In June I made my first visit to Ethiopia, which I found to be one of the most hospitable countries on earth. A peaceful serenity followed me on my walks through the magical churches of Lalibela and the fairytale castles of Gondar.

But if I had been the sort of traveller who is influenced by advice on the Foreign Office website, I may never have gone at all. The ‘advice for travellers to Ethiopia’ on the FCO Website runs to several screen pages. Although it says ‘we not advise against travel to the main tourist destinations including Bahir Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, Axum and the Rift valley lakes’, it also states

"There is a high threat from terrorism in Ethiopia; attacks could be indiscriminate including places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers."

Elsewhere on the same site is this chilling warning: "Explosive devices, such as grenades, are readily obtainable throughout Ethiopia and are occasionally used during local disputes. There is a risk of British nationals and other foreigners becoming indiscriminately caught up in attacks.

Days after reading these alarming "statements, I was sitting with a group of travellers from the UK in a tukul or traditional Ethiopian hut, the guests of a family who had invited us to join them for coffee and bread.

Ethiopia may be associated in our eyes with the 1984 famine or its late-Nineties conflict with Eritrea, but Ethiopians themselves are proud of their distant past, which dates back millions of years. After a few years of stability, tourists are beginning to rediscover the country’s treasures.

While not advocating that FCO advice should be ignored, the severity of its warnings are, I would suggest, instrumental in putting travellers off visiting one of the world’s most peaceful and fascinating nations, poised to relaunch itself on the world’s tourist stage.