Ziway - place in Oromia, Ethiopia

Ziway, also called Zway or Batu, is a town on the shore of Lake Ziway, a Rift Valley lake, in Oromia, Ethiopia. Lake Ziway is the closest major Rift Valley lake to Addis Ababa, 162 km south of Addis Ababa.

Understand

Map showing the location of the northern Rift Valley lakes to the south of Addis Ababa Lake Ziway

Get in

By car

From Addis Ababa, Ziway is 162 km via Modjo, using the Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway (2 hours 30 minutes drive), or it is 180 km via Butajira (3 hours drive).

It is 107 km south-west of Adama (Nazret) and 113 km north of Awasa.

Routes through Ziway

Three nearby towns by road:

By bus

Buses leave from Addis Ababa and Awasa.

Get around

See

Pelicans on the lake The main sight in Ziway is the large lake. Many waterfowl can be found near the jetty, as well as boats to the islands scattered about the lake and to hippo spots.

  • Ziway Lake (Batu Hara Dembel), entrance at the end of Jetty Road, 7.9254°, 38.724°. daytime only. Access to the jetty where fishermen land. The shore forms a park with many animals: dogs, horses and birds (marabou storks, African sacred ibis, kingfisher, ...). The jetty is the beginning of four boat trips offered to visitors. 10/20 birr for resident/foreigner, 100 birr for tour guiding services, boat trips starting from 650 birr for “Bird & Hippos tour” 2015-09-04
  • Viewpoint on the city and Lake Ziway, on a rocky escarpment, around 10km to the west, on road to Butaijira, 7.945193°, 38.642215°. When the air is clear, this viewpoint offers a good perspective on Ziway, the Great Rift Valley lakes and mountains on the opposite side of the Rift. 2015-09-11

Do

Buy

Eat

Ziway is famous for fish and they are a must eat for every traveller coming here. You will find fresh fish in every hotel and restaurant in Ziway, prepared in the usual Ethiopian ways: as a cutlet, goulash and as Tibs.

  • Asa Tibs Bet, inside the Lake Ziway park, near the jetty (150 m after the entrance), 7.9253°, 38.7254°. daytime only (lunch). The “asa tibs” (fried tilapia fish) is one of the local experience offered to visitors. In one of the three wooden case. Around 10 birr per fish 2015-09-11

Drink

Sleep

The main road has many cheap and basic rooms. Near the jetty there are much more luxurious resorts. Several resorts were still under construction on the shores of the lake in September 2015.

Another option is to sleep or eat in one of the Lake Langano’s resorts (30-50 km to the south).

Connect

Go next

  • Abijatta Shalla Lakes National Park - The two next lakes of the Rift Valley lakes, 47 km to the south (40 minutes drive), toward Shashemene.
  • Lake Langano - Several luxury resorts for relaxing, swimming and having other beach activities. (Entries of resorts on the left side of the road to Shashemene.)
  • Tiya steles complex, Addadi Mariam rock-hewn church and Mekla Kunture Paleolithic site - Three historical sites in a row, on the way back to Addis Ababa via Butajira road. 96 km to Tiya (1 h 30 min drive).

Batu

Date Time:Please wait...Timezone:Africa/Addis_AbabaCoordinates:7.93, 38.72

Oromia Region

Primary administrative division

Ethiopia

Population:109.2 MDial code:+251Currency:Birr (ETB)Voltage:220 V, 50 Hz