Lake Tana
Ethiopia's largest lake and the source of the Blue Nile. Boat trips visit island monasteries with old painted churches, and papyrus boats are still built along the shore.
Bahir Dar and Lake Tana
Boat trips go from this lakeside town to the old island monasteries of Lake Tana, and the Blue Nile Falls can also be visited.
Attractive locations
Blue Nile Falls
Waterfall on the Blue Nile known locally as Tis Issat, meaning smoking water. Much of the flow is now used for power, so the falls are at their strongest after the summer rains.
Ura Kidane Mehret
Island monastery on the Zege Peninsula, reached by boat and a short forest walk. Its round church is covered inside with painted scenes from the Bible. Visitors should dress modestly.
Narga Selassie
Island church on Lake Tana built in the 18th century for Empress Mentewab. The walls inside are covered in colourful paintings. Visitors should dress modestly.
Tana Qirqos
Island monastery in Lake Tana reached by boat. Local tradition says the Ark of the Covenant rested here for centuries, and monks keep old crosses and manuscripts.
Dek Island
Large island in Lake Tana with monasteries, forest paths and farming villages. Boat trips here combine lake scenery with quiet church visits.
Daga Island
Island monastery in Lake Tana, used for royal burials and for keeping manuscripts and church treasures. It is reached by boat, and monastery rules limit who may enter.
Airports
Bahir Dar Airport BJR
It is about 8 km in a straight line from Bahir Dar and Lake Tana.
Gondar Airport GDQ
It is about 104 km in a straight line from Bahir Dar and Lake Tana.
Debre Markos Airport DBM
It is about 146 km in a straight line from Bahir Dar and Lake Tana.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Ethiopia page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan18.7 °C4 mm
- Feb20.9 °C10 mm
- Mar22.1 °C29 mm
- Apr22.4 °C59 mm
- May21.8 °C135 mm
- Jun19.6 °C197 mm
- Jul17.3 °C394 mm
- Aug17.2 °C370 mm
- Sep18.1 °C200 mm
- Oct17.8 °C72 mm
- Nov17.5 °C28 mm
- Dec17.7 °C10 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jul, Aug, Sep.
Who can help
Emergency
Reported numbers: police 991, ambulance 907, fire 939 - confirm with your hotel or guide.
ngo
Ethiopian Red Cross Society
Helps with: Ethiopia's national Red Cross society. Its work includes round-the-clock emergency ambulance services, disaster response and family-links services for separated families. Its website gives toll-free 907 for emergencies.
Who qualifies: People in Ethiopia needing emergency, health, disaster or family-links services. The phone shown is the head office line.
Phone: +251-115-18-01-81
Email: ercsinfo@redcrosseth.org
Address: Ras Desta Dametew Avenue, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Ethiopia
Helps with: The UN migration agency, working across Ethiopia since 1995. It supports displaced people and safe, regular migration, and produces migration research and data for policy.
Who qualifies: Migrants and displaced people in Ethiopia, and government or other partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +251 111301000
Address: YeMez Building, behind Zequala Building, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
local government
Police and emergency number 911
Helps with: Reaches the police and general emergency help in Ethiopia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 911
local government
Ambulance number 907 (Addis Ababa)
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Addis Ababa only, as given by UK government travel advice. The page lists no ambulance number for other places.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Addis Ababa, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 907