Bahir Dar

Located on the south of beautiful tropical Lake Tana (not only the largest in Ethiopia but also the source of the world’s longest river the Blue Nile), Bahir Dar is a town on the historic route with wide avenues of palms and flowers. 
Stops to explore some of the ancient monasteries that have been built on the dotted islands of Lake Tana have fascinating history and pleasure. The islands and peninsulas of Lake Tana are most conveniently approached by boat from Bahir Dar on the southern side of the lake. These monasteries and churches dated back from the sixteenth and early seventeenth century hold rich history and have beautiful mural paintings, church crosses, and house crowns, treasures and clothes of former medieval kings. Many are easily accessible with a boat ride. Relics of these ancient historical links range from the Judaic sacrificial pillars on the island of Tana Chirkos to the Egyptian- style papyrus Tankwa boats used by local fishermen. Among the major attractions Daga Estifanos, Kibran Gabriel, Ura Kidanemihiret, Azewa Mariam Daga Istifanos and Narga Sellase are only a few of them. Lake Tana is also renowned for its varied bird life that gives a chance to spot some fabulous aquatic as well as forest birds and became the centerpiece of a newly created 5000 square kilometer UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Enjoy a sundowner watching the lake after your boat trip or onboard your boat.
The city offers a small daily market and but busiest on Saturdays is a good place to explore. There are some music clubs in the city that offer unique Ethiopian traditional music folktales.
Bahirdar’s other attraction is one of Africa’s most spectacular waterfalls, locally known as Tis Abay’’smoke of fire’’ on the Blue Nile falls, is about an hour’s drive out of town. The fall is the most dramatic spectacle dropping over a sheer chasm more than 40 meters high and estimated to be about 400 meters wide in the rainy season. The falls throw up a continuous spray of water, which drenches on lookers up to a kilometer away. This misty deluge produces rainbows, shimmering across the gorge, and a small perennial rainforest of lush green vegetation, to the delight of the many monkeys and multicolored birds that inhabit the area.
The open fields that lead you to the ancient fortified bridge built in the seventeen century by Portuguese adventurers and still in use and leads you to the magnificent view of the fall rolling thundering cataract of foaming water.