Blue Nile Resort Hotel

Enter the building from the buzzing Bahir Dar streets into a cool, immaculate lobby, with a smiling team behind its regal desk. First impressions say it all: a grand space with an aesthetic that dates back to the '80s, and staff who may not deliver the polish and competence experienced by regular travellers, but are nevertheless warm and willing. Suspend expectation, and make the most of the resort's shimmering lake views, and the decent menu of local and international fare.

There is little to distinguish the 135 rooms at the Blue Nile (except for the 13 duplex rooms), apart from the bed configurations, which range from triples to kings. The rooms are motel-style, with rather out-of-date furnishings and decor, and beds that could use an upgrade. They nevertheless have aircon, satellite TVs, and en-suite bathrooms with showers or baths. Duplex suites are the your best bet.

Lake Tana, the Blue Nile's source, lies in a massive, river-fed volcanic depression in which a number of islands have been recorded over the centuries. Visit intriguing monasteries on some islands, and take a ferry to nearby lakeside villages. The drive to Blue Nile Falls passes through villages where rural life appears both bucolic and burdensome, deeply compromised by the Nile's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. The falls are still grand though, a swollen rush of brown after the rainy season.