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Overview
Geographically Eritrea has two faces, dissected as it is almost
in half by the Great Rift Valley. The western 'half' is fertile
land while the east is a desert descending to the coastline.
Eritrea sits squarely over the Danakil Depression of Eritrea, where
three tectonic plates tug away from one another. And if the ground
pulling apart underneath you wasn't enough to worry your movements
on this land, getting around in Eritrea once there, is tricky. It
has the world's most expensive fuel and even if you could afford a
taxi or rental vehicle, many of the country's roads are defunct or
closed. Instead, the only way to navigate the interior is by
rail.
Still, Eritrea is not without its charm. With the Red Sea
serving as its coastline, diving to see coral and majestic sea life
is a rewarding experience and Eritrea's most popular tourist
activity. The capital of Asmara hosts some of the most intact
colonial (Italian) architecture in Africa, while to the south of
Asmara there pre-Aksumite civilisation sites such as Qohaito's
Ruins, the ongoing excavation of which is constantly revealing new
mysteries.
Unfortunately the wonder of Eritrea will probably remain buried
until conflict with neighbouring Ethiopia is resolved. The current
government stringently controls all travel, media, business and
other enterprise, earning Eritrea the dubious accolade of being
dubbed the 'North Korea of Africa'.