Eritrea is a relatively small country (by African standards), about the same size as Pennsylvania or England, and has a varied and contrasting landscape due to its diverse topography as part of the geological feature of the Great Rift Valley which traverses all of Eastern Africa, the Red Sea and Middle East. The country's most interesting destinations are its natural attractions, beyond the towns and villages. There are six main topographical features in the country. The '''highlands''' in the center and south of Eritrea, the '''western lowlands''', the '''Sahel''' in the north, the subtropical '''eastern escarpments''', the '''northern coast and archipelago''' and the '''southern coast'''.
The '''highlands''' where the capital Asmara is situated lie between 1500 and 3500 meters above sea level and are blessed with a temperate, Mediterranean and dry climate, with little seasonal variation in temperature but where the rainy season falls between May and September and dry season between December and April. There is however considerable variation in temperature between the different levels in altitude of the highlands. The landscape essentially consists of valleys, hills and vast expanses of flat plateaus interrupted by very dramatic chasms. The dry season from December to April is distinguished by the red-brown, rusty, beige or black (stone and rubble-colored) landscape, resembling photos from Mars. The vegetation consists largely of shrubbery, eucalyptus, aloes, cacti and the odd explosively colorful specs of bougainvillea, jacaranda or other adornments planted in the villages and towns. The rainy season brings torrents of rain and nourishment to the land which transforms completely into a verdant, emerald and grassy landscape in the post-rain months from August to October. Rural highlanders live a lifestyle which resembles biblical times. Villages with stone houses, small plots, ancient temples (both Christian and Muslim), people farming and herding with traditional means using little technology, transporting their goods (as well as themselves) with mules and camels. A good place to explore the highland landscape is in the outskirts of Asmara, the capital. Near the village of Tselot is the '''Martyrs National Park''', inaugurated in 2000. It is a mountainous forest and wildlife preserve at the ridge of the highland plateau where the capital was built.
The '''western lowlands''' lie between 1500 and 100 meters above sea level, the climate is tropical with high humidity and heat throughout the day during the rainy season (which falls at the same time as the highlands) and dry hot days with cold nights during the dry season. The landscape consists largely of plains, grassy, muddy and green during the rainy season and dry, dusty with sparse shrubbery during the dry season. The plains are interrupted by the odd hills and mounts as well as three seasonal rivers originating in the Eritrean highlands and one perennial river constituting the border with Ethiopia and originating in the Ethiopian highlands (the Setit, known as 'Tekeze' in Ethiopia and 'Atbara' in Sudan). All major towns in the lowlands are placed on or around these rivers. The southern half of the lowlands consists of a typical African savannah and hosts the odd flocks of wild African elephants and other typically savannah-type flora and fauna. The northern half of the lowlands is considered part of the Sahara desert and consists of vast expanses of sand dunes and rocks with a few sparsely populated oases. The best place to explore both aspects of the lowlands is the market town Tessenei by the Sudanese border and its surroundings, as it lies right between the dry and green parts of the lowlands and is a place of trade for the nomadic peoples of the desert as well as the sedentary farming communities of the savannah. Tessenei affords some of the most basic of amenities for visitors such as hotels with showers and flush toilets, shops (including photo shops to buy film and bottled drinks) and restaurants serving well-cooked meals. It is accessible by asphalt road from the capital Asmara via Keren and the towns of Agordat and Barentu which takes about 10 hours. Buses run daily from Asmara. It can also be reached by dirt track from the Sudanese city of Kassala only 40 km (25 mi) away. Considering the border bureaucracy, this short distance however could prove to be a whole day's endeavor.
