Situated only 50km southeast of Addis Ababa along the new three-lane Adama Expressway, Bishoftu – formerly Debre Zeyit – provides an attractive rustic overnight alternative to the capital for eastbound or southbound travellers.
Seven beautiful lakes surround Bishoftu. This well-equipped town’s main attraction is a quartet of beautiful crater lakes set within steep volcanic calderas whose rims are lined with resorts catering to all tastes and budgets.
Lake Bishoftu lies no more than 500m south of the main road, and forest-fringed Lake Hora is set in twin craters immediately north of the town centre. Kuriftu and Babogaya are also attractive lakes with accommodation and entertainment.
On the west side of Bishoftu, a non-volcanic lake called Chelekleka often hosts large numbers of flamingo and pelicans, and thousands of migrant European cranes overnight there from November to February.
