As we darted through Addis Ababa’s morning rush hour, my jet lag could not dull the energy of Ethiopia’s capital.

We wove through crowds of office workers headed to high-rises and families leading goats home for Orthodox Christmas feasts while our guide explained how one needs at least three weeks to fully experience his country.

From the dramatic peaks of Simien Mountains National Park to the sprawling salt plains of the Danakil Depression, natural wonders alone could fill a month of adventure.

But there is also plenty for time-pressed travellers like we were.

“With a few days, you can get a taste,” guide Yonas Zewede of Landscape Ethiopia Tours assured me.

We embarked on a whirlwind trip that would prove him right, an ambitious three-day sprint through remote sacred sites and bustling city streets in this East African nation.