Blue Nile Falls in Ethiopia also deserves a seat at the cool kids table. Called “Tis- Isat” by locals (meaning “Smoke of Fire”), the Blue Nile Falls are the most dramatic waterfall anywhere on the Nile. They stretch a quarter-mile wide during the flood season between June and September, and cascade down over 150 feet. The “smoke” nickname is derived from the mist rising up from below. There are several hiking trails through the green countryside around the falls, and if you’re lucky, you might even run into some of the forest’s resident monkeys or birds.
