true to a faith that has remained virtually unchanged since the earliest days of Christianity.

Travelling south, our days focused more on wildlife and tribal communities as we followed the huge East African Rift Valley through the lush lakes region and onto the dry low-lying plains of the South Omo Valley. As we continue visiting the various Omo tribes, observing their animist way of life and witnessing authentic customs and traditions, such as the bull-jumping and body scarification of the Hamer, the bizarre lip ornamentation of the Mursi and the incredible banana leaf architecture of the Dorze, we felt as if we had entered an African world of an earlier time, the way of life still largely untouched by outside influences