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The natural beauty of The Amhara Regional State is the best in Ethiopia that amazes the first-time visitor. Ethiopia's biggest National park... Semien National Park,which enbraces the welknown and breathtaking Simien Mountains (Ras Dasheen 4543m is Ethiopia's highest peak)with its endemic animals ( Like that of Walia Ibex), various plant and brid species, the glory of Tissisat..The Blue Nile Falls,and the special enchantment of Lake Tana are few to mention the natural magnets of the region and the country as a nation.
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| The Blue Nile Falls- locally known as Tississat, meaning 'water that smokes'
presents a spectacular water fall with an intense gash from more than
forty-five meters (150feet) peak, producing rainbows across the gorge.This magnificent
water fall is found in
The area is also inhabited with fascinating wild lives and birds.
The power of the Blue Nile may best be appreciated just thirty kilometers downstream from the point where the river first leaves Lake Tana. There, a rumble of sound fills the air and the green fields and low hills on either bank tremble to the Blue Nile Falls. It is one of the most dramatic spectacles on either the White or Blue Niles, a vision of natural strength and grandeur. |
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Four hundred meters wide in flood, the Blue Nile plunges forty-five meters down a sheer chasm to throw up a continuous mist that drenches the countryside up to a kilometer away. In turn, this gentle deluge produces rainbows that shimmer across the gorge under the changing arc of the sun - and a perennial rainforest. The pillar of cloud in the sky above, seen from afar, explains the local name for the falls - water that smokes, Tissisat.
The approach to the falls leads through Tissisat village where travellers find themselves surrounded by a retinue of youthful guides. For a small fee, they will point out many places of historic interest.
Lake Tana
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Lake Tana is The largest lake in Ethiopia.This 47 mi(76 km) long and
44 mi (71km) wide lake is the source of the Blue Nile which floats from
the source to neighbouring country,Sudan.
The thirty-seven islands of Lake Tana shelter twenty monasteries some of which date back to 13th century,One of them can only be visited by men. - surviving remnants of an old,contemplative tradition. Because of their isolation they were used to store art treasures and religious relics from all parts of the country. |
Tradition says the Ark of the Covenant was kept on one of these islands when Axum was endangered, and the remains of five Emperors - including Fasilidas - are to be found at Daga Istafanos. Monks at Ura Kidane Mehret say that more than forty tabots from churches destroyed by Ahmed Gragn were hidden in their monastery during the sixteenth century The mural paintings in these churches represent beautifull pieces of religious art. The moncks show you their treasures and religious manuscripts, written in Geez on goat and horse skin.
Transport is done on small wooden rafts but tourist can make a tour with small boats. Bahir Dar is a city with many shops, bars and small hotels. In some cafees is live traditional music where musicians play the harp and sing.
Semien Mountains National Park
| Located in the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) in north-western
Ethiopia (Gondar),Simen National Park is the only protected area harbouring the
rare endemic Simen fox and Gelada baboon, Over 50 interesting species of birds such
as bearded vultures and Augur buzzards, as well as twenty endemic plant species.
As the last existing habitat for one of the world's most endangered mammals, Simen National Park was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1978. A national symbol of Ethiopia, the walia ibex, a species of goat found nowhere else in the world, is currently threatened with extinction due to a reduced population and a disturbed habitat. When the estimated number of walia ibex dropped from over 400 in 1983 to 180 in 1996, the Park was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Park is recognized as much for its outstanding scenery as for its rare wild life. Its rugged, volcanic landscape stretches across 136 km2 of Afro-Alpine undulating grassland plateau,canyons and precipitous escarpments give way to spectacular views of peaks of The Simien Mountains Massif as one of the major highlands of Africa, rising to the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Dejen(4,620m), which is the fourth highest peak in the continent. Access to the Park is from the town of Debark, 101 km from Gonder. Those who are interested in trekking can hire riding and pack animals from the town. This should be arranged in advance through tour operators. |
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