Omo Valley Tribes 7 Nights - 8 Days

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  ADDIS ABABA

  

  Welcome to Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa, "New Flower", is the third highest capital city in the world. It is located at an altitude of 3,000 m. Addis Ababa is a pleasant city, with wide avenues lined with jacaranda trees, interesting museums, and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa, the "Mercato". Addis Ababa is the diplomatic capital of Africa and is home to the headquarters of the Organization of African Unity as well as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The capital is rich in impressive colonial architecture monuments, scattered among stretches of sun-bleached shacks. Upon your arrival at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, after completing immigration and customs formalities, you will be welcomed by the staff of Absolute Ethiopia Tours and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, it is possible to organize a sightseeing tour of 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 from the top of Mount Entoto, the 16th-century St. George's Cathedral, the superb stained glass windows of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, and the largest open market in Africa, the Merkato. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.

• day 2

  ADDIS ABABA TO ARBA MINCH ROUTE

  

  The total driving distance is 475 km/7 hours. Early in the morning, drive to Arba Minch passing through the towns of Lake Ziway, Lake Langano, Shashemene, and Sodo. Arba Minch is home to two of the largest lakes in Ethiopia's Rift Valley, a magnificent landscape (God's Bridge), forty (40) springs in Nechisar National Park, crocodile ranches, a crocodile market, and the Dorze village on the heights at 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 and dinner are included.

• day 3

  ARBA MINCH

  

  Full day in Arba Minch Detour via Chencha, 40 km away (about 1 hour). Visit the house of the Dorzé people, known for their beehive-shaped bamboo houses and their high-quality cotton "shamma". Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Chamo, with a close-up view of many hippos and crocodiles. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.

• day 4

  Drive from Arba Minch to Jinka.

  

  Total driving distance: 270 km / 4 hours. Take a drive through the village of Konso, whose inhabitants are known for their complex terraced hillsides. They are recognized and appreciated by UNESCO for the finely woven materials and the carved totems with which they decorate their graves. Visit the local villages of Jinka and discover local life: how they make the local liquor from sorghum, garlic, and corn, as well as pottery making. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.

• day 5

  ROUTE JINKA - MURSI - TURMI

  

  Total driving distance: 230 km / 6-7 hours. Mago National Park, one of Africa's vast wilderness areas, was founded in the 1960s. It includes dense acacia forests and open savannah. By car, you will visit the Mursi villages; they scarify their bodies and, among the women, wear lip plates. They are known for their fierce warrior character and wild decorative appearance, with large circular clay labrets that the women wear on their lower lips. Turmi is a place for the Hamer tribes. Visit the Hamer village: they are a very beautiful people, men and women are very proud of their appearance, shaving and coloring their hair, oiling their bodies, and decorating themselves with beads and bracelets worn around their arms and legs. They are famous for their body decoration, moonlight dancing (Evangedi Dance), and bull jumping. Bull jumping marks the rite of passage from childhood to adulthood. It is not practiced every day. If it is a Tuesday or a Thursday, attend the magnificent Omo Valley market on the way to Turmi: these are the most colorful markets in the Omo Valley. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.

• day 6

  ROUTE TURMI - BUME - KARO - TURMI

  

  Total driving distance: 150 km / 3-4 hours. Drive and cross the Omo River to visit the Bumi tribe, located on the Omo Valley side. The Bumis are great warriors. They are also specialized crocodile hunters, using harpoons from a dugout canoe. Return to the Omo River and drive to the village of Kolcho to visit the Karo tribes. The latter are considered masters of body painting, which they practice when preparing for a dance, a party, or a celebration. Finally, return to Turmi. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.

• day 7

  TURMI TO ARBA MINCH ROUTE

  

  Total driving distance: 280 km / 5-6 hours. Say hello to the beautiful women of the Arbore tribe, with their black veils. They are half-naked and have shaved heads, which creates a truly striking contrast. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.

• day 8

  ARBA MINCH TO ADDIS ABABA ROAD

  The total driving distance is 475 km/7 hours. Enjoy the magnificent spectacle of Awassa's water birds. Visit "Amora Gedel" – the daily fish market on the shore of Lake Awassa. You will get really close to pelicans, storks, and other birds that are very accustomed to human company. Make a stop at the prehistoric site of Tiya, classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, where you can see the northernmost example of a particular type of engraved and standing stelae that are found in some parts of southern Ethiopia. It is believed that these stelae were erected between the 12th and 14th centuries and are almost certainly tombstones. Recent excavations at Tiya have revealed the remains of young people of both sexes, aged 18 to 30, buried in a fetal position. Meals: lunch and dinner are included.