Mon 6th Oct 2008
- Eritrea Travel & City Guide
Although the country is quite small it is surprisingly diverse.
The capital city
Asmara is a nice blend of Italian colonial and Eritrean architecture. The city has survived most of the wars which destroyed many other cities in the 20-th century pretty well and is still a pleasant and laid back city where you can get the best espresso coffee of all Africa. Asmara has some fine Italian dining, in an African style of course. The Blue Nile is an especially nice resturaunt where you can get Italian dishes as well as traditional dishes for a reasonable price. No visit to Asmara is complete without seeing the enormous statue of the sandals in the main square. The actual wearable sandals were originally manufactured by Eritrean soldiers, and are a symbol of independence. They can still be purchased today and are actually very comfortable and durable.
The Italians built a railway to connect Asmara to the main port on the red sea coast. A distance of less than 100 km but with lots of steep mountain passes inbetween. The railroad is now being rebuilt but parts of the track are already in use. A ride on this train - which is a symbol of Eritrean independence - is a great experience.
At the end of the line you arrive in
Massawa the second city of the country. It is a very lively town, famous for its bars and restaurants. It was damaged more than the capital, but is being rebuilt in quite a nice way. Massawa is quite hot and humid and is a big climate change from Asmara. If you are planning a long stay in Massawa, plan to use anti-malarials.
Off the coast there are several islands, such as the Dahlak islands that are great for scube diving and sailing. Massawa is the best base from where to arrange a trip.