Hotel Maribela

The hotel has four storeys, with the rooms spread across the top three, and the restaurant, bar and lounge on the ground floor. The main area is open-plan, but nicely partitioned into several spaces: the good restaurant flows into the lounge area with its fireplace and a few well-stocked bookshelves, then on to the grassy terrace with its sensational view. The furnishings are simple, smart and comfortable, with splashes of colour and some fine examples of Ethiopian arts and crafts.

Twenty spacious rooms range across the upper levels, varying in size from single to twin-bedded and four-poster doubles. All are neat and clean, with plenty of light, colourful accessories and local art. Each room has a private balcony with a few chairs, a table and a daybed – perfect for wallowing in the valley views. You'll find tea- and coffee-making facilities, a TV, wi-fi access, and an en-suite bathroom with high-pressure hot-water shower, basin and W/C.

Lalibela's allure clearly lies in its ancient, perfectly preserved churches, so majestic that they've earned the town UNESCO World Heritage status. Most of these structures, impossible to detect from a distance but utterly awe-inspiring up close, were built during the 12th century; others date back to the sixth. Some functioned as chapels, but others had a darker use – as prisons and tombs. Allow additional time to explore the surrounding mountains and valleys on foot or by donkey.