Ethiopia, Bahir Dar, Source of the Blue Nile
Ethiopia's Third Town Lies on Lake Tana Near the Tis Issat Falls
Sep 5, 2009
Ethiopia is a landlocked country, yet the name Bahir Dar (also Bahar Dar) means ‘sea shore’ in Amharic, the language of 95% of residents in this pleasant lakeside town. The name reflects the sheer size of lake, the source of the Blue Nile. A boat trip on Lake Tana is one of the main attractions, so it’s worth considering that the best time to visit Bahir Dar is in the driest and coolest months, December to March when conditions on Lake Tana are at their best.
The centre of the town is known for its wide, palm-lined avenues and shady lakeside parks and gardens where the main hotels, cafés and restaurants are situated. Along the rocky shoreline, new, expensive but responsibly designed resort hotels are springing up, taking advantage of local basalt, wood and thatch for construction, and fine views of the lake.
The rest of the town is something of a sprawl, with severe poverty obvious in the unpaved back alleys, but in spite of this, Bahir Dar is considered one of the safest of Africa’s cities. The general atmosphere is tranquil, except on Saturdays when one of Ethiopia’s largest markets, complete with donkeys, cattle and goats, goes into full swing.
Brief Bahir Dar History and UNESCO Cities of Peace Prize 2002
The oldest building, dating from the arrival of Portuguese Jesuits in the 16th century, is in the main town square. Several emperors built small stone palaces here in subsequent years, although Bahir Dar was never a royal capital on the scale of Gondar, further north. Ethiopia’s famous warrior emperor, Teodros, (Mad Theodore) abandoned his mid-19th century camp here because of cholera. The spacious layout of the centre dates from the years of Italian occupation (1937–41). In 2002, the town won a 2002 UNESCO Cities of Peace Prize for its efforts at reconstruction after the Ethiopian Civil War (1988–91) and strategies for dealing with rapid urbanisation.
Getting to Bahir Dar
- Most visitors prefer to fly the 360 miles (578 km) from the capital, Addis Abba, where reasonably priced domestic Ethiopian Airlines flights leave twice a day and take one hour.
- A taxi from Bahir Dar’s tiny airport into town takes about 30 minutes.
- Bus journeys from Addis may require overnight stops. Road conditions are very variable and facilities poor.
- Booking through a local tour company makes getting to Bahir Dar much simpler, e.g. Off-Road Ethiopia Tour
Getting Around Bahir Dar
- Blue mini-buses and taxis have cheap fixed fares.
- Recently introduced Indian 3-wheeler auto-rickshaws (bajaj) are cheaper than regular taxis.
- Horse and cart transport round the back roads is available for a negotiated price.
- Bicycles are popular for getting around and can be hired.
What to Do Around Bahir Dar
- Allow a half or whole day for boat trip on Lake Tana.
- Visit some of the area’s 22 Ethiopian Orthodox churches such as Beta Mariam for their intriguing murals.
- The Blue Nile (Tis Issat) Falls are well worth the 20 miles (33 km) drive from town, and a further 30-minute walk from the transport drop.
For most visitors a two or three night stop-over is enough to see the main attractions in and around Bahir Dar. Specialists in Ethiopian Orthodox church art, or Ethiopian history and wildlife might prefer a longer stay in this pleasant, peaceful town.
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