Package ID: 1014
Duration: 12 Days
Season: January- December
Activities: Safari Tour/ Game Drives, Culture and Wild Viewing
Customize: This package can be customized
Accommodation: Mixed (Hotel, lodge, or camping)
The Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia contains some of the most
colorful tribes and ethnic groups. The charming costumes, colorful
ceremonies and celebrations, arts, crafts, music and dances are
unique. There are a vast number of ethnic groups at short distances
from each other. Some of tribes that live in the Omo and the
surrounding region are the Dorze, the Konso, the Tsemai, the
Benna,the Ari, the Mursi, the Hamar, the Erbore, the Geleb ( also
Known as Dassanech ),the Karo, the Bume ( also known as Gnangatom )
and the Surma. South Omo Valley of Ethiopia the most important
National parks include Netch Sar National park, Mago National park
and Omo National park.
NB: In this itinerary the most interesting one is to see the bull
jump and the Hamer traditional dance that could need more days. (On
request) and Southern programs are each time flexible due to market
days and ceremonies period during the year.
Day 01: Arrive in Addis Ababa; meet your guide holding Addis Tours
sticker and transfer to hotel. An overview of the program and
itineraries will be given.
Overnight Addis Ababa
Day 02: Full day tour of the capital. Visit the Entoto Mountains,
with its view over the capital, the National Museum and Trinity
Church. In the afternoon you will visit Merkato; the biggest
open-air market in Africa and shopping.
Overnight Addis Ababa
You may also arrive on this day, depending on international flight
schedules.
Day 03: Leave Addis in Luxury Microbus, traveling via the rift
valley lakes of Shala, Abyata and Langano, admiring wonderful views,
many birds, pelicans, flamingos, hot springs and more. Available
activities here are trekking, bird watching, horse riding, boat
excursions, cycling, team-building activities, and mini-soccer and
beach volley ball.
Overnight Langano
Day 04: Early start for a scenic Drive to Arba Minch which means
"forty springs" in Amharic) on the way admiring the Wolayta people
and their villages admiring spectacular green hills on the way,
climbing Chencha, the mountainous villages of the Dorze people.
Visit the Dorze people, renowned for cotton weavers whose tall
beehive-shaped dwelling are among the most distinctive traditional
structures to be seen anywhere in Africa. The unique Dorze houses
also make Chencha worth a visit. These remarkable extended domes
measure up to 6m tall and are constructed entirely from organic
material Villages of the Dorze people.
Overnight Arbaminch
Day 05: Morning we enter the Nechsar National park; which is an
ideal homeland especially for the endemic Swayne’s hartebeest and
Burchels zebra and other more mammals, birds and plant life. Nicely
situated at the adjacent lands of Abaya and Chamo lakes, the
landscape is quite scenic. After rest at 2:00pm you will drive to
Lake Chamo for a boat ride, which will take you an hour and half on
the lake. You will see the biggest crocodiles in Africa, huge
hippopotamus and offshore birds as Pelicans, storks, ibis etc.
NB: currently the road to Netch Sar Park is less accessible and even
difficult for the 4wheel drive vehicle. We will update you when the
road construction finalized.
Overnight Arbaminch
Day 06: Early morning drive to Jinka on the way visit the Tsemay,
Bena and Ari tribes. They are pleasant and differ on their
hairstyles and way of dressing. After having lunch Proceed to Jinka
with shortstop for the peoples of Tsemay, Bena and Ari tribes, if
the day is Thursday, you will be seeing the fabulous and fascinating
market at keyafer. Continue to Jinka for Overnight.
Overnight Jinka
Day 07: After comforting cup of hot coffee at sunrise Enter Mago
National Park to visit the Mursi people and their villages. Here
beauty women insert round clay plates in their lips. The men
practice scarification on their face based on the number of enemies
or wild animals they have killed in battle. Then drive back to Mago
National Park, is closest thing in Ethiopia to the renowned Savannah
reserves of east Africa. It is dominated by dense acacia woodland,
which is interspersed with small areas of open Savannah, the
pristine riparian forest that lays the Mago River and the extensive
Neri swamp
Overnight Jinka
Day 08: You sip your early morning coffee as you leave on your early
morning game drive to Turmi, and if it is Saturday you can see the
colorful Hamer, Karo and Dassanech people at the market in Dimeka.
Proceed to the Hamer villages and Overnight tented bungalows at
Lodge before the sunset where we’ll freshen up in our en suit
Bungalows.
Overnight in Turmi
Day 09: Drive to Murulle to visit the Karo people, with their
interesting body decorations and scarification all over the body;
besides admire the view of the Omo River from Kortcho village. Then
drive on to Kangate and cross the Omo River by small boat to admire
the Bume people and their villages.
Overnight in Turmi
Day 10: Morning excursion to Omorate, on the banks of the Omo River,
to visit the Dassanech people. Then back to Turmi for the colorful
Monday market of the Hamer, Karo and Dassanech people. Witness Hamer
dances (Evangadi) and seasonal marriage ceremonies with
bull-jumping. Hamar people called “Evangadi “exercised in the late
afternoon around six, this can be with the interest of the clients
so that your guide can arrange everything including negotiating the
fare (amount of Money they charge). Moreover if you are very lucky
you will see how the Hamar conduct “the Bull jumping” program held
in order to confirm the youth are old enough to propose their future
wife.
Overnight in Turmi
Day 11: Drive back to Arbaminch via Erbore, here you will have a
visit of the Erbore tribes and see their style of House, admire of
their way of living and enjoy the dressing style of the people ,
then proceed to Woito for lunch , after luch proceed to Arba minch
via konso it is worth visiting of the Konso people village , here
you will see the terracing Agricultural system that made well known
and also the place called New York, then keep on driving back to
Arba minch
Overnight Arbaminch
Day 12: Drive back Addis Ababa via Wolayita-Sodo road, on the way
visit Tiya, Tiya is one of World heritage site in Ethiopia. Here you
will see the erected obelisk supposed grave yard area and keep on
driving to Addis. On the homeward leg of your journey there are
exciting stopovers and places of interests to visit. There will be a
traditional dinner in the evening with folk dances
Departure based on your International flight.
Overnight Addis Ababa
This tour could meet with the Historic Route Tour (at – 012)
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