12-days
Omo valley
tribal villages.ethnic culture
Summary: Cultural tour to omo valley
Duration: 12days
For thousands of years the Omo Valley in southern Ethiopia was a crossroads for droves of people migrating to new lands. Today, it is undoubtedly one of the most unique places on earth because of the sheer diversity of tribal groups that live in this remote area of the Great Rift Valley. This is an extraordinary opportunity to immerse in the fabric of some of these societies, including the Mursi, Hamer and Karo tribes, each with their distinct culture. Expect a real adventure with conditions basic; the Omo Valley being an incredible reminder of an Africa that has not yet seen modernisation. From Addis Ababa we drive to the Omo Valley region and enjoy a boat trip on Lake Chamo to spot hippos and an array of water birds. For the next few days we move from village to village, witnessing traditional lifestyles. The Mursi traditions, whose women insert large clay plates in their lower lips, and the Hamer, who scar and paint their bodies in a mark of their culture, are incredibly fascinating. Returning to Addis Ababa at the conclusion of our trip we reflect on this memorable experience of untouched cultures, ceremonies and astounding natural environments.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Addis Ababa. Transfer to the chosen hotel. Have a free morning. Afternoon (1400 hrs from the hotel) tour of the capital: visit Entoto mountain with views over the capital, the National & the Ethnographic museums, St George church and the Mercato, biggest open air market in Africa.
Meals free. ON (overnight) hotel.
Day 2
Leave your hotel around 0730 am & drive to Arbaminch (500 kms). On the way visit the Guraghe and Wolayta people villages and their culture. Admiring also very nice views on the way. Reach Arbaminch late in the afternoon.
Lunch on the way. Dinner & ON at the Swaynes hotel, with spectacular views over Chamo & Abaya lakes.
Day 3
Morning drive to Chencha, for the Dorze people, with their unique houses and traditions. Visit the false banana cultivations, from which they extract their traditional bread (the Kotcho), the weaving works and more. Afternoon make a boat excursion on Chamo lake for crocodiles, hippos, birds and a fantastic sunset.
Meals & ON hotel.
Day 4
Leave your hotel around 0700 am & drive to Jinka. See on the way the Konso, Derase, Tsemay, Ari and Benna people. Make a stop for the visit of a Konso people village, which are famous for the terracing agriculture, and have particular traditions. Lunch on the way; dinner & ON in a hotel in Jinka (choices are Tebekew or Resort)
Day 5
Drive to the Mago National park, admiring different mammals and birds. Proceed to visit the Mursi people and their villages. Here for beauty women use to put round plates into their lips. Afternoon drive to Jinka and visit the museum.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON in hotel in Jinka
Day 6
Drive to Turmi. On the way admire Thursday’s KeyAfer village market of the Tsemay & Erbore people. Proceed to visit the Hamer people and villages.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON Turmi lodge
Day 7
Leave your hotel around 0730 am & drive to the Nyangatom people crossing the Omo river with small boats at Kangate. Walk to the villages. Then back to Kangate, meet the vehicles and drive about 1 hr to visit the Karo people, for their very interesting decoration and scarification all over their body. From Kortcho village you’ll enjoy also a spectacular view over the Omo river. Late afternoon drive back to Turmi, to visit the Hamer people and their villages + culture
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON Turmi lodge
Day 8
Drive to Dimeka village, to admire the colorful Hamer, Karo and Dassanech people market at Dimeka village. Ones the market is done, have a full day for the Hamer people. With luck we’ll try also to participate to the Hamer people marriage ceremonies, with the bull jumping. And in the evening visit the Evangadi dances
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON Turmi Evangadi lodge
Day 9
Drive to Omorate, at bank of Omo river, to visit the Dassanech people and their villages. Here also very nice decoration, ornaments and scarification make these one of the other very interesting visit of the omo valley. Afternoon back to Turmi.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON Turmi lodge
Day 10
Drive to the Erbore people and visit their villages and interesting culture. Then proceed to the Weyto river valley. Proceed to reach Arbaminch.
Lunch on the way; dinner hotel
Day 11
Drive to the Rift Valley lake of Langano, visiting the Wolayta and Sidamo people. Late afternoon relax at Langano, with possibility walking in the nearby Munessa forest, bird-watching (this is inhabitant of 400 species of birds), spot mammals and monkeys as the culubus monkey, have the possibility to explore the area by horse-riding, and can have a relaxing swimming in the only bilharzias free lake.
Lunch on the way. Dinner lodge
Day 12
Drive back to Addis. Afternoon free for visiting souvenir shops and other.
Lunch free. Dinner traditional restaurant with folkloristic dances in Addis. After dinner transfer airport for departure. We also suggest extensions to the Historic route or Danakil depression or the Surma area or people of the north-west in Ethiopia;
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Address
Gondar,Kebele 02
Chewua Sefere, Gondar Town
Ethiopia
Phone
+251 95 346 8979
ethiopianhighlandtours@gmail.com