8 Days Omo River Valley Tour
8 Day Omo River Valley Tour Through Awassa
Introduction
Omo River Valley is one of the world’s most ethnographically diverse places which is found in the southern Ethiopia. It was formerly a gathering place for tribes as they migrated from all over Africa, and now it is home to a variety of tribes, each with interesting and distinctive customs. The benefits of visiting this area are tremendous. This is a location unlike any other on Earth, whether you are engaging in the traditional Hamer ceremonial of jumping the bulls or wondering at the sight of a Mursi’s lip plates.
Trip Highlight:
- Explore the dynamic metropolis of Addis Ababa.
- Meet and take pictures of various ethnic communities in the Omo River Valley.
- Discover the nation’s stunning natural surroundings, from terraced slopes to savannahplains.
- Observe the unique jewelry and hairstyles worn by many tribes.
- Attend the most vibrant and colorful tribal markets.
- Attend occasional tribal festivities like bull jumping and evangadi dancing.
- You will try tasting the varied Ethiopian cuisine.
- Attend occasional tribal events like bull jumping and evangadi dancing.
- Visiting the country’s national parks to observe an abundance of common and rare wildlife.
- Boating on Lake Chamo and the Omo River.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel from Addis Ababa to Awassa via Tiya Stelae Fields and Adadi Mariam.
- Leave Addis Ababa, heading south via Butajira to explore the Omo river area.
- You will stop at the archeological sites of Adadi Maryam, and Tiya, which are all en route. Tiya is an ancient stelae field and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (pre-historic tool-making site).
- Awassa is the final stop for the day.
Awassa hotel, resort, or lodge for the night
Day 2: Attend Fish Market in Awassa, drive to Dorze Village, Arba Minch
- Visit the Lake Awassa fish market after breakfast, and then drive to Dorze, which is located in the mountains above Arba Minch. The tall, hive-like Dorze homes and their exquisite cotton weaving are well known. You will go to the village and discover what these hardworking folks do on a daily basis.
- It will be seen if there is a market day today (Monday and Thursday in Dorze village and Tuesday and Saturday in adjacent Chencha).
Spend the night at Arba Minch (hotel or lodge).
Day 3: Boat trip on Lake Chamo then Drive to Turmi from Arba Minch
- Leave for Arba Minch in the morning to take a boat tour on Lake Chamo to see the nearby hippos and the “crocodile market.”
- Then, depart for Turmi from Arba Minch.
- You will travel through the Tsemai tribe’s village of Weyto along the way (market day is on Saturday).
- Continue on to Erbore through the Weyto Valley, where you will stop for a quick visit to a nearby Erbore village (market day is Saturday).
- Finally, head to Turmi, where the Hamer tribe lives. You can witness the evangadi dancing of the Hamer tribe at night.
Nighttime in Turmi (hotel or lodge).
Day 4: Boat ride to Omorate, visit to Dassenech tribes -Turmi, and meet with the Hamer people
- Visit the Dassenech tribe in Omorate on a day trip in the morning. By using a local boat, you can access Dassenech village from here after crossing the Omo River.
- When you get back to Turmi (Monday is market day), stop by a nearby Hamer village. If there is a jump of the Bulls’ traditional event by Hamers, you will attend before returning to the hotel for overnight.
Nighttime in Turmi (hotel or lodge).
Day 5: Travel to Jinka; on the way, attend Tuesday’s Keyafer or Dimeka Saturday Markets.
- Start your journey toward Jinka through Dimeka and Key Afar.
- The Dimeka market, one of the most vibrant in the region and frequented by many tribes, including Hamer, Benna, and Karo, is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
- After that, proceed to Jinka.
Overnight in Jinka (hotel or lodge).
Day 6: Travel to Mago National Park and see the Mursi People-Jinka.
- Drive through the Mago National Park in the morning to a Mursi tribe village. The Mursi are distinguished by their lower lip and earlobe plates.
- After returning to Jinka in the afternoon, you can learn more about the local tribes at the South Omo Museum & Research Center.
- Alternatively, go on a stroll in the nearby hills to see a local Ari village.
Jinka overnight (hotel or lodge).
Day 7: Drive to Konso, see the Konso people, and spend the night at Arba Minch.
- After breakfast, take the road from Jinka to Arba Minch, passing through Key Afar and Konso.
- Thursday is market day in Key Afar, with the Benna and Tsemai tribes trading items. This is another popular market in the area.
- Continue to Konso after the visit (market days are Mondays and Thursdays).
- The Konso are noted for their wooden statues known as wakas that are created in commemoration of deceased heroes, as well as their creative agricultural terracing. You will have a brief opportunity today to visit a small town and the cultural museum, which houses several waka statues.
- Following the visit, drive to Arba Minch.
Arba Minch overnight (hotel or lodge).
Day 8: Arba Minch-Addis Ababa, Visit Abijata Shalla N.Park, Evening departure
- Depart Arba Minch early in the morning for a long day’s trip to Addis Ababa to end the Omo river valley tour.
- On the way up, stop for a short visit to the Abijata and Shalla National Park, is a home to a variety of common and unique birds.
- Traditional goodbye dinner in the evening with local cultural entertainment
—The Eight-day Omo River Valley tour program has concluded—
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