A cosy lakeside eco-lodge

Baher Dar is an interesting town to visit in the northern Ethiopia route. Much of the city’s popularity is thanks to its palm-lined avenues, pretty lakeside vistas, and colorful market. The focal point of the town is Lake Tana, and its island monasteries dotted around the lake.
Kuriftu Resort, one of the establishments designed around the lake, has majestic setting. Opened in 2009 and set on a 10,000 msq of land, the lodge is cozy, chic and relaxed with 28 guest rooms with private views and individual bungalows that open onto the lake and sunlit garden filled with roses and citrus trees. The ultra-modern lodge is product of a bamboo, thatch and stone and with furnishings that include antiques and traditional motifs. It’s not the first eco-lodge in the Baher Dar but it is the swankiest, and the only one with a giant swimming pool. While it will take a little time for the new stone facades, linking walkways and patio to settle and age, the overall design is attractive, with leather seating, low tables and pleasant table and chair arrangements in the dining room.

A comfortable lodge in a beautiful setting

The Gheralta region is renowned for its chain of mountains, cliffs and hundreds of rock churches.The arid sandstones crimson terrain of the region is different from the more rounded green hills seen elsewhere in the Ethiopian highland. The Gheralta lodge, opened since 2006, takes guests off the beaten path and into an intimate eco experience. Spread over ten hectare in the foothills of the region, the eco-lodge, only 15 minutes drive south of Hawzen and about two hours from Mekelle, is cozy with a five bungalow, a restaurant with leisure area that open onto the sunlit garden filled with cacti, aloes, euphorbia trees, making it the fifth in Addis journal’s list of Top Ten Eco lodges.

A modern resort with eco-friendly design

Lake Langano has always been an alluring place. It is less than three hour’s drive south of Addis, and is completely safe for swimming. The alkaline reddish brown water is free from bilharzias, which makes it distinctive from other Ethiopian rift valley lakes. The possibility of swimming in the lake without this danger is perhaps the reason why beginning from Emperor Haile Selassie’s time, the lake has attracted members of the foreign community and local picnickers for their weekend cottages. The sandy beaches along the western shore, water sports, the volcanic landscape, hot springs and an interesting bird life have drawn people to it.

Fabulous Negash Lodge

Despite its physical brilliance and cultural diversity, Ethiopia remains under-explored tourist destination. The hospitality service remains much to be desired and the tourist infrastructure outside Addis Ababa is generally inferior.  This is, however, likely to change as some forward-thinking individuals are embarking up on the huge task of developing a hospitality and tourism industry. One such place Addis Journal is featuring in the second installment of top ten eco friendly lodges is Negash Lodge, located in Wolisso town, southwest of Ethiopia, 114km away from the capital.

The promotional pamphlet explains that  the lodge was first built in the 1930’s and was used as holiday home by  Emperor Haile Selassie, because of  its natural hot springs which many believe has curative properties. In the late 1940’s it was named Ghion Hotel, and was one of the country’s biggest honeymoon destination. By the late 1950s it was renamed Ethiopia Hotel before being privatized in 2005 and called Negash Lodge.