Discover Tribal Ethiopia in the South Omo Valley
Ethiopia
Discover Tribal Ethiopia in the South Omo Valley, Ethiopia
6 nights / 7 days Omo valley Ethiopia Tour
OMO “The Unique Wilderness”
The Lower Omo is home to a remarkable mix of small, contrasting ethnic groups. Join us on a fascinating tour to the south Omo valley, where a mosaic of indigenous tribes, intriguing cultural value, beautiful landscape and diversified tribes with their own unique village settlements for a century. This trip is carefully designed to offer you the best of Omo valley with the exceptional experience of the local villagers’ interaction with visiting one of the tribe’s family houses as a guest. Lifestyles are as varied as the tribes themselves. Lacking any material, culture and artifacts common to other cultures, these tribes find unique ways in which to express their artistic impulses. This package will also offer you to explore the best possible Exotic and colorful weekly Traditional Markets that add unique value for your holiday.
Trip Highlights
- Explore the unique Rift Valley, a remarkable region of volcanic lakes, with their famous collection of bird life.
- Boat cruises in Lake Chamo,
- Explore the unique culture and the way of living at each tribal village, and colorful local markets.
- It is the only place to explore the multi cultural differences of the four major African linguistic groups that include Semitic, Cushitic, Omotic and Nilo-Saharan.
- Enjoy seasonal and cultural events including traditional weeding as well as traditional dance in Hammer people,
- The unique and 1500 years old terrace farming of Konso people and ancient social practices which are recognized by UNESCO as one of the world heritage in Ethiopia.
- Admire the dorze tribes’ traditional house, experiencing the Mursi tribes, visiting the cultures of the Hammer and Dasenech tribes,
- A lifetime experience of wilderness by driving through the different altitude Great Ethiopian Rift Valley provides to visit the natural eco system and varieties of flora and fauna.
Trip special offer
- Traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony
- Witness Ethiopia Tours complimentary fair well Ethiopian traditional dinner, local drinks, and tribal dance show in Addis Ababa.
Day 1. China – Addis Ababa:
Morning arrival around 6:30 AM to Addis Ababa Bole International airport. Meet Witness Ethiopia representative at airport and transfer to your hotel. Short brief of the north Ethiopia tour is given by Witness Ethiopia Tours representative in the hotel. Then a city tour of Addis continues after a short rest in a hotel. City tour of the capital to National museum , churches , Entoto Mountains and market. Overnight at Addis Ababa, Caravan Hotel or similar standard accommodation.
Day 2. Addis to Arbaminch:
Today we drive in a 4×4 vehicle to the rift valley lakes region, we have a short stop at one of the crater lakes of Debre Zeit, Lake Bishoftu, we continue driving futher south wards, en route visiting the Rift valley Lakes of Ziway, rich in bird life and local fish market. We continue to Wolayta Sodo, short break for lunch and then we will continue driving to Arbaminch, the city of forty springs’, the gateway to the indigenous people and the largest trading center in the south. Your hotel is situated high above the National Park with a magnificent view of the color as different lakes. Overnight at Arbminnch, Paradise Lodge or similar standard accommodation
Day 3. Arbaminch – Jinka:
Boat excursion on Lake Chamo, to see the biggest African crocodiles, and Hippopotamus as well as beautiful aquatic birds including the lovely Kingfisher and Fish Eagle. Drive to Konso en route visiting different cultural people and their villages which includes, Gamo, Derashe, Konso people and undulating landscape of Konso and the surrounding area. You will further drive to KeyAfer and attend the market if the day is Thursday. KeyAfer is a popular meeting place for the peoples of this region., but also members of the Banna people flock from all directions on the main square to sell vegetables, spices, butter and milk and to find out news. Here you will find ornate gourds. They decorate themselves with samples of clay. At the colorful weakly KeyAfer Market, we will see more than four different tribes including Hammer, Benna, Ari in traditional marketing activities and displaying their local handicrafts. We have a good opportunity to bargain for varieties of handicrafts. Overnight at Jinka, Omo- Eco Lodge or similar
Day 4. Jinka – Mago( Mursi village) – Jinka – Turmi :
Today you will cross the Mago National Park to the land of the Mursi.. The first arduous trip is rewarded with the sight of the vast plain on the Mursi Hills. The Mursi men are renowned warriors, and whose women are famous for the lip plates which is highly considered as sign of beauty. The Mursi live in the dry season on the western slopes of the Omo and grow Sorghum, corn and vegetables, they spend the rainy season, with their cattle herds in the Tama steppe.In addition, they hunt and go fishing. Return back to Jinka town for Lunch. Drive to Turmi. Overnight at Turmi, Turmi Lodge or similar standard accommodation.
Day 5. Turmi – Omorate – Turmi
Drive to Omorate about 70 km southwest of Turmi and visit the tribe of Dasenech . Omorate lies on the banks of the Omo. A dugout canoe takes you across the river to a settlement or the Dasanech /Galeb. The semi-nomadic protect their light huts and cattle with thorns from wild animals. The men wear ivory pegs in the lower lip or ear lobe scars and jewelry. They show their victories with Tonkappen in her hair. Drive back to Turmi for lunch. In Turmi villages you may have the chance to enjoy the seasonal cultural activities including Evangadi (Hammer Dancing), and luckily we may get the chance to see the famous “Bull Jumping of Hammers”, it is an initiation ritual before a wedding. (Expense is covered by tourists not by the company for this special events ) Overnight at Turmi, Turmi Lodge or similar standard accommodation.
Day 6. Turmi – Konso – Arbaminch :
Drive to Arbaminch , along the way we stop at the the Tsemay people settlements with their very special huts, and some local markets and villages. Continue to visit the Konso vilages. The Konso are famous for their old and unique terracing, unusual engraved wooden statues of Konso grave markers. The consolidation created a unique cultural landscape by terracing the hill slopes to the intensive cultivation and irrigation of crops. The unusual interaction between man and nature, was honored in June 2011 with the appointment as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Overnight at Arbaminch, Paradise Lodge or similar standard accommodation
Day 7. Turmi – Konso – Arbaminch :
Today drive to the Dorze hills to visit the wonderful traditional villages of the Dorze people. Drive continues via the rift valley region through Hadiya and Kembata people region to Langano. In the evening, the Witness Ethiopia Tours – Team invites you a traditional dinner with a beautiful dance performance at the end in one of the best Ethiopian traditional restaurants in Addis. Overnight at Addis Ababa,Jupiter Hotel. End of tour. The evening goes with a traditional meal with a beautiful dance performance at the end in one of the best Ethiopian traditional restaurants in Addis.
Transfer out to airport.
Transfer to airport for your return flight to home.
Transfer out to airport.
Transfer to airport for your return flight to home.
| Travel Price : Based on 10 persons: XXX USD Based on 12 persons: XXX USD SRS = XX USD |
|
| Includes | Not included in the performance |
|
|
Good to Know
A guarantee deposit of 25% of the total payment is needed at the time of trip confirmation. The remaining 50% of the total payment is required a minimum of one month prior to the arrival of the tour group, which will be placed directly towards the deposits for hotels, coach companies, ferries and other travel arrangements. The final 25% of the package price should be paid upon arrival and commencement of the tour. In case of late confirmation where the trip begins in 2 weeks time or sooner, we require 100% payment be paid in cash to our account.
A 50% refund of the advance payment will be offered in the event of cancellations made 2 weeks or more before arrival. We will refund 25% of the advance payment made in case trips are canceled in 1 week before arrival. Cancellations made less than 1 week before arrival are non-refundable.