Things to Do in Ethiopia in November

November's dry roads make the 800 km (497 mile) circuit linking Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Gondar, and Lalibela doable without a 4WD. The Blue Nile Falls thunder at full volume after the rains, hurling mist you can spot 5 km (3.1 miles) away. Lake Tana's monasteries are reached by regular boats instead of the usual ankle-deep wade.

Fresh green grass after the rains makes the gelada baboons pop into view, and the 4,550 meter (14,928 ft) ridge trails stay clear of fog. Daytime temperatures linger around 18°C (64°F), good for the 6-hour hike to Imet Gogo without the altitude headaches of the dry season.

November is when the new harvest lands in the city's traditional coffee houses. Around Tomoca Coffee on Wavel Street, the air carries toasted sesame and frankincense, and baristas roast beans to order while explaining why Ethiopian coffee tastes like nothing you've tried before. Mornings are best, the city wakes at 6 AM and the afternoon power cuts haven't begun.

Lake Awassa and Lake Langano turn into flamingo central in November, alkaline waters draw thousands of lesser flamingos that paint the shallows pink at dawn. The 6 AM boat trips from Awassa's fish market let you watch fish eagles snatch tilapia while fishermen sing in Amharic, all before afternoon storms drive everyone inside.

November's gentle evenings suit the 8 PM hyena feeding outside the 16th-century walls. The alleys reek of khat and coffee, and Harari women still wear black veils while selling baskets that take three months to weave. Daytime highs of 24°C (75°F) make exploring the 82 mosques and 102 shrines comfortable instead of punishing.

November gives the final month of reachable salt flats before December heat turns brutal. The sulfur pools at Dallol still boil at 100°C (212°F), yet daytime highs of 35°C (95°F) feel mild beside the 45°C (113°F) summer furnace. Salt caravans with thousand-strong camel trains begin their 3-day haul to Mekelle at dawn, delivering those magazine shots you've seen.