Bahir Dar Ethiopia

Bahir Dar

First up a bit of honesty, we did not spend more than a few hours in the town itself. Therefore our impressions are going to be rather limited. So impressions of Bahir Dar were positive, the town is clean and has a more modern/ western feel than any of the other towns that we have visited.

People describe Bahir Dar as the 'Riviera of Ethiopia', personally, I am not sure that Bahir Dar comes anywhere close to a Riviera but then again this is a landlocked country and anything close to the water I suppose would/ could be classed as a Riviera. We were told that the town does have some the better hotels and restaurants in Ethiopia, unfortunately, we did not have the chance to try them out.

We opted for a road transfer from Gondar to Bahir Dar and what a scenic drive it was.

On arrival in town, we were whisked away for a tour of Lake Tana, Entos Eyesu Monastery as well as the Blue Nile Falls. See links and opinions below.

Bahir Dar Ethiopia

  • Entos Eyesu Monastery

    The boat ride from the main land to the monastery island is maybe 20 to 25 minutes in duration but a scenic boat ride over Lake Tana all the same. The walk through the Entos Eyesu Monastery and up to the church is all through thick tropical forest stopping along the way to see a small museum and crafts stall.

  • Blue Nile Falls

    The height of the falls is around the 40-metre mark and in full flood, they can span almost 700 metres. In full flood, I reckon these falls could compete with many of the more famous water falls in Africa. For those interested in birding, bring your big lenses with. The birdlife is simply amazing along the banks of this river.

  • Lake Tana

    Lake Tana is Ethiopia's largest lake and covers some 3673 square kilometres whilst being 85 Km long and 66 km at its widest but is rather shallow at a maximum depth of only 15 metres. The lake is also reported to be the source of the Blue Nile River which drains out of the lake near Bahir Dar.
Ethiopia Travel Topics

  • Palace Of Haile Selassie

    Haile Selassie, King of Kings, Lion of Judah, by the grace of God, Emperor of Ethiopia. Quite a mouthful of a title for a single man or, as the Rastafarians would have it, the son of God. So awe-inspiring are the adjectives that you would have expected him to live in a magnificent palace made of the finest Carrara marble or a granite stone castle in the tradition of Gondar.

  • Visiting The Lalibela Rock Churches

    Your correspondent has been travelling in Africa for over three decades. I feel that I know sub-Saharan Africa; its smells, its peoples, its geography and its wildlife. Ethiopia is different, as different as snow is to sand. So different that you could get a very sharp knife and detach it somewhere in the Red Sea because it is not similar to any of its Arab world neighbours either.

  • Where To Travel In Ethiopia

    New on Uyaphi.com is our Travel in Ethiopia portfolio featuring safaris and tours to this somewhat new African safari destination; we are very excited about Ethiopia and all that she has to offer. Think of Ethiopia as a more cultural safari destination than what one is used to in Africa.