Gorgora, Ethiopia

On the shore of Lake Tana, the village of Gorgora is home to the tranquil and highly recommended Tim & Kim's, where you can rent a stone hut and experience some of the best birdwatching anywhere. At about 6,000 feet, its altitude is low enough to harbor malaria, so don't neglect the prophylactics unless you want to stay covered up and drenched in repellent, and even then to worry that you're going to be bitten. I seem to have escaped infection, but it's not a chance I'd take again.