Blue Nile Falls, Ethiopia

The Blue Nile Falls are located on Ethiopia's Blue Nile River, roughly 19 miles downstream of Lake Tana. The waterfall gets its Amharic name from mist curtains and sparkling rainbows (Tis Abay, or the Great Smoke). It is 170 feet tall and witnesses the confluence of four streams that formerly merged to form a 1,312-foot width during the rainy season.

The waterfall's power is now largely harnessed by a hydroelectric station erected in 2003, although still remains a magnificent sight during the peak flood months of august and September. The falls can be reached via two separate hiking trails. The first leads you through a 17th-century stone bridge (the first in Ethiopia) to observe the main waterfall perspectives on the other side of the river, while the second includes a brief boat ride across the river to the falls' base.