Harar is a legendary walled city historically documented, and steeped in religious history, having been the centre of a significant number of religious conflicts. You can enter Old Harar the walled city with numerous mosques (over 90), by its various gates, each with their own name.

Harar is also known for its high quality coffee, once the main agricultural crop but more recently taken over by the growing of khat, (local name Chat) a mildly narcotic leaf that is chewed compulsively and thus, encourages a healthy liquid intake for the cool down after chew! Apart from relaxing, there are famous sights to see like the house of the famous French poet, Rimbaud, built in 1908 and now a museum. Ras Mekonnen’s palace, the traditional Harar House is another place to see.

As well as the historical sights, the whitewashed walls and intricate city streets and passages are intriguing. The woven crafts decorated with gaudy silver threads and beads would be a worthy gift for the collector of all things bling!

The city is also famous for its Hyena Man. Arrangements can be made to witness the incredible feeding by hand of these large, strong, scavengers at night time, truly and fascinatingly scary.