Ethiopia has long been suggested to me as an interesting off-the-beaten-track destination. Being more interested in culture, I did the northern heritage circuit, two weeks solo trip with driver. The highlights were, as expected, the Timket festival in Gonder, the unearthly landscapes of the Danakil Depression, and the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela. Skip the Blue Nile Falls (trickle, really), and fly to and from Lalibela because the road is long and ghastly.
Good balance of nature and culture. A fascinating ancient Christian civilisation largly untouched by colonialism. Beautifully mild weather in January. Unearthly landscapes of the Danakil Depression. Service and flexibility of the driver. Excellent French-run local travel agency Summer Time, which organised everything superbly.
Constant begging by local children (don't give them anything, especially not pens which they've been taught to ask for ad nauseam). Even adults who seem to want to engage in conversation are usually after a dodgy 'donation'. Everybody expects tips: the problem is less the amounts, which are trivial though they do add up, and more the constant nickeling-and-diming. They should be included in the cost. The English proficiency of local staff is far from adequate. Ethiopian food gets tiring pretty quickly.