There is much natural beauty to explore in Ethiopia. The Simien Mountain National Park offers opportunities for seeing wildlife, visiting grasslands, and hiring pack animals to hike trails. The Blue Nile Falls, where the Blue Nile River meets the River Nile, has spectacular views of a large waterfall with rainbows appearing at the bottom. Lake Tana is the beginning of the Blue Nile River and has many religious houses located around its banks. Taking a cruise on Lake Tana provides the experience of seeing a large variety of birds as well as an escape from the summer heat.
In the city of Lalibela, famous churches can be toured by visitors. These churches are made out of rock and are so well-preserved that visitors can still see much of the original structure. There are 11 churches total and they were believed to have been created from the 10th to 12th centuries A.D. These churches contain tombs of some of the famous emperors of that time.
Pre-historical and archaeological sites include such places as the central Tigray region of Ethiopia, where the oldest remains of a hominid were found. This region, in the town of Axum, has obelisk statues and ruins of the palace of the Queen of Sheba. The palace ruins and an old bathing pool can still be visited at this site. In the city of Gondar ruins can be found of the palace of Emperor Fasilidas, built in 1635. The palace is in excellent condition and you can climb to the roof to see views of the rest of the city.
There are many other national parks in Ethiopia such as the Awash National Park, the Mago National Park and Gambala National Park. These parks offer visitors the chance to see many varieties of African wildlife such as water buffalos, tigers, giraffes and zebras. Rafting is allowed on some of the rivers in these parks, such as the Mui River. The Rift Valley contains many lakes, hot springs and wildlife for visitors to enjoy. The Sof Omar Cave is a huge underground cave system that can be hiked, but is also a religious area and shrine.
