With its spectacular bird life, Ethiopia has plenty to keep even the most discerning twitcher busy - the Rift Valley lakes are among the best spots for bird watching. There aren't many places to get away from it all in this populous country, but Entoto National Park, near Addis Ababa, has some lovely walks. There's also trekking and mule-treks in Bale Mountains National Park and Simien Mountains National Park. If you're visiting Bahar Dar, on Lake Tana, hire a bike in town and take a ride around the water's edge. Lake Langano is the only bilharzia-free lake in the country, so if you want to swim, this is the place to do it.

On 19 January, Ethiopian Christians celebrate Christ's baptism at the festival of Timkat. During the festival, which runs for three days, priests remove the symbolic Ark of the Covenant from every church and parade it to a nearby consecrated pool. Giant Masses are held, accompanied by late night picnics. Ethiopian New Year, Enkutatash is celebrated on 11 September, which is also the feast of John the Baptist. Enkutatash is a spring festival, with kiddies dancing in the streets, handing out flowers and miniature paintings, bonfires and plenty of singing and dancing. On 27 September another Christian festival, Maskal, commemorates the finding of the True Cross on which Christ was crucified. Town squares are filled with huge piles of maskal, or 'cross', daisies, which later become giant bonfires. Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January.