If Ethiopia’s historical and natural treasures received as much airtime as the indelible images of past famines and war, Ethiopia would be mentioned in the same breath as Egypt, Morocco and Tanzania as on e of Africa’s most captivating countries.

With the Simien and Bale mountains climbing over 4000 meters and the Kanakil Depression diving below sea level, Ethiopia’s landscapes cover a glorious gamut. The highlands, which have been exquisitely carved by the hands of time, offer some of the continent’s most dramatic chasms. Flowing from the highlands are four large river systems, the most famous being the Blue Nile. Africa’s renowned Rift has bisected southern Ethiopia and left several lovely lakes in its wake. Rifting continues in the Danakil Depression, where the wafer-thin crust parts to put the earth’s insides on permanent display.

Venturing into the Danakil Depression is an exercise in insanity, but it will give you a lesson in the beauty of bleakness that you will never forget. And in the pre-dawn darkness, a peek into Irt’ale’s permanent cauldron of lava will turn all that bleakness into brilliance.