Customs: A valid Ethiopian visa is required for entry as are current vaccinations for cholera and yellow fever. Strictly enforced regulations limit importing and exporting Ethiopian currency to not more than Ethiopian currency to not more than Ethiopian birr 100 ($50).

Climate and clothing: Lightweight woolens and light wraps are appropriate year round. Umbrellas and lined raincoats are necessary June-September.

Health: Medical facilities and some modern medicines are available in Addis Ababa and Asmara. Take reasonable precautions regarding food and drink. Tapwater is not potable. The altitude in Addis Ababa and Asmara can cause dizziness and adversely affects those with cardiopulmonary conditions or asthma. Health conditions in the countryside are poor.

Telecommunications: Long-distance telephone and telegraph service is available to the large towns in Ethiopia, to the US, and to most European and many African countries. Addis Ababa is eight time zones ahead of eastern standard time.

Transportation: The most direct air routes from the US to Addis Ababa are via Frankfurt, London, Nairobi, Rome, or Athens. International airlines link Addis Ababa to Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Ethiopian Airlines also serves the interior. Municipal bus transportation is likely to be crowded, but taxis are available from the National Tourist Office at reasonable rates.

Travel precautions: The unsettled conditions in the countryside make it essential to check local security before making any trip outside the capital and to secure formal permission from the Ethiopian Government to leave the Shewa region. Resident foreigners can normally travel within Shewa Province without a special permit.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, July 1988.