Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lounging lakeside is an essential part of the Bahir Dar experience. You'll often glimpse
the flimsy, yet unsinkable
tankwa
canoe. Made from woven papyrus, they can take huge
loads, including oxen! They're exactly the same as the papyrus boats depicted on the
walls of ancient temples in Egypt. They're made in the village of
Weyto
, but the men here
will ask for ludicrous fees to watch them. You can also sometimes see them being made at
Debre Maryam monastery (
Click here
)
.
Main Market
Offline map
If you are allergic to scenic lakesides and love dusty action, visit the large and lively main
market. It's busiest on Saturday. Getting lost is half the fun. The delightful
agelgil
(goat-
skin lunch boxes) are no longer sold in the market; they're mostly sold by the makers near
the tourist office. Some souvenir shops sell them, but they buy from the makers too.
MARKET
Fish Market
There's a one-table fish market in the mud-hut deacon's village behind St George's
Church. The catch is brought in by
tankwa
in the morning and pelicans come to feed on
the scraps in the afternoon.
MARKET
Blue Nile Bridge
You can only reach the famous outlet of the Blue Nile by boat (
Click here
)
, but you can
get pretty close along the Gonder road, 2km past the post office, where a bridge spans the
river. You can see the dam that has ruined Tis Abay Falls (
Click here
)
and maybe some
hippos and crocodiles. There are many
tankwa
in this area too, though not on the river it-
self.
BRIDGE
Martyrs Memorial Monument
Offline map
(admission Birr15)
Just past the bridge is a large Martyrs Memorial Monument dedicated
to those who died fighting the Derg (
Click here
)
. Its fountain cascading down to the Blue
Nile is quite the sight, especially if someone is having a wedding here and has paid to turn
it on. The
museum
( 8.30am-5.30pm)
is full of photos, some labelled in English, from
the resistance in Amhara Region.
MONUMENT
Palace of Haile Selassie
VIEWPOINT
