South Ethiopia

Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa

Meet and assist at the airport  and transfer to the  hotel.  After a short break and time to cool off, the visit to Addis Ababa begins, the third highest capital in the world. The visit includes the Entoto Hills, the place from which King Menelik, founder of Addis Ababa, descended to the plains. In Entoto, from where there is a wonderful panoramic view of the city, there are two churches built by Menelik, who was crowned in one of them. Near this site is the old Menelik Palace, still intact and open to visitors. Inside you can see some royal clothing, artifacts of war, furniture and old books. The visit to the city also includes the National Museum, one of the most important museums in sub-Saharan Africa. Here is the Selam skeleton, found in December 2000 in Dikika, Afar region, northern Ethiopia. Like Lucy, Selam is an Australopithecus Aphaeresis. However, there is an important difference between the two, since Selam lived more than 150,000 years before Lucy! Lunch in a restaurant in the city. Finally, if time permits, visit Mercato, the largest open market in East Africa. It is possible to find items as diverse as spices and jewelry. There is nothing that cannot be found in this vibrant and immense market. Dinner and accommodation in Hotel.

Day 2: Addis Ababa – Arba Minch

After breakfast, start the road transfer to Arba Minch following a scenic paved road that runs between several lakes located within the great Rift Valley. Lunch in a local restaurant. On the way you can admire the natural landscapes of this beautiful region. Arrival in Arba Minch and rest of the day free. Dinner and accommodation at the lodge.

 Day 3: Arba Minch – Chencha – Lake Chamo – Arba Minch

After breakfast, visit Chencha village, home of the Dorze tribe, recognized as expert cotton weavers. Its hive-shaped high- roofed huts are one of the most distinctive traditional structures in Africa. The main occupations in the region are subsistence agriculture and weaving. The “shama” fabric, produced around Chencha, is recognized as one of the best in Ethiopia. After lunch at the hotel, a boat trip on Lake Chamo, during which a large number of hippos and crocodiles can be seen from a very short distance. Accommodation at the chosen lodge.

 Day 4: Arba Minch – Konso – Dimeka – Turmi

Breakfast and departure towards Turmi. Along the way we will stop to visit the Erbore tribe, who live along the lower part of the Woito River, at the southwestern end of the Omo River Valley. The Erbore are shepherds and at the same time merchants. Erbore women cover their heads with a black cloth, and only grow their hair after marriage. The girls wear shaved heads, ankle bracelets and dresses made from goatskin, all to testify to their virginity. Then, drive to the territory of the Tsemay tribe, who live in the semi-arid region of the Omo Valley. These people are farmers and pastoralists for survival. Among others, the main crops of the Tsemany are sorghum, millet and, sometimes, cotton. Like the Hamer tribe, the Tsemay boys have to successfully complete a bull jumping event. It is a ceremony in which the child runs through multiple bulls. If the boy can do it four times without falling, he becomes a man. To prove that a boy has made a jump from the bull, a band adorned with feathers is placed on his head, a sign that he is looking for a wife. Lunch in a local restaurant. Next, stop at Dimeka to enjoy its weekly market that attracts neighboring tribes in the area, such as the Hammers and Dassanech. Finally, arrival at Turmi. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

 Day 5: Turmi – Karo – Omorate – Turmi

After breakfast, departure towards the town of Omorate, about 70 kilometers from Turmi, where we will cross the Omo river by canoe to visit the Dasenech villages, belonging to the Galeb tribe. These tribes are the southernmost in the country, and are known for their skin scarifications. After the visit, return to Turmi and lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, transfer to the town of Muruelle, from where you visit the Duss and Korcho villages of the Karo tribe (only around 1,500 members), the smallest group in the Omo Valley. They are related to the Hamer and, like them, are specialists in the art of body painting for special celebrations. They use chalk, mostly white, and then paint on their face and body, and use some white feathers as a headdress, and carry scarifications all over their bodies. From the Korcho village you can also enjoy a spectacular view over the Omo river. Finally, I return to Turmi. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

Day 6: Turmi – Hammer village – Key – Jinka

After breakfast, departure to Jinka. On the way, a stop will be made to visit a village of the Hamer tribe. The Hamers are a town of people of strong, attractive complexion, where women and men alike feel proud and take care of their appearance. They usually dye their hair colored, moisturize their skins with oils, and decorate their bodies with necklaces and bracelets on their arms and legs. Then stop at Key Afer, where we can enjoy the weekly market on Thursdays, which is attended by tribes such as Tsemay, Ari and Benna. In addition to the various grains and hair colors, decorated pumpkins, traditional musical instruments that compete for space with different types of leather and jewelry, as well as many plastic objects such as buckets and brooms are offered. Lunch in a local restaurant. Dinner and accommodation at the chosen lodge.

 Day 7: Jinka – Mago NP – Mursi – Arba Minch

Early in the morning, departure to the Mago National Park (40 km, 1 hour), where it is possible to observe animals such as the push-back, dik dik, baboons and colobus monkeys. Continue to the Mursi tribe (60 km, 1½ hours) known for their body scarification and the use of lipsticks among their women. The Mursi de are one of the most eccentric and original branches of the native peoples of Ethiopia, known as Nara Surma. They are transhumant shepherds of the Nilotic language group, who raise cattle on the high plateaus of the Omo River. The lip plate is inserted into the lip of the woman between 15-20 years. The process begins 6 months before the wedding with the piercing of the lower lip. Successive stretches are achieved by placing increasingly larger plates on the pierced lip. After 6 months of stretching, the lip is so elastic that a plate can slide in and out without difficulty. The plates should always be worn in front of men and can only be removed at private meals, when sleeping or in the presence of other women. Return to Jinka, and continuation to Konso. On the way. Lunch in a local restaurant. Dinner and accommodation in Lodge.

Day 8: Arba Minch – Hosanna – Melka Kunture – Addis Ababa

After breakfast, visit the Konso villages. The Konso are known for their intricate cultivation terraces sculpted on the foothills of the surrounding mountains, for their fine weavings and the carved wooden totems with which they decorate their graves. There will be time to walk through the cultivation terraces and explore some villages. Traditionally, these consist of hilltop settlements surrounded by stone walls that are up to 2 meters high, accessible only through a limited number of steep trails. After the visit, direct transfer to the Arba Minch airport to take a flight to Addis Ababa. Arrival in Addis Ababa, check in at the hotel for day room use. Finally, farewell dinner at a traditional restaurant. And later transfer to the airport to take a return flight.

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