Lake Ziway

Lake Ziway, called Dembel locally, is the northernmost of the main Rift valley lakes, shallow and fresh, and the easiest place in Ethiopia to see large waterbirds at close range: great white pelicans, marabou storks, cormorants and herons gather at the fishing jetty in Batu where the catch is landed and cleaned, and they are entirely unbothered by people. Five islands lie in the lake, of which Tulu Gudo holds a monastery where tradition says the Ark of the Covenant was hidden for a period, and where old manuscripts are kept; boats run out from the town. The lake also supports a large flower and vegetable export industry on its shores, which has raised concerns about water levels and chemical runoff.

What you actually see

• Pelicans at the jetty - large waterbirds at arm's length by the fish landing.
• The fish market - the catch landed and cleaned on the shore.
• Tulu Gudo island - the monastery and its manuscripts by boat.
• Rift valley setting - shallow water and reeds below the escarpments.

When to go

October to March for the roads and comfortable weather. Bird numbers are high year round at the jetty. Boat trips to the islands take half a day and prices are negotiated.

Honest expectations

The jetty is a working fish landing, dirty and smelly, which is exactly why the birds are there. Boat prices are negotiated per boat and quoted high to foreigners. Women may not be permitted at the island monastery. Water levels and the effects of the flower farms are a live local issue.

Nearby

Lake Langano lies south; Abijatta-Shalla is beyond it.