City Rating: Bahir Dar
Population of Bahir Dar: 650,000
Date of visit: October 2017
Attractions & sights: 2/5
Nightlife: 2/5
Safety: 3/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: 👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Bahir Dar, the capital city of the Amhara region in Ethiopia’s north, is one of the most visited cities in the country. The city’s nickname is “The Ethiopian Riviera”, as the city lies on the shore of huge Lake Tana. Bahir Dar is a fine city for two or three days. However, it’s the place I liked the least in Ethiopia.
Where to stay:
Either at a resort near the Lake or somewhere in the city but not too far from the lake. There is an area near the lake, where many hotels such as the Bahir Dar Hotel 2, Blue Nile, Rahnile etc. are located. This is one of the liveliest areas in Bahir Dar.
The Good:
Bahir Dar has a nice promenade along the shore of Lake Tana. Plus you can do some sightseeing tours such as visiting the monasteries on the islands of Laka Tana or seeing Blue Nile Falls. If you’re lucky, you will see hippos swimming in the lake.
Other activities are spending time in a luxury resort near the Lake and enjoying the scenery. Kuriftu Resort is one of these resorts, who has a good spa by the way (pre-booking is necessary). Nightlife is okay during the weekends. There are plenty of bars and nightclubs in the street, where Bahir Dar Hotel 2 is located. A highlight are the traditional dancing shows, which take place in some of the bars.
The Bad & The Ugly:
Bahir Dar is the only place in Ethiopia, where I didn’t feel 100% safe. Lonely Planet says that you shouldn’t walk around after dark. I think this is a bit exaggerated, but I believe that precaution is more necessary than in Addis Abeba or in Gondar. Lonely Planet also says that women shouldn’t walk along the waterfront further than the (now closed) Ghion Hotel. I have been there for a few minutes and experienced some racism by the locals.
Then, the sightseeing you can do is not very spectacular. Lake Tana looks like a brown puddle. Moreover, the monasteries on the islands look all the same. If you have seen one, you have seen all of them, but you have the pay an entrance fee for all of them. Plus we only saw the tip of the heads of the hippos. Blue Nile Falls also seems to be a gamble. During some seasons, you won’t see much water pouring down the falls.
Another minus is that Bahir Dar has an altitude of less than 2,000 meters in contrast to other Ethiopian cities such as Gondar or Addis Abeba. That means that malaria is a risk here.
All in all, Bahir Dar is okay for a short stop, but I wouldn’t return to this city, as there are much better things to do in Ethiopia. If you head to Bahir Dar anyway, I would recommend the Blue Nile Falls tour instead of the Lake Tana tour.
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