Ethiopia is often referred to as the 'cradle of humanity'; the bed from which the first evolved human rose. It was in Ethiopia that the remains of 'Lucy', dated from 3.5 million years ago, and the 4.4 million old Homo ramidus afarensis, man's oldest anthropoid ancestor, were uncovered.
Moreover, the 100 BC monolithic stele of Axum, the 13th century rock hewn churches of Lalibela which are registered as the 8th wonder of the world, the 16th century walled city of Harar, and the 17th century imperial castles of Gondar have prompted archaeologists to call Ethiopia a "human paradise". Because of the size of the country, and the great variety of its landscapes and climate, Ethiopia is a microcosm of all that Africa has to offer. The Great Rift Valley cuts Ethiopia into two, forming a series of lakes opulent in all life forms. Ethiopia is often referred as the 'water tower' of Africa because of the many trans-boundary rivers like the Blue Nile (Gihon) that pours off its tableland, to the surrounding lowlands of the neighboring countries. Now a private, wholly Ethiopian owned company, Paradise Ethiopia Travel (PET) has launched a series of tours to fully-appreciate this beautiful country and its almost mythological place in history. The tour will cover places like the 13th century Debre Libanos Monastery, the Blue Nile Gorge, the Blue Nile Falls, the Tombs of Kaleb and Gebre Meskel, the palace of Queen of Sheba, the church of St Mary of Zion which is the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, the 4th century rock churches of Woukro, and the 12th century rock hewn churches of Lalibela. The price for the tour is $1350 per person. The single room supplement is $188. The price includes accommodation sharing twin room, meals - breakfast; vehicle with fuel, driver, maintenance, insurance; all transfers and visits, boat trip on Lake Tana; all entrance fees at museums, churches, and parks; a professional tour guide; and all government taxes. Find out more about PET on www.ethiopiaonweb.com/pet