Ethiopia isn't all dusty plains with tattered tents and starving babies. We were astonished by its greenery and beauty.

The country has highlands, lowlands, chasms, caves, lakes, deserts and 15,000 foot mountains where the Greek gods played chess.

Visitors on the cultural trail will also find churches carved from rock, the Queen of Sheba's stone bath, the alleged resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, your 3.5 million year old ancestor, Lucy, and arguably the best safaris in Africa.

The people are mighty friendly, Addis Ababa feels very safe (in contrast to other African capitals), the dry season weather is fantastic, and your dollar/pound goes a mighty long way. I'm going back. Fingers crossed, it's just a matter of time before tourism takes off.