You can visit Ethiopia at any time of year. But the ideal season is between October and January when the rainy season is over to give way to the sunlit, flowery, and beautiful Meskerm – the first month of the Ethiopian calendar. The rainy season falls between late June and early September and it literally is rainy.

All visitors to Ethiopia are required to have an entry visa on a valid passport. You can either find an embassy or a consulate and request your visa in person; or you could make arrangements to have the visa sent to you.

Once you set foot in Ethiopia, waste no time and make sure you see as many places as possible, especially places frequented by most tourists. Planning your tour prior to arrival is highly recommended as it can save you time to see more of Ethiopia, its culture, history and the people, first hand.

Here is a list of tips and things to know for you this month

• Ethiopia indeed has 13 months of sunshine – as the slogan of the national tourism commission says, but the rainy season is indeed rainy and can be characterised by days that have some heavy and light rains all day long. The rainy season starts about mid June and gives way to summer in early September