Chaotic capital: Ethiopia's Addis Ababa is an energetic, electric and eclectic city with a personality and style all its own in Africa. The fashion scene is thriving. These threads are by local designer Mafi.
Mahlet Afework
Ground zero: One of Addis' legendary coffee emporiums is Alem Bunna on the hip Bole Road. It sells the finest Arabica brews in an authentic setting.
James Jeffrey
Street slurp: You can even get a decent cup of coffee from the street stalls in Addis Ababa. This seller is offering jebena bunna, coffee prepared using the black clay pot.
James Jeffrey
National dish: Ethiopia's staple is injera, a spongy pancake-like bread made out of teff flour. It is usually piled with various meats, vegetables and delicious hot sauces.
James Jeffrey
Food choice: For a rest from injera, Addis has myriad foreign eateries, such as Sishu Restaurant (pictured here), whose burgers pull in locals and visitors alike.
Azariah Mengistu
Italy on a plate: Addis has some notable Italian eateries such as Ristorante Castelli, which has fed royalty, film stars and ex-US presidents, and Grani di Pepe (pictured here), a popular lunchtime spot.
James Jeffrey
Arty Addis: Alongside its vibrant fashion scene, Addis is something of an arts hub. The Makush Art Gallery (pictured here), off the Bole Road, has more than 600 paintings in its collection.
James Jeffrey
Sounds of Africa: The city's music scene is a constantly changing vortex, with everything from Ethio-Jazz to Amharic Rap. Locals love to dance, too. The many azmari bets are good places to catchEthiopian iskista dancing (pictured here).
James Jeffrey
Ancient history: Ethiopians take their history very seriously, and they have good reason -- the country has one of the world's oldest Christian traditions. Inside the fascinating National Museum of Ethiopia lies the legendary Lucy, the oldest and most complete hominid skeleton ever discovered.
James Jeffrey
Sports mad: Cycling and long-distance running are firm favorites and always draw a crowd, while Ethiopians are soccer mad -- watching a game in the stadium at Meskal Square is a raucous experience.
James Jeffrey
Spoilt for choice: A construction boom has flooded the hotel market -- with so many options it can be difficult deciding where to stay. The Sheraton and Hilton are top end but the Itegue Taitu and Ghion offer more authentic alternatives.
James Jeffrey
Escape the crowds: You can watch the sun rise from a rocky outcrop atop Yeka hill overlooking the area of Megananya to the east of the city before visiting the nearby 700-year-old rock-hewn church of Washa Michael.
James Jeffrey
Star gazing: Addis is home to the Horn of Africa's first space observatory in the Entoto hills to the north of the city.
James Jeffrey
Language lesson: Ethiopia can be a mind-boggling places for linguists with more than 80 dialects, but locals in Addis will love it if you try a few words of Amharic.