24 HOURS
MORNING COFFEE AT ALEM BUNA IN KAZANCHIS. This is our favourite café in Addis. It’s frequently so packed that you’re forced to share tables with strangers. It’s a quaint old place that serves excellent macchiatos (the Ethiopian macchiato is more of a cortado, really) but it’s the whole experience that just can’t be beaten!
Dawn to dusk in
ADDIS ABABA Eliza Richman and Xavier Curtis are the founders of Go Addis Tours, which offers immersive day tours in Addis and travel throughout Ethiopia. In 2016, they launched Go Kigali Tours which offers city tours in Kigali, Rwanda. Go Kigali also has a boutique of contemporary Made in Rwanda products
LUNCH AT ZOLA CAFÉ. Zola has both fantastic Ethiopian food as well as home-made pastas. They have a great location near Edna mall, an old-school cafeteria atmosphere and friendly waiters.
SHOPPING AT GOLLAGUL TOWER. This place is home to five shops that sell leather shoes made in Ethiopia, a couple of which export to Europe but you can snag them here for crazy prices. The shops can sometimes be hit or miss but there are always at least a few home-run staples.
WANDER AROUND SHOLA MARKET. I love Shola because it’s a more manageable version of Merkato, Africa’s largest openair market located in the north of Addis. Shola has just about everything you can find in Merkato but with a way more relaxed vibe. I love wandering the aisles, taking in the action and stocking up on spices.
DINNER AT KATEGNA RESTAURANT. They have a really varied but most importantly excellent menu. You really can’t go wrong but our favourites are the Gomen be Siga (collard greens and beef stewed in Ethiopian butter), the Doro Wat (Ethiopia’s famous chicken stew which is usually only made at home) and Dinich be Siga (spicy potatoes and beef served with Eyib cheese which pairs perfectly with the spice).
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