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Voykit pocket guide · Ethiopia
Ziway
Spend 1–2 days in Ziway: 2‑hour drive from Addis, lake boat tours and cheap lodging, then continue south or return.
Ziway is a small lakeside town on Lake Ziway, 162 km south of Addis Ababa. The lake and cheap hotels make it a good 1‑day stop or a relaxed 2‑day base before heading to Awasa or the Rift Valley lakes.
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Best months
- Oct–Mar
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (rainy season)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- ETB
- Money
- Currency is the Ethiopian birr (ETB); the rate was floated in July 2024 and has moved a lot since — check the current rate before you land.
- Daily spend
- Budget ETB 300–500 excl. bed · Mid ETB 500–800 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Ethio Telecom and Safaricom Ethiopia both sell SIMs at Bole arrivals and shops with passport registration; a few GB costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 991 · Ambulance 907 · Fire 939
- Plugs
- Types C, E, F, L · 220 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin European plugs fit most sockets; power cuts happen — carry a power bank.
- Tipping
- Local restaurant: Round up.; Tourist restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge.; Guide day: US$10–20 per group.; Driver day: US$5–10 per group.; Park scout: US$5 a day.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many lodges refill bottles.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; squat toilets or none at all on the road. Carry paper and hand gel.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Fresh tilapia (asa tibs) | ETB 10 per fish |
| Budget hotel room | ETB 160 |
| Boat tour (birds & hippos) | ETB 650 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ADD · Addis Ababa Bole International
- —
Typical fares
- Addis → Ziway bus
- about ETB 250, 2 h 30 min (check)
- Boat tour at Lake Ziway
- ETB 650 per person, 1‑2 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk or hire a bike in town; boat trips from the jetty to islands; taxis for longer distances.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Ziway
- fresh tilapia (asa tibs)
- boat trips to bird and hippo islands
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Abijatta Shalla Lakes | Bus via Shashemene, about 45 min | ≈1 h |
| Lake Langano | Bus south via Shashemene, about 45 min | ≈1 h |
| Tiya | Bus via Butajira, about 1 h 30 min | ≈2 h |
Sleep
- Bekele Molla
- Basic rooms, 160 birr per night
- Bethlehem Hotel
- 600 birr double, near jetty
- Haile Resort
- Higher‑end lakeside resort
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much is this? | ይህ ምን ያህል ነው?yih min yahl naw? |
| I would like fish, please | እባክህ አሳ ይስጠኝebakih asa yistagn |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake with a shoulder bump among men; bow slightly to elders; avoid: Rushing past greetings
- Eating: Right hand only, from your side of the injera; avoid: Left-hand eating or licking fingers loudly
- Churches: Shoes off, head covered (women), quiet voice; avoid: Entering during services without being invited
- Coffee: Stay for three rounds if you can; avoid: Refusing flatly
- Photos: Ask, and agree a fee in the Omo; avoid: Photographing soldiers, police or checkpoints
- Talk: Ask about coffee, running, food and faith; avoid: Ethnic politics and the wars
Scams and watch-outs
- Roads can be rough after rain; allow extra travel time.
- Boat ticket prices vary (650 birr for bird & hippo tour).
- Nighttime safety: stay in well‑lit hotels, keep valuables secure.
Ziway is generally safe for day visitors; keep valuables hidden, avoid isolated areas after dark, and use reputable transport.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ziway yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Ziway
- fresh tilapia (asa tibs)
- boat trips to bird and hippo islands
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Ethiopia Tourism Board: ethiopia.travel
- Wikivoyage: Ziway, revision 5242474 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5242474
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/ziway). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.