The '''Sahel''' in northern Eritrea lies at the eastern fringes of the greater Sahara desert distinguished by its sharp contrast with the sandy deserts of the western lowlands as well as the eastern coast. The Sahel consists of a towering narrow chain of mountains ranging from 1000 to 2500 meters (3280-8200 ft) above sea level aligned between the deserts to the east and west and continuing all the way to the north to Sudan and Egypt (a feature of the Great Rift Valley). The slopes to the east and west are sparsely populated by herding nomads. The rainy season in the western slopes falls in the same time as in the highlands and western lowlands and in the eastern slopes it conforms to the Red Sea's schedule of erratic precipitation between December and March. However, rainfall in this region is generally erratic and of a much lesser quantity than everywhere else. The climate is desert-like with little humidity, dry hot days and cold nights with little seasonal variation in temperatures. Variations in temperature are seen however, between different altitudes. Heavy erosion due to war and previous overgrazing has also seriously impeded the benefits of two rainy seasons. The landscape is therefore very arid and fit for only the most tenacious of nomadic herding communities. The central and northern core consists of impenetrable and hair-raising mountain passes, gorges and valleys. This was the main base for the Eritrean rebels (who now make up the country's current government) when fighting for independence from Ethiopia. One seasonal river, Anseba, originating in the highlands, bisects the mountain range and drains in a delta on the Red Sea coast of Sudan just north of the Eritrean border. The best place to explore the Sahel is the town of Nakfa, the main base of the Eritrean resistance which gave the national currency its name. Nakfa also has a war-museum commemorating the liberation struggle and a comfortable yet modest government-run hotel with restaurant and satellite TV. It is accessible from Asmara via Keren on asphalt road and from Keren via the town of Afabet on a dirt road. This takes 10 to 12 hours as the road between Keren and Nakfa is awful. Buses run to Nakfa from Keren starting early in the morning so a trip from Asmara would entail an overnight stay in Keren (which is served many times daily from Asmara). Afabet is accessible by asphalt road from the port of Massawa via the town of She'eb. The Massawa-Nakfa trip would take about 10 hours still as the unavoidable Afabet-Nakfa leg of the journey is the most taxing. Buses run once weekly from Massawa to Nakfa.
The subtropical '''eastern escarpment''', consists basically of the eastern (seaward) slopes of the highland region. Unique for this thin sliver of landscape is that it hosts the country's only subtropical rainforest and one of the world's largest selection of bird species, both seasonal (winter-migrants) and endemic (tropical). Being so mountainous, it has not been heavily settled (luckily) as it was seen as inconvenient for farming. But nevertheless there are some small coffee and spice plantations in its central, higher altitude areas as well as tropical fruit plantations in the lower areas. The Solomouna National Park is the best place to explore this area and is accessible by asphalt road from the capital Asmara as well as the port of Massawa. The only way to the national park is by guided tour with one of Eritrea's tour agencies which all operate out of Asmara. Travelling to the coastal Massawa from highland Asmara one also passes through this region represented by the towns and villages between Nefasit (25 km from Asmara) and Dongollo Alto (50 km from Asmara).
The '''northern coast and archipelago''' consists largely of a sandy red-brown and beige semi-desert with some shrubbery and volcanic basalt-rock along the mainland coast. The elevation is between 0 and 500 meters (1640 ft) above sea level and the climate is always tropical and humid, reaching uncomfortable highs of 37 to 50 degrees C (99-122 F) in the summer months of May to September and to breezy and warm "low's" of 25 to 35 degrees (77-95 F) between October and March. Rainy season is an insignificant concept on the coast as it seldom rains at all, save for the freak storm that occurs on the odd year. Some minimal precipitation and cloudiness may occur in the months of November to March, but the coast relies mainly on the runoff from the highlands and eastern escarpments for its water supply (from aquifers and table water). The few attractions inland are the hot springs resort about 35 km (22 mi) from the port city of Massawa, where hot mineral water baths are available and the water is also bottled as one of the country's most popular mineral water sources and brands (Dongollo, sold in brown glass bottles). The coast and archipelago host some of the Red Sea's most untouched coral reefs, rife with marine wildlife ranging from dugongs and manta's to big spools of tigerfish, dolphins and of course sharks. Eritrea's coast offers some of the best diving in the world but some of the most limited diving and tourist facilities, all of which are based in the port city of Massawa and are extremely expensive. The Beaches in and immediately surrounding the port city of Massawa as well as to the north are of modest to poor quality due to pollution as well as flooding and erosion from the nearby highlands. Parts of the northern coast also consists of large mangrove swamps, great for fishing and bird watching but not for beach life. The beaches on the Dahlak islands on the other hand are clean, white and pristine, with lagoons of clear turquoise water. The only way to get to the Dahlak islands is to charter a boat from a licensed company in Massawa. The biggest island Dahlak Kebir which features one modest resort-hotel is only 90 km (56 mi) away and so are some other smaller uninhabited islands like Dissei, which can make for affordable day-trips from Massawa but the archipelago extends much farther than that and offers much greater attractions. With Eritrea's limited facilities, the possibility of going on longer cruises and exploring more of the attractions is very expensive and narrowed down to a few European run companies based in Massawa. With the country's heightened sense of security, doing so independently on ones own boat or a chartered one is impossible. The best place to explore the northern coast and archipelago is obviously the port city of Massawa.
