"Saagar's Eritrea pages" a Eritrea Travel Page by Saagar

Eritrea is a fascinating country on the edge of Africa. There is a bit of another flair to this place that you do not get many other places in Africa. It is definitely laid-back, but it is also efficient and quick, resourceful and elegant in its solutions and approaches.
Politically, however, the situation of late does not really invite to come here: the border war with Ethiopia and an entrenched politics at the cost of press and speech freedom and a beginning political paranoia. Apart from the strains of war, the other elements of downturn is not hitting visitors with a sensible behaviour, so it's definitely still a place to visit.

The ancient (Abyssinian) history and historical shared with Ethiopia is fascinating, so is recent history with the Italian colonisation, and subsequent Ethiopian regimes' rules over their land.
The war of independence and subsequent realisation as an independent nation was a major feat that drew international attention and sympathy and support. In a way they won over both the Soviets and the Americans both whom used the Ethiopian Dergue as their proxy.

These are key reasons to visit and learn about Eritrea:
- The history of independence
- A fantastic desert scenery and- very dramatic arid landscapes
- Asmara's colonial architecture
- Excellent Italian-inspired coffee culture, the best coffee in Africa
- The best and most beautiful city in Africa
- Massawa's beaches
- Massawa's grilled fish and other food
- Superb desert coastline down toward Assab
- The Dhalak Archipelago
The northern Danakil desert and depression
- The Massawa-Asmara railway partly in operation.

To set out and see some of the more remote areas of Eritrea is for the hardy ones.
The lowlands are exceedingly hot. Northern Danakil bordering Ethiopia, is in fact the world's hottest place.
The Gash Barka desert valleys are fascinating, with some wildlife here in north-west Eritrea, and an interesting rainfed agricultural production. The highlands is where the independence struggle took form and reminders of this are strewn around in the Eritrean landscape in the form of blown-up and rusty burnt-out tanks and trucks. More recent reminders about the cost of independence and a big brother south of the border are heaped closer to the Ethiopian border.