Ethiopia.

Why Ethiopia is worth the trip

Ethiopia is built around rock-hewn churches at Lalibela, the Simien Mountains and Africa's busiest aviation hub. The country runs on Amharic, English, prices in ETB, and centres on Addis Ababa with major hubs at Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, Hawassa. Flights route through ADD.

Where to stay and what it costs

Across Ethiopia, a night runs roughly US$18–90 at market rates, from simple self-catering apartments at the lower end to lodges and beachfront villas at the top. Those are guide figures for the country, not Cabana quotes.

Cabana does not yet have live listings in Ethiopia. The platform is open to hosts here and listing is free with zero commission, so if you have a property, vehicle or tour in Ethiopia you can be the first on it. Meanwhile the guidance below is genuine and independent of what Cabana has in stock.

The main demand centres are Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, Hawassa.

When to go

The window most travellers want is Oct–Mar dry season; Jan for Timkat. Rates and availability tighten inside it, so booking direct matters more — you are competing for the same rooms without a platform markup on top.

What to actually see

• Lalibela rock churches
• Simien Mountains
• Danakil Depression
• Lake Tana monasteries
• Axum obelisks
• Omo Valley

Paying for things on the ground

Telebirr mobile money; cash birr still dominant outside Addis. Cabana settles bookings through the rails people actually use — M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money and cards — rather than forcing every transaction through a card processor priced for another continent.

Entry requirements

E-visa available online for most nationalities. Check the current position with the Ethiopia immigration authority before you travel; entry rules change more often than guidebooks do.