The '''southern coast''' is perhaps Eritrea's most dramatic yet most inhospitable landscape because of its volcanoes, quicksand, bubbling mud pools, salt lakes, coastal cliffs, the inland desert and depressions. The elevation ranges between peaks of over 2000 meters (6,560 ft) above sea level and depressions of more than 100 meters (330 ft) below sea level with fields of salt pans and strangely shaped rocks where temperatures reach the highest possible on our planet. The southern coast has the highest recorded temperatures in Eritrea which regularly reach 55 degrees Celsius (131 F). Humidity maintains the temperatures high all throughout the day and seasonal variations are the same as in the northern coast. The northern inland areas of the southern coast offer a dramatic landscape of contrast between the backdrop of the towering mountains of the highlands to the west and the vast expanses of coastal desert to the east. It is the only area of considerable vegetation in the whole region, thanks to the highland rainfall and runoff. The area also hosts an interesting wildlife of mountain goats and ostriches. The region is situated between the port city's of Massawa and Assab which are about 500 km (310 mi) apart so is ideally accessed on a journey between the two cities. But can also consist of excursions from Massawa and/or Assab individually. Especially for trips geared towards viewing the inland landscapes. Any journey without guides to this region is off-limits due to the high dangers associated with the climate as well as political volatility surrounding the Ethiopian border areas. The only public transportation in the area consist of buses from Massawa to Assab and back which run a few times weekly. Assab is also served by Eritrean Airlines from Asmara a few times weekly as well.
Eritrea was conquered in 1890 by Italy, who hung onto it until World War II, when they were kicked out by the Brits. Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum.
Hopes were high when the new state was born, but a new border war with Ethiopia erupted again in 1998, ending under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections, and the border remains very tense to this day.
Using the war as an excuse, Eritrea's government has devolved into one of the worst police states in the world. No national elections have ever been held, the misnamed People's Front for Democracy and Justice is the only allowed party, dissidents disappear into jails and the country comes in dead last (behind North Korea) in the Press Freedom Index. The country is desperately poor, with half the population subsisting on under a dollar a day, and growth has been crippled by the war and the termination of trade with Ethiopia.
'''Some Eritrean Embassies have websites where a visa application can be downloaded and printed out, saving you some time.''' When you apply for a visa to Eritrea, you must do it at an Eritrean Embassy in - or accredited to - the country where you are a citizen and nowhere else. If there is no Eritrean Embassy or mission in your country, contact your foreign office/ministry to verify the nearest accredited Eritrean mission. Below is a list of Eritrean Embassies around the world.
These are the Eritrean Embassies in '''Europe''': London, Paris, Brussels, The Hague, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm and Moscow (+consulates in Athens, Milan, Frankfurt and Geneva). If you come from a European (EU or EES) country without an Eritrean mission, you contact the Eritrean Embassy in Brussels by default. Eritrean Embassies in the '''Americas''': Washington D.C., Ottawa and permanent mission to the U.N. in New York. Eritrean Embassies in '''Africa''': Pretoria, Abuja, Nairobi, Kampala, Djibouti, Khartoum (+consulate in Kassala), Cairo and Tripoli. Eritrean Embassies in the '''Middle East''': Riyadh (+consulate in Jeddah), Sanaa, Abu Dhabi (+consulate in Dubai), Doha, Kuwait, Tel Aviv (Ramat Gan) and Damascus. Eritrean Embassies in '''Asia and Oceania''': Islamabad, New Delhi, Singapore, Tokyo, Beijing and Canberra.
