Ethiopia’s eastern region follows the Rift Valley down across the lowland plains and desert environments, offering otherworldly landscapes, close-knit cultural groups and historical walled cities.

• Stay overnight in Harar, a colourful walled city with endless narrow laneways to explore by foot, over 90 historical mosques, and a place that attracts global travellers for its unique architecture, history and traditions. Harar is also the home to an urban hyena population who gather each evening for feeding on the city’s outskirts. Harar can be reached by road, air or by train along the new Addis Ababa - Dire Dawa - Djibouti railway.

• Day-trip or camp overnight in the remarkable Danakil Depression, where three tectonic plates diverge, causing impressive geological experiences creating of the most uninhabitable places in the world,. Visitors can observe otherworldly sulphur springs, volcanic activity, endless salt flats, salt lakes and learn about ancient salt mining traditions and resilience of the local Afari people who call this place home.

• Visit Awash National Park in the Rift Valley, home to palmy hot springs and desert wildlife, the flowing Awash River with Nile crocodiles, popular for a riverside ecolodge stay and birdwatching abundant.