Highlights
In the South Ethiopia you visit the Omo Valley, enjoy culture and tradition that belongs to varieties of ethnic groups, and colourful markets set on a specific days of the week.
Visitors with an interest in observing pre-materialist cultures or in anthropology will find much to fascinate them in the different ethnic groups situated along the Omo River, with marvelous scenery, wild life and bird life as an added bonus.
Along the Omo River a variety of different ethnic groups are found, such as the Tsemay, Arbore, Hamer, Galeb(Dasenech), Karo, Benna, Ari, and Mursi, Bume(Nyangatom), Bodi, Surma, whose contact with the modern world has come only within the last two to three decades. The Omo, flowing for nearly 1000 km from the highlands south west of Addis Ababa to Lake Turkana in Kenya, provides excellent opportunities for white water rafting.
• Visit the local villages, meet with elders …
• Involve with everyday tasks such as farming, weaving, food preparation, hunting, gathering ect.
Day 1: ADDIS ABABA
Day 2: DRIVE ADDIS ABABA TO ARBA MINCH
Day 3: ARBA MINCH
Day 4: DRIVE ARBA MINCH TO JINKA
Day 5: DRIVE JINKA - MURSI- TURMI
Day 6: DRIVE TURMI - BUME - KARO - TURMI
Day 7: DRIVE TURMI TO ARBA MINCH
Day 8: DRIVE ARBA MINCH TO ADDIS ABABA
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Welcome to Addis Ababa.
Addis Ababa “New Flower” is the third highest capital in the world. It is located at 3,000m above sea level. Addis Ababa is a pleasant city with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa, “Mercato”.
Addis Ababa is Africa’s diplomatic capital with headquarters for the Organization of African Unity and the United Nation Economic Commissions for Africa. The capital is rich in impressive monuments of colonial architecture that are scattered among stretches of sun-bleached shacks.
On your arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, after clearing immigration and customs welcome by Absolute Ethiopia Tours staff and get transferred to your hotel.
Depending on your arrival time it is possible to arrange sightseeing in Addis Ababa with a national guide.
Explore the 3.5 million-year-old bones of Lucy at the National Museum, the panoramic view of Addis Ababa at the top of Mount Entoto, the 16th C St. George’s Cathedral, the stunning stain-glassed windows of the Holy Trinity Cathedral and the largest open market in Africa, Merkato.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
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Total driving distance 475kms/7hrs.
Early Morning, drive to Arba Minch via Lake Ziway, Lake Langano, Shashemene & Sodo towns.
Arba Minch is the home of two Ethiopia’s largest Rift Valley lakes, beautiful landscape (God’s Bridge), forty (40) springs Nechisar National Park, crocodile ranches, crocodiles market and the highland of Dorze village on its doorstep. The city is also a gateway to the Omo valley and Konso on the Southern circuit. It is one of the best destinations in Ethiopia.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
©DavorLovincic - iStockphoto
Full day in Arba Minch
Detour to Chencha 40kms/1hr, the home of the Dorze people, known for their bamboo, bee-hive shaped houses and their fine quality cotton “shamma”.
Enjoy the boat trip on Lake Chamo – with a very close viewing of large number of hippos and crocodiles.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
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Total driving distance 270kms/4hrs.
Make a drive through the Konso village; whose people are known for their intricately terraced hillsides, they make recognized and prized by UNESCO, fine woven materials and the carved totems with which they decorate their graves.
Visit the local villages in Jinka and get acquainted to the local life, how they make local liquor made of Sorghum, Garlic and maize and how they make a pot.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
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Total driving distance 230kms/6-7hrs.
Mago National Park, one of Africa’s vast wildernesses, was founded in the 1960s and it encloses dense acacia forests and open savannah. Drive to visit the Mursi villages; they go in for body scarification and among the women the wearing of lip plates. They are known for fierce warrior disposition and wildly decorative appearance, with large circular clay labrets that the women wear in the lower lip.
Turmi is a place for the Hamer tribes, visit the Hamer village they are a fine looking people, both men and women take great pride in their appearance, shaving and coloring their hair, oiling their bodies and decorating themselves with beads and bracelets worn around arms and legs. They are famous for their body decoration, moonlight dance (Evangedi Dance) and bull-jumping. Bull jumping marks the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. It is not a done every day.
If Tuesday or Thursday attend the beautiful Omo Valley market on the way to Turmi - the best colourful ones in the Omo Valley Markets.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
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Total driving distance 150kms/3-4hrs.
Drive and cross the Omo River to visit the Bumi tribe on the Side of the Omo Valley. The Bumis are great warriors. They are also specialized crocodile hunters using harpoons from a dugout canoe. Cross back to the Omo River and drive to the village of Kolcho and visit the Karo tribes. They are considered the masters of body painting, in which they engage when preparing for a dance, feast or celebration. Finally drive back to Turmi.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
©Bartosz HADYNIAK - iStockphoto
Total driving distance 280kms/5-6hrs.
Say hello to the beautiful women of Arbore tribe with their black veils, but are half nude and head shaved, so the contrast is really amazing.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
Total driving distance 475kms/7hrs.
Enjoy Awassa's magnificent spectacle of water birds. Visit “Amora Gedel”-the daily fishing market on the shore of Lake Awassa. You will really get close to pelicans, storks and other birds very much used to human company.
Stop at Tiya prehistoric site, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, where you could see the northernmost example of a peculiar type of engraved, standing stellae which stretch across parts of southern Ethiopia. These stellae are believed to have been erected between the 12th and 14th centuries and are almost certainly grave markers - recent excavations at Tiya have revealed the remains of young people of both sexes, 18 – 30 years old and buried in foetal positions.
Meals: Lunch & Dinner are included
Each Travel Idea is customizable according to your wishes