When traveling overland, as of Dec 08 it was NOT possible to obtain visas in Djibouti, Ethiopia or Sudan (neither in Khartoum nor Kassala).
For a tourist visa, you need to submit specific information about when and at what border post you will arrive and depart, so it is wise to have already made some plans (bought a ticket or so).
The bureaucracy of the border crossings can take hours so start in the morning or early afternoon from Kassala in Sudan as it is not possible to enter Eritrea after dusk (border posts close).
The most common form of intercity transportation in Eritrea is bus and/or minibus. The most frequent services, consisting of several buses/minibuses a day run between Asmara and Keren, Asmara and Massawa as well as between Asmara and the towns of the southern highlands such as Debarwa, Mendefera, Adi Quala as well as Dekemhare, Segeneiti, Adi Caieh and Senafe reaching the Ethiopian border (at and beyond Senafe and Adi Quala) for which it is not possible for foreign nationals to approach as it is a heavily militarized warzone. There are also daily bus services on the road between Teseney (On the Sudanese border close to Kassala) and Asmara traversing Barentu, Agordat and Keren as well as an alternative route traversing Barentu and Mendefera. Once a day, buses/minibuses also run between Asmara and some of the villages of the southern highlands as well. Buses to the north of the country (Nakfa) are less frequent and travel between once weekly to a couple of times weekly between Asmara and Nakfa traversing Keren and Afabet. The buses to the southern coast (Assab) from Asmara are equally infrequent, once weekly only, traversing Massawa. Tickets are bought on the bus and the first come first served rule applies. Some state-run bus lines to remote frontier areas do allow for tickets to be bought in advance at the Asmara bus station, where you can also inquire about the bus-schedule. There will always be some people who speak English and are more than willing to help translate.
Domestic flights also connect Asmara with remote Assab twice weekly, with the airline Nasair which also flies between Asmara and Massawa twice weekly. However the latter flight route may not be a necessary option since the distance between the two latter cities is only 120 km (75 mi) along one of Eritrea's best and most scenic roads and there are buses several times a day running between the two cities that cost a fraction of the flight and take little more than two hours making time for refreshing stops in the mountains.
The only rail line in Eritrea runs between Asmara and Massawa and it is only served by a museum railway (steam engine and all) with no regular service, it only caters to chartered tour groups and it takes a daunting 5 hours to complete the journey just one way.
Middle Eastern dishes such as shahan-ful (bean stew) served with pitas are also readily available everywhere but more commonly eaten for breakfast or brunch in modest establishments.
Lowland cuisine is not readily available in many restaurants, but in the old town (outermost island) of Massawa, adjacent to the freeport area, there are some simple restaurants that serve cuisine typical to the Red Sea area such as grilled spicy fish and "khobzen" (pita's drenched in goats butter and honey).
Owing to its colonial history, Italian food is abundant albeit not too varied all across Eritrea. You will always find a restaurant that serves quite good pasta, lasagna, steak, grilled fish etc.
In Asmara there are also several Chinese restaurants, a Sudanese restaurant and an Indian restaurant (Rooftop).
Traditionally Eritreans also drink the local form of mead called "suwa" and consists of old bread fermented in water with honey, as well as a sweet honeywine called "mies".
Tap water should not be drunk by foreigners. There is plenty of relatively cheap bottled mineral water, both carbonated and non-carbonated in Eritrea.
Cafes in some towns offer fresh fruit juices. These should be avoided. There is no point in suffering from agonizing food-poisoning and wasting throughout your probably short stay in this country. Unpeeled fruits can be eaten or squeezed fresh by you. But avoid "ready-squeezed" juices and that goes for ice-creams and fruit salads and regular salads as well. Avoid them like the plague. Stick to bottled drinks and cooked foods.
Practice safe sex because adult HIV/AIDS is currently '''2.4%''' or '''1 in 42''' adults.