Vibrant Addis Ababa is as cosmopolitan as any of the world’s great metropolises, and the architecture is as varied as the city itself. Tall office buildings, elegant villas, functional bungalows, flats, fashionable hotels, conference halls, and theatres gleaming in their marble and anodized aluminum – vie for attention alongside traditional homes of wattle and daub.
Despite its proximity to the equator, its lofty altitude – the third-highest capital in the world – means that it enjoys a mild climate with an average temperature of 16°C (61°F). The hottest, driest months are usually April and May, when the days are pleasantly warm to hot and the nights are cool. During the main rainy season, from June to mid-September, both days and nights are cool by local standards. Between late October and mid-January night-time temperatures can drop to below 4°C (40°F), although day temperatures in the sun exceed 20°C (68°F). Visitors coming from the cold European winter, however, will probably find Addis Ababa’s climate ideal.