"THE dreamed Riviera" Top 5 Page for this destination Bahir Dar by Elisabcn

Bahir Dar Travel Guide: 152 reviews and 397 photos

Bahir Dar is a tourist destination also for locals: situated on the shore of one of the biggest lakes in Africa and with an incredible flora and fauna, it seems the perfect place to spend some days of relax. Bahir Dar is also a good base camp to visit Lake Tana Churches and Nile Falls as these destinations are at only 40 minutes by boat /road.
After too many hours on the road and a too much adventurous trip, Bahir Dar was for me THE dreamed land, a kind of Mexican Riviera where I could rest for a while. And oh yes, I rested . . . more than expected as I fell ill and was KO for some time. But this “stuck in the town” and my recovering walks around it allowed me to know more about this city, often underrated by foreigners, its local people and customs.
So in a country like Ethiopia choose Bahir Dar to take rest and, if you cannot avoid it, also to fall ill! The city offers all kind of accommodation and well equipped pharmacies.

How to get to Bahir Dar

Smiling angels welcome you

Bahir Dar is located in the southern shore of Lake Tana, 578Km north of Addis Ababa. You can travel to Bahir Dar by road from the main cities like Addis Ababa, Lalibela or Gondar. The best option is to take a local bus which leaves from the bus station at 6.00 am so be there by 5.30am to catch a free seat. Believe me: waking up at 5.00 am to be at the bus station at 5.30 am IS REALLY THE BEST OPTION. Otherwise you will have to contract different mini buses and you risk to end up in a too much adventurous trip. If you don’t want to punish more your bottom with 10 more hours of bus, Bahir Dar has also an airport with domestic flights. You can fly to Bahir Dar from the main Ethiopian sites.

Pros and Cons

Pros:THE dreamed Riviera
Cons:Humid, humid, humid
In a nutshell:A nice place to rest in the middle of your Ethiopian trip

Last visit to Bahir Dar: Sep 2010
Intro Updated Nov 6, 2010
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Reviews (17)

Smiling bakery Restaurants (2)

I WILL TELL YOU NOW: if you go to Ethiopia your breakfast will always be scrambled eggs or fried eggs or omelette. If... more travel advice

Bahir Dar Hotel under the rain - Bahir Dar

Bahir Dar Hotel Restaurants (2)

This was the chosen restaurant for two dinners so it should not be too bad! It is a typical Ethiopian hotel, with... more travel advice

The Church, of course! Warnings Or Dangers (1)

Be sure: Ethiopian priests don’t care about tourists’ souls, they prefer their wallets. Anytime I felt ripped off in... more travel advice

Ghyon Hotel Hotels (1)

Ghyon Hotel was a very good choice. It consists of several bungalows with veranda lined up facing Lake Tana on a... more travel advice

Local Customs (2)
See All Local Wedding

Things to Do (11)
See All Tis Isat Falls (part two)

Comments (8)

toonsarah Feb 7, 2011 at 10:47 AM Report Abuse

I love this page - great tips, described with just the personal touch I most enjoy :-) The religious paintings are gorgeous and the Tis Isat falls look spectacular! Ethiopia was high on my wish list, and is even higher now!
yumyum Dec 29, 2010 at 1:40 AM Report Abuse

What an interesting destination! Funny this lake watching all lined up :)) Happy New Year to you, Elisa!
kokoryko Dec 9, 2010 at 2:48 PM Report Abuse

What? They ignored the super beautiful blue eyed traveller? Hope you won’t hold it against the Ethiopians! :) Beautiful pictures of the lake and the birds; a Riviera birdwatcher would even be jealous.
MalenaN Nov 19, 2010 at 11:37 PM Report Abuse

Sorry to hear you fell ill, but it seems something good came out of it as well! Church paintings, waterfall and birds all look very beautiful!
DAO Nov 19, 2010 at 10:20 AM Report Abuse

Great pics of the waterfall. I only saw it from the plane as I was leaving.
mircaskirca Nov 19, 2010 at 8:09 AM Report Abuse

Lovely place with a lot of 'watchings' :) 860 species of birds? That's almost as much as in Costa Rica. Loved the lake and the paintings, and the falls are really impressive. Great that you were able to attend the local wedding with Ethiopian music :)
Jefie Nov 10, 2010 at 12:24 PM Report Abuse

Thanks for the amazing virtual trip to Ethiopia! The waterfalls look amazing, too bad so many churches won't allow women inside - but will still make you pay for it!
willy_wonka Nov 8, 2010 at 7:11 PM Report Abuse

sounds like a beautiful place to visit, especially the waterfalls. a shame though that it seems very 'money hungry' here, especially amongst the priests! they will go to hell! lol :) fantastic page.