TTT- 015 OMO VALLEY: ARBAMINCH, TURMI, KARO, MURSI, And YABELO

Day 1. Arrive Addis Ababa and afternoon city tour including the National museum (not on Mondays), Entoto Mountains for views and St Mary church and tour of the capital. O/N (overnight) chosen hotel.

Day 2. Start your drive AM by going to visit the crater lakes of Debrezeith and the three Rift Valley lakes of Shala, Abyata and Langano. Visit these lakes rich in birds, such as pelicans, flamingoes, storks and more. Visit Sidamo people houses and culture. Lunch on the way, dinner and O/N Wenny lodge (3*) or other.

Day 3. Continue driving to Arbaminch, in Amharic meaning 40 springs. Admire very interesting views and the Wolayta people, their villages, culture, the cultivation of the false banana tree (from which roots they extract their traditional bread, the Kotcho) and more. Afternoon drive to Chencha, to visit the Dorze people, their particular weaving works for which they are famous, strange houses, cultivation of sorghum and the false banana and more. Dinner and O/N Swaynes hotel (3*), with spectacular views over the Chamo and Abaya lakes and the Netch Sar park. There is also a natural path to walk down to the springs, admiring many birds, views and more.

Day 4. Morning visit the Netch Sar park with spectacular views over the lakes and different mammals, as the endemic Swaynes Hartebeest, Zebras, lesser kudu, and others. Back lunch Arbaminch. Afternoon make a boat trip on Chamo. Admire crocodiles and hippos (here crocodiles are some of the longest in Africa, with length of 6 and also above meters). Dinner and O/N Swaynes hotel.

Day 5. Drive to Turmi, crossing the Konso and Derashe people and villages, with particular culture, traditions, way of life and more. They are famous also for their terracing style agriculture. Continue so crossing Tsemay and Erbore people and villages. They have very colorful hairstyles, way of dressing and living quite peculiar. Continue to the village of Turmi, of the Hammer people. Dinner and O/N Turmi camping or at extra cost at the tented bungalows of the Evangadi lodge and campsite.[ according to market days, program can be varied by driving first to Jinka].

Day 6. Visit Hamer people, their villages, possibly some dances, and more. If possible we look for the unique marriage ceremonies, with women slashing, bull jumping and more. If the day you arrive is MON or SAT admire the very colorful markets of the Hamer, Karo and Dassanech tribes respectively at Turmi or Dimeka villages. These tribes are famous for their hairstyles, ornaments, scarification, culture and more. O/N Turmi.

Day 07. Drive to Omorate, at bank of Omo River, to admire the Dassanech villages. If more than one (1) Vehicle, excursion to the Turkana Lake at border of Kenya can be added. Back for dinner and O/N Turmi.

Day 8. Drive to the Karo people and villages. Visit Kortcho village, with very nice views over Omo River, as Duss village. Dinner and ON Murulle camping, at bank of Omo River or near a village.

Day 9. Continue for the Mago Park and camp at bank of the Neri River, admiring different animals, among which different antelopes and birds. O/N camping.

Day 10. Proceed to the Mursi people and villages. Admire these tribes. Where for beauty women use to put clay plates into their lips, men have different scarification and more particularities, visit their way of life in the villages and other. Continue to Jinka village for dinner and O/N local hotel.

Day 11. Continue to Konso, admiring the Ari, Benna and Tsemay people. If market days visit very colorful ones on the way. Visit then Konso famous villages and traditions. ON Konso Edget or St Mary hotel (local 2*).

Day 12. Continue for the Borena people and afternoon drive to Elsod crater, from where Borena men extract salt. Visit some of their villages. O/N Yabelo local Hotel or camp.

Day 13. Crossing Guji people and very nice landscapes, drive to the Rift Valley lake of Awasa. O/N Pina Hotel (3*).

Day 14. Morning visit the fish market, then drive to Addis. Lunch at Addis Ababa. Afternoon free at leisure or we propose tour of the Mercato (not on Sundays), biggest open-air market in Africa, and different souvenir shops. Dinner we propose a traditional restaurant with folkloristic dances of the different Ethiopian regions. O/N chosen hotel.

Day 15. Transfer airport for departure. End of services.

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