Bahir Dar is a large town on the southern shore of Lake Tana, Ethiopia’s largest lake. Palm-lined avenues and pretty lakeside vistas make Bahir Dar a decidedly attractive town and it is also the base for visits to Tis Abay and Lake Tana’s many monasteries. With tourist amenities that are among the best in the country, Bahir Dar is an excellent place to settle in for a few days.

To reach the source of the Blue Nile, which rises from Lake Tana on the outskirts of Bahir Dar, you can either walk or hire a bicycle, or take a local minibus to about 1km past the Blue Nile Springs Hotel, where a large bridge crosses the river. The wide river provides ideal conditions for hippos and crocodiles, both of which are occasionally seen from the bridge. You can also visit a palace built for Haile Selassie on top of a hill. Although entrance to, and photography of, the palace are forbidden, the hill offers excellent views over the town and Lake Tana. The market in Bahir Dar is also worth a visit, and a good place to buy furry injera baskets. Also try the pleasant walk to the fish market on the lake shore where you will also see a great many papyrus tankwa boats and often large numbers of pelicans.

About 30km after it exits Lake Tana, the Blue Nile plunges over a 45m high rock face to form one of Africa’s most spectacular waterfalls, Tis Abay (‘Smoke of the Nile’) or Tis Isat (‘Water that Smokes’). Tis Abay is impressive for the sheer volume of water that pours over it, particularly during the rainy season.