Because the country is so varied, there were several high points. In the North, Lalibela stands out on account of its beautiful situation high in the mountains. And also of course, the series of famous rock-hewn churches it contains.

What impressed me most was that these churches were not simply empty museums, but active sites of worship. When I was there, pilgrims were already arriving from all over Ethiopia to celebrate Christmas. It was a wonderful sight.

In the south, the highpoint for me was the visit to the Karo village, beautifully situated on a high plateau overlooking a bend of the mighty Omo river. The Karo people were very friendly and forced me to think deeply about things (and values) that were really important in life.

Just sit back and enjoy it. A lot of work has been done in the background to make sure everything appears smooth and effortless. There is also an element of flexibility built into the holiday, so if you see something you didn’t expect and want to investigate, it is usually possible to arrange it.