Camping in the Omo Valley

Founded in 1886 by Menelik II, Addis Ababa is located 2,500m above sea level in the Entoto mountain chain, where it enjoys an excellent year-round climate, with an average temperature of 25°C. It is a vibrant, developing city that is a pleasure to explore on foot, with wide avenues of jacaranda trees, interesting museums and one of the largest open-air markets in Africa.
Depending on the time of your arrival, it may be possible to fit in an afternoon guided tour of the city, taking in the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the National Museum, and the market.

We drive through one of the most colorful and scenic areas of Southern Ethiopia, a land that is inhabited by the people of the Sidamo, the Alaba, who were once nomads but are now farmers. A long section of the road offers magnificent views of Lake Abaya, surrounded by mountains. The lake has volcanic origins and is almost pink in color. Today we visit the Dorze village, one of the many small group of tribes in southern Ethiopia. Once warriors, the Dorze are now turned to farming and weaving to earn a living. We camp near the village. Overnight Camping

Drive to Lake Chamo and have a boat trip on Lake Chamo to see the “Hippo Pool” and the “Crocodile Market”, where large numbers of Nile crocodiles gather to bask in the sun (some up to 6m in length).Overnight Camping

Drive to Turmi en route meet the people of Konso and their villages. The cornerstone of Konso culture is a highly specialized and successful agricultural economy. Meet the people, take photographs and learn of a culture that has had very little outside influence and continue to Turmi. We will visit the weekly market of the Hamer and Bena in KeyAfer Market (Thursday Market) a highlight of Omo Valley where all the ethnic tribes come to shop. The market is exciting and you may have the opportunity to buy some of the tribal regalia and artifacts.Overnight Camping

In the morning we drive to Omo Rate crossing the Omo River by boat to visit the Galab village in the bank of the lower Omo valley. One of a small group of the Omo Valley tribes, called Dasanach. In the afternoon we will have an optional bull jumping ceremony, if available for this day or visit one of the Villages of the Hamer tribes.Overnight Camping

Today you venture out to Murelle to visit the Karo people who reside along the banks of the Lower Omo Valley River. The Karo people incorporate a lot of symbolism in the manner in which they dress and their rituals. Ornate body art, intricate headdresses, and body scarification are ways that they express status and beauty in their community and one way that they differ from their close neighbors, the Hamer people. They paint themselves with colored ochre, white chalk, yellow mineral rock, charcoal, and iron ore as a means of communicating to each other and decorating themselves. This small tribe numbers around 1,000 and are considered small but are the main non-nomadic agriculturalist group in Lower Omo Valley. Spend some time interacting with the Karo people before returning to Turmi this evening. Overnight Camping

Drive to the town of Jinka today, one of the larger settlements in the area situated high on the plateau overlooking the Omo Valley below it to the west. Arrive to Jinka and drive a short distance to the nearby South Omo Research Centre and Museum to see some of the artifacts on display and learn about the history of the interactions of the tribes in Omo Valley. we will visit one of the colourful markets in the Omo Valley, KeyAfer Market. Overnight Camping

Morning drive to Mago National Park located in the eastern bank of the Omo River. From here we will visit the Mursi highlands where the most illustrious of Ethiopia's unique tribes lives. The Mursis are known for their decorative lip plates that adorn the lower lips of the Mursi women. The various cultural aspects of the tribe will be explained and you will be able to take their photographs and interact with them. Overnight Camping

Set out to return to Arba Minch today by tracking back through the Arbore villages and a stopover in Konso village. The Konso are considered a 'pagan' tribe and have an interesting practice of erecting totem poles (called waka) over the graves of their dead and have numerous cults based around the breeding and veneration of snakes. The cornerstone for Konso culture is a highly specialized agricultural economy on the fertile hillsides of the valley through stone terracing. Overnight Haile Resort

On arrival in Addis, check into your hotel. This will either be on day room basis or overnight depending on your international flight times.This evening, we will arrange for a farewell dinner in a restaurant with Ethiopian music and dance, or in a good city centre restaurant.