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Where To Stay and Eat

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The weather in Eritrea is at its best in the fall and spring, when it's warm enough to swim but not too hot or rainy. For day trips and longer excursions, contact Travel House International (291-1/201-881; soloabr@eol.com.er). Owner Solomon Abraha is an expert on Asmara, and his colleague Tedros can lead you through the rest of the country. Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) and Eritrean Airlines (www.ertra.com) fly to Asmara from key European cities.

WHERE TO STAY
Hotel InterContinental
A high-end hotel with marble bathrooms and tennis courts, between the airport and the city. DOUBLES FROM $162. WARSAY AVE., ASMARA; 291-1/150-400; www.ichotelsgroup.com

Hotel Ambasoira
Centrally located on a tree-lined street, this spare 50-room hotel has 1960's décor and balconies with garden and city views. DOUBLES FROM $58. 30 BELEZA ST., ASMARA; 291-1/123-222

Africa Pension
A former mayoral villa with colonial charm and a beautiful garden. Be warned: bathrooms are shared. DOUBLES FROM $10. 25 KESKESE ST., ASMARA; 291-1/121-436

WHERE TO EAT
Ristorante da Silla
This new restaurant, co-owned by a young Eritrean man who lived in Italy, does justice to the cuisine of both countries. The lasagna melts in your mouth. DINNER FOR TWO $32. 195 SIXTH ST. (END OF LIBERATION AVE.), ASMARA; 291-1/121-909

Ghidey's
Asmarinos flock to Ghidey Abraha's house for an array of stews and salads, served with home-brewed mead. DINNER FOR TWO $30. 44 RAHAITA ST., ASMARA; 291-1/124-950

Blue Nile
The menu here has everything from spaghetti to injera (spongy bread) served with zigny (a spicy meat stew). DINNER FOR TWO $15. 48 SEMAETAT ST., ASMARA; 291-1/117-965

Selam Restaurant
Fresh fish Yemeni-style—sprinkled with berbere spices, cooked in a tandoor oven, and served with chapatis. DINNER FOR TWO $10. END OF THE MAIN ROAD, MASSAWA; 291-1/552-187

READING LIST
Who Said Merhawi Is Dead? Edited by Charles Cantalupo and Ghirmai Negash (Hedri Publishers, Asmara).
Translations of contemporary Eritrean poetry, including works by Saba Kidane.

Asmara, Africa's Secret Modernist City, by Naigzy Gebremedhin, et al. (Merrell Publishers).
A coffee-table book that surveys the capital's striking 1930's architecture.

Two Weeks in the Trenches, by Alemseged Tesfai (Red Sea Press).
Short stories about rural life in Eritrea, plays about life under Ethiopian occupation, and a moving account of the writer's experiences during the war.

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