TIPS FOR TRAVELERS

Land
Ethiopia covers an area of 1.14 million square kilometers (944,000 square miles).
Climate
There are two seasons: the dry season prevails from October through May; the wet season runs from June to September.
Topography
Ethiopia has a elevated central plateau varying in height between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. In the north and center of the country there are some 25 mountains whose peaks rise over 4,000 meters. The most famous Ethiopian river is the Blue Nile (or Abbay), which runs a distance of 1,450 km from the source in Lake Tana to join the White Nile at Khartoum.
Economy
About 90% of the population earns their living from the land, mainly as subsistence farmers. Agriculture is the backbone of the national economy and the principal exports from this sector are coffee, oilseeds, pulses, flowers, vegetables, sugar and foodstuff fro animals. There is also a thriving livestock sector, exporting cattle on the hoof, hides and skins.
Language
Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with a great variety of languages spoken in the country, of which there are 83 with 200 dialects. Amharic is the working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia while Oromigna, Tigrigna and Guragigna are widely spoken.
Electric Supply
Ethiopia uses 220 volts 50 cycles AC.
Time
Ethiopia is in the GMT +3 hours time zone. Ethiopia follows the Julian calendar.
People
The population is estimated at 80 million, the second populous country in Africa only next to Nigeria.
Hotels
Addis Ababa has hotels that cater for all pockets, from the luxurious Sheraton and Hilton Hotels to the tourist-class hotels shuch as the Ghion, the Ethiopia and the Wabe Shebele.
Banking hours
Banking hours are usually from 8:00 AM – 4:00 Pm from Monday to Friday and from 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM on Saturday. Closing times may be an hour longer in some private banks. Most banks work through lunchtime; however foreign exchange services are closed during lunch hours (12:00 noon – 1:00PM).
Communication
Telephone, fax and Internet access is available in Addis Ababa in most hotels, at the Ethiopian Telecommunications Authority main office and at private Internet service centers situated around the city.
Courier and Money Transfer services
Money transfers can be made through Western Union and Money Gram. Both have representative branches in Addis Ababa and also make their services available from private and national banks. For courier services, DHL, FedEx, UPS, TNT and EMS have offices in Addis Ababa.
Currency
The local currency is the Ethiopian Birr (ETB), made up of 100 cents. Birr notes are available in denominations of 1,5,10,50 and 100. Visitors may import an unlimited amount of foreign currency but this must be declared on arrival to the customs authorities on the appropriate blue-colored for.. Foreign currency may only be exchanged at authorized banks and hotels, and a receipt must be obtained. The currency declaration form must be retained as this will be required by customs on departure. Visitors may change back any surplus Ethiopian Birr to cash at the airport before departure. In addition to any Ethiopian Birr, along with the currency exchange form you must bring with you all receipts for exchange transactions.
Public Holidays
Public holidays are celebrated according to the Ethiopian (Julian) Calendar which consists of twelve months of thirty days each and a thirteenth month of five days (six days in a leap year). The calendar is seven years behind the Western or Gregorian calendar, with New Year falling in the month of September.

September 11 – Ethiopian New Year
September 27 – The find of the True Cross (Meskel)
October 2 – Id ul Fitur (Ramadan)
December 9 – Id ul Ahda (Sacrifice)
January 8 – Ethiopian Christmas (Genna)
January 20 – Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket)
March 2 – Victory of Adwa
March 20 – Birth of Prophet Mohammed (Meulid)
April 25 – Ethiopian Good Friday
April 27 – Ethiopian Easter
May 1 – International Labor Day
May 5 – Ethiopian patriots’ victory day
May 28 – Downfall of the Dergue Regime

Best time to visit Ethiopia
Ethiopia can be visited at any time of year. People are often advised against traveling during the rainy season, which normally runs from June until mid September. The most popular time to visit Ethiopia is between October and January, when the rains are over but the countryside is still quite green. Many travelers try to schedule their trip to match with the important religious festivals such as Ethiopian New Year (Sep 11 or 12), Ethiopian Christmas (Jan 07), Ethiopian Epiphany (Jan 18 and 19) and Meskel (Sep 27). One area where travel options are restricted during the rains is South Omo. The rains here typically fall in April and May, but they may run earlier or later, for which reason March and June are also probably best avoided, as are the short rains is October.

Customs
Duty-free imports are permitted for up to:
a) 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or ½ lb of tobacco
b) 2 liters of alcoholic beverages
c) Half-liter of two bottles of perfume
Visitors may export souvenirs, although some articles (such as animal skin and antiques) require an export permit.
Health Requirements
Prior to entry, visitors should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in Ethiopia.
Visa and immigration requirements
Visa applications may be obtained at Ethiopia’s diplomatic missions overseas. However, nationals of 33 counties are now allowed to receive their tourist visa on arrival in Ethiopia at the regular charge. The list includes Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greek, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, citizens of United Kingdom and United States. For China including passports issued in Hong Kong(SAR China) and MACAO(SAR China), visa is available on arrival.