Are you looking for an adventure travel destination that’s way off the beaten path? Gadling recommends taking a trip to Ethiopia’s Somali region.

Though there aren’t many visitors and amenities are scarce, if you’re not averse to “roughing”it there are a lot of attractions. Alibilal Cave is covered with prehistoric cave paintings of African wildlife like giraffe and gazelle. Meanwhile, a nearby national park gives you the opportunity to see these animals in person, plus lions and elephants. Even better, the region is overflowing with hot springs to relax in.

But the people are quite possibly the best part of the trip. Gadling’s Sean McLachlan writes:

“The culture here preserves itself by oral traditions. Sitting with a clan elder and listening to his stories can be a one-of-a-kind experience. The Somali region is the easiest place to experience Somali culture, being cheaper than Somaliland and far safer than Somalia.“

If you want to visit the region while it’s still relatively undiscovered, you’ll need a passport and an Ethiopian visa. Americans entering the country via Bole International Airport are eligible for to apply for an Ethiopian visa on arrival, but you shouldn’t expect the process to be easy or smooth. According to the Department of State, travelers sometimes experience difficulty during the visa-on-arrival process and end up “significantly delayed.” So, if you’re thinking of applying for a visa when you arrive, the question you need to ask yourself is this: Do you feel lucky, punk? If you’d rather not chance it, just apply for your visa in advance.

If you’re entering through another airport or crossing into the country by land, you must apply for your visa in advance.

To get an Ethiopian visa, you need the following documents:

• 1 completed Ethiopian visa application form
• 1 passport-sized photo of yourself
• A copy of your round-trip itinerary
• Your US passport

RushMyTravelVisa can make the process easy and quick. Our visa specialists will research your itinerary to make sure you know exactly what the visa requirements are for each stage of your journey. Then, we’ll walk you through the paperwork and expedite your application for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Ethiopian visa today!

Tags: Ethiopia, Ethiopia visa, Ethiopian visa

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 2nd, 2011 at 11:55 am and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.