Ethiopia: Addis Ababa – “Political Capital of Africa”

✈ First Impressions of Ethiopia

Our overnight flight to Addis Ababa landed smoothly just after sunrise, at 6:30 in the morning. It had been one of those flights where you doze in and out of half-sleep, so we were grateful to finally set foot on the ground. Customs and baggage claim were remarkably straightforward, nothing like the long queues and officious stares you sometimes get in other international airports. In no time at all, we were wheeling our bags into the arrivals hall, where we met our guide for the trip — a cheerful, knowledgeable man called Kibru, who was to be with us for the whole of our Ethiopian adventure.

Waiting outside was our driver, who introduced himself as “One-eye.” Now, whether that was really how his name was spelt I cannot say, but it certainly stuck in my mind. With our luggage packed in the boot, we set off for the hotel.

One thing that immediately struck me was how close Addis Ababa’s airport is to the city centre. Unlike most international airports — which tend to be an hour’s drive away, with the taxi fare to prove it — Addis Ababa Bole International is practically in town. Within fifteen minutes, we were pulling up outside the Ramada Hotel, our base for the stay. A quick chance to wash the travel out of our hair, and before long Kibru and One-eye were back to collect us for our first proper look around Ethiopia’s capital.

🌍 Ethiopia’s Unconquered Spirit

It’s worth pausing here to mention something that gives Ethiopia a special place in African history. Unlike nearly every other country on the continent, Ethiopia was never formally colonised by a European power. Its defining moment came in 1896, at the Battle of Adwa, where Emperor Menelik II led the Ethiopian army to a stunning victory over the Italians. The Italians, under the Treaty of Wuchale, had tried to wrangle Ethiopia into being their protectorate, but the Ethiopians were having none of it. Menelik’s triumph not only secured independence but became a powerful beacon of resistance across Africa.

Italy did occupy the country briefly between 1936 and 1941 under Mussolini’s Fascists, but this was considered a military occupation rather than colonisation. With the help of the Allies during the Second World War, Ethiopia was liberated, and Emperor Haile Selassie was restored to his throne. It’s a story that gives the country a unique pride, one that still resonates today.

🏙 First Impressions of Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa sits at around 2,400 metres — nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. That makes it one of the highest capitals in the world, which in turn means the air is crisp and temperate rather than stifling. The first thing we noticed was how fresh it felt, especially compared with other parts of Africa that swelter in relentless heat.

The city itself looked modern and ambitious, with construction cranes dotting the skyline. New glass and concrete buildings were rising up everywhere, often at the expense of older neighbourhoods of traditional homes. Like cities elsewhere, gentrification here is controversial — what’s progress for some often means displacement for others. But there was no denying Addis had an energy to it, a place in the middle of transformation.

Both of us had vivid memories of Ethiopia from darker times — the famines of the 1970s and 80s. The images from the 1984–85 famine, in particular, remain etched in our minds, reinforced by the global relief efforts and the famous Live Aid concert. To stand here decades later, in a bustling and hopeful capital, felt like a chance to replace some of those old associations with new memories.