From Wikitravel

Bahir Dar is a city in Ethiopia. A third largest city of Ethiopia, after Addis-Ababa and Dire-dawa. (pop. 201,450). A capital city for the country's ethnically and geographicaly second largest people, the Amhara. (Ethiopian official language is Amharic.)

[edit] Get in

The city is equipped with an International airport with paved runways, identified by the ICAO code HABD and IATA BJR; Ethiopian Airlines operates scheduled flights between Bahir Dar and the capital(Addis-Ababa) as well as with Gondar to the northwest. Flights to Gondar continue onto Lalibela and Aksum.

The city is also connected by daily buses to/from Addis Ababa and Gondar. To get to Bahir Dar from Lalibela by bus, take a dawn bus to Gashina (about two hours south of Lalibela) and change there to the Woldia - Bahir Dar bus, which passes through Gashina around 10am. To get from Bahir Dar to Lalibela, take the 6am Bahir Dar - Woldia bus and catch the last Lalibela bus at Gashena, which passes through around 3pm.

Many private minibuses also run to/from Gondar and Addis Ababa. They often do not leave from the bus station but are instead arranged through your hotel or by local touts (who will find you before you find them!) The minibuses are more expensive but faster, especially to Addis Ababa.

There is no railway that connects Bahir Dar to any city in Ethiopia.

[edit] Get around

As in the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis-Ababa, the blue mini-buses provide very efficient transportation in Bahir-dar. There are also horse drawn carts, roam the backstreets of the city. Both, the minibuses and the carts are inexpensive.

• Bahir-dar is a clean and well maintained city by African city standards. Even the basic accomedations have neat, but basic services.

[edit][add listing] See

• Approximately, 35 kms from Bahir Dar, there is the Blue Nile Falls or Tis Abay(in Amharic). Although much of the water is now diverted to a power dam, it is still a spectacular sight: smaller than Niagara Falls, but amazingly scenic. You can take a bus to the village of Tis Abay, from which it is a 30-minute walk to the falls. If you take the bus, ignore anyone in the village who insists that the last bus back to Bahir Dar will be full and wants you to pay them to hold a seat, or that the last bus has already left but they can offer you an amazingly expensive taxi ride. There are plenty of buses back to Bahir Dar, the last one leaves at 5pm or later, and the bus conductor will find a seat for you! You can also arrange for a tour to the falls through your hotel.

• Bahir Dar is situated on the southern shore of Lake Tana, the source of the Blue Nile (or Abay). On the islands of the lake there are some of the world's oldest churches and monasteries. There are plenty of boat tours available to the monestaries; these range from 2 to 12 hours in length and can be booked through your hotel or by one of the many touts in the city. It is also possible to charter your own boat so you can choose which churches and islands you wish to see. In some of these monasteries, women NOT allowed to enter. Be cautious and aware of the traditions and rules of the Ethiopian Orthodox church when you visit. (Note: These churches are definitely unique to Ethiopia, but they tend to be expensive and the tours are over-rated. The boat trip on the lake is nice, but there are better examples of rural churches elsewhere in Ethiopia in a more pleasant and less touristy environment.)

• Bahir Dar grew around a Jesuit settlement, founded in the sixteenth or seventeenth century, from which time the Pedro Páez building dates. One of Emperor Haile Selassie's palaces is located near the city, and the Emperor considered moving the national capital to the town. The palace is an impressive architectural work of its time. Facing the lake Tana (the source of blue nile) it provides a beautiful picturesque scene of blue nile.

• Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile. If you take a boat trip ask the 'driver' to take you to the place where the river flows out of the lake. It is very atmospheric, and probably the best place to spot Hippo.

[edit][add listing] Do

• There are several music clubs in Bahir-Dar
• Western music from the 80's and early 90's are hugely popular.
• Cycling Almost everyone in Bahir-Dar rides bicycle to get around.

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit] Safety

• Like many other cities in Ethiopia, Bahir dar is generally safe and free of violent crimes.
• The Federal Police,(seen very rearly aroud town)the city police and the local neighborhood millitia provide security to the city.
• You may encounter some hustlers around the shore of lake tana to get you rent a boat they may get a kick-back for. The boats on the lake Tana that take you to visit the Monasteries have fixed rates. Make sure the self appointed "brokers" won't get you charged a jacked up fee for the boats.
• Other than these very few and irritable factors, Bahir-dar is the most tranquil city in Africa

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Tana Restaurant serves faboulous fish dishes for little money.
• Al-Hanan Muslim Restaurant near the Dalot Pension, serves huge and tasty mutton dishes, even during lent. Also a good place for an Ethiopian coffee ceremony. The owners are exceedingly nice and dont charge tourists extra.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Dalot Pension, near the bus station, singles from Birr 20, modern, clean and convenient, best value in town
• Ghion Hotel, Camping USD 3.00, rooms from USD 6.00, a travellers meeting place, on the shores of lake Tana.
• Tana Pension, rooms from USD 2.50, the food is marvellous.

[edit] Get out

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