Tour Description
The well-known historian Conti-Rossini called Ethiopia as "a country of mosaic of cultures." For the basic reason that 83 languages and 200 dialects are widely spoken and you find these people living in harmony with diversity – all having their own costumes, religions, rituals, festivals, hair styles, songs, dances and arts - all unique in their own way.
Southern Ethiopia is rich in cultural and natural tourist attractions; the region has been inhabited by the variety of ethnic groups with diverse and distinctive cultural identities. The rift valley lakes, rear birds and wild life of Bale mountain national parks, natural hot springs and wonderful natural setting of wondogenet and Yirgalem area are some of the tourist sites that will be discovered with these itineraries. These tour programs will also help you meet some of diverse mix of ethnic groups including the remote Omo valley tribes found surrounding the Omo river in south west Ethiopia. To list some of these fascinating tribes :- the Dorze, known for their beehive shape houses, the Konso, famous for their terraced farming, the Mursi, renowned for their lip-plates, the Hamer, popular for their bull jumping ceremony, the Karo expert in body painting, the Bume or Nyangatom famous warriors, the Dassenech known for their elaborate hairstyle and many more.
So, with the following itineraries we will look in to this fascinating region with an aim to learn about the nature and varied ethnic groups who inhabit the region.
Join a journey with WUB ETHIOPIA TOURS and discover famous southern Ethiopia destinations such as Arbaminch, Dorze, Turmi, Hamer, Omorate, Karo, Jinka, Mursi, Arbore, Tsemai, Konso, Yabello, Yirgalem, Bale Mountain, Wondogenet, and Awassa.
Tour Program
Tour Code: WET-301
Tour title: Exploring Omo valley
Duration: 10nights & 11days
Transportation: Surface driving
Day1. Arrive at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport & transfer to hotel. Depending the time of your arrival make city tour of ADDIS ABABA, consisting of the national museum and the trinity cathedral church. Overnight hotel in ADDIS ABABA
Day2. Addis Ababa-Arbaminch
Drive to Arbaminch via Butajira road. We travel through the rolling fertile hills along the Butajira Road and pass the historical sites of Melka Kunture, Adadi Mariam and Tiya. You will have a brief visit to TIYA UNESCO world heritage site. Then continue drive to Dorze village; the DORZE people are well known for their beehive huts made of false banana and cotton weaving, they were once warriors. After visit drive to Arbaminch and check in to lodge. Overnight in Lodge
Day3. Arbaminch
In the morning, drive about 5kms to NechSar National Park, the home of the rare endemic Swayne’s Hartebeest, Burchell’s Zebra, Grant’s gazelle and numerous birds. In the afternoon take a boat trip on Lake Chamo to see hippos, large size crocodiles and birds. Overnight in Lodge
Day4. Arbaminch-Turmi
Early in the morning drive to Turmi via Weyto on the way visit, Arbore Village, Late in the afternoon drive to the nearby settlement of Hammer people and visit their village. Overnight in Lodge
Day5. Turmi- Omorate
Mornings after breakfast drive to Omorate and cross Omo River by the traditional boat to visit Dassenech tribe and their village (this tribe lives just north of Kenya's Lake Turkana. Their neighboring tribe is the Turkana people and also has blood relationship with Kenyan tribe), In the Afternoon drive back to Turmi. Overnight in Lodge
Day6. Turmi- Karo – Jinka
This day you will drive to Karo to visit Karo tribe well known by their body painting and if the day is Saturday there is chance to attend the colorful market of Dimeka and encounter different tribal groups such as HAMMER, TSEMAI and BENNA. Then proceed to Jinka. Overnight in Lodge
Day7. Jinka-Mursi
Morning, leave Jinka and drive to Mago National park & make an excursion tour to see and appreciate the very attractive culture of Mursi tribe. They are renowned for the strange custom pursued by their women, who on reaching maturity, have their lower lips pierced and pop in a “terra cotta” (circular clay disc). Then drive back to Jinka for overnight stay .Overnight Jinka in Lodge
Day8. Jinka – Konso -Yabello
Early morning leave JINKA and drive to YABELLO on the way visit Konso village. After lunch break, drive about 110kms to the city of Yabello through the admirable Borena tribal villages. Overnight Hotel
Day9. yabelo-yirgalem
In the morning, drive about 105kms to lake El-Sod meaning “Salt House" to visit how the Borena tribe extract salt from the lake and then drive back to Yabello for lunch. Afternoon, drive about 240kms to Yirgalem through the scenic Sidama plain. Enroute visit the Gujji tribe, coffee and Enset (false Banana) plantation. Late in the afternoon, walk in the lodge ground and surrounding forest to see wild animals such as hyenas. Overnight in Lodge.
Day10. Yirgalem-wondo genet
After breakfast, visit the Sidama tribal villages around Yirgalem & proceed driving about 90kms to Wendo Genet, known for its thermal hot spring. In the afternoon, trek through the Juniper plantation in searching of hot springs (most of them have curative power & locally used for boiling egg, potatoes, corn, etc) & endemic birds. Overnight Lodge
Day11. addis ababa
In the morning, drive about 265kms back to Addis Ababa through the marvelous Rift Valley lakes of Abijata/Shalla and Ziway. Then departure.
The founder of WUB ETHIOPIA TOURS private company is an experienced tourism expert who has been working in tourism institutions for more than 25 years. In one of Ethiopian languages, in Amharic the word “Wub” means; Stunning, Wonderful, Beautiful, etc